From the Kentish Gazette, 21 February 1865.

A Ticket-of-Leave Man is Trouble.

Henry Chas. Spain, a ticket-of-leave man, was brought up on warrant (before Alderman Price, J. Turner, Esq., and the Mayor), on Saturday, charged by James Harris, of the "Foresters’ Arms," St. Lawrence, with fraudulently converting a double-barrelled gun, his property, to his own use, on the 27th of December. From the evidence of the prosecutor it appeared the prisoner came to his house on the 26th Dec. last and asked him if he would hire him the gun. He had had it once before for the day and paid eighteen-pence for it. He allowed him to take the gun away, and he paid one shilling for it, and was to have cleaned and return it on Wednesday morning, but he did not, and he did not see the prisoner again till the Saturday following. The prisoner then told him it was all up with the gun as he had lost it, for he was out by Minster shooting, and three gentlemen came after him and took the gun away. He asked him who the gentlemen were, but he only made a rambling statement in reply, adding "it will not matter if I pay you for it." Prosecutor replied, "No." The prisoner had heard the prosecutor say he would sell the gun for £2 10s., and he told the prisoner if he would pay £2 10s. for the gun on Saturday the matter would be dropped; but on the Saturday he went to the prosecutor’s house and said he had been to Margate to get the money, but he could not pay until the following Tuesday. He had not seen him since till now, and from information he received last week he went to the pawnbroker’s, at Ramsgate, and afterwards came to Margate where he found the gun in the possession of Mr. Wales, of the "Royal Oak" public-house. The gun now produced was his property, and he valued it at £3. Had he known he had not lost the gun or had it taken from him, he should not have given him the price of the gun.

Thomas Gardner, mariner, said he was in the "First and Last" five or six weeks ago, and the prisoner offered to sell the gun for 30s., but no one would buy it; and he enquired for a pawnbroker’s shop, and afterwards a man named Drew went with the prisoner’s friend to shew him the pawn shop and they pledged it for 10s., and gave the money and duplicate to the prisoner. The ticket was afterwards offered for sale, and he (witness) gave the prisoner 6s. for it, and then sold it to Mr. Wales for the same money, and a pot of beer.

From other evidence it appealed that the gun was pledged on the 31st December, and redeemed the same day.

Sergeant Shelvey said he went on Thursday evening last with the prosecutor to Mr. Wales’s, and enquired if he had bought a gun. He said he had bought the ticket of one for 6s., of Gardner, and he then produced the gun, which the prosecutor identified. That morning he went to Ramsgate, and apprehended the prisoner at the police station, where he had been brought by one of the police, having failed to report himself as a ticket-of-leave man.

The prisoner made a rambling statement, endeavouring to shew he had bought the gun, but the Magistrates committed him for trial.