From the Kentish Gazette, 20 October 1857.

SANDGATE. Death by Drowning.

On Wednesday Mary Ann West, wife of a tailor living at Sandgate, was returning home along the beach at about eleven o’clock at night, the tide being at high water, when she missed her way and walked into the sea. At four o’clock on Thursday morning the body was found ten feet below high water mark by a Coast Guardsman on duty. An inquest was held on Friday at the "Bricklayers’ Arms," Sandgate, before T. T. Delasaux, Esq., when a verdict of Accidental Death was returned.

There were no marks of violence on the body.

South Eastern Gazette,10 January, 1860.

EAST KENT QUARTER SESSIONS.

On Tuesday last these Sessions were held at the Session House, St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, under the chairmanship of J. B. Wildman, Esq.

Stealing a Whip.

John Ross, soldier, for having stolen one whip, value 8s., the property of John Basstook, at Sandgate, on the 7th November. Mr. White prosecuted.

Prosecutor, a fly-driver, deposed that at about 7 o'clock he called at the "Bricklayer’s Arms," at Sandgate. Witness laid the whip on the fly, and when he returned to the fly, the whip was gone.

Sergeant Smith, K.C.C., deposed that on the 7th Nov. last, he rode with the last witness from Folkestone to Hythe. He went into the "Bricklayer’s Arms," and shortly after prosecutor told witness that he had lost his whip. On the next day he found the whip (produced) at the "True Briton," at Sandgate. He then found the prisoner at the "City Arms" beer-house, and he said he had found it opposite the "Bricklayer’s Arms."

Thomas Kemp Stone, landlord of the "City Arms," deposed that the prisoner went to his house on the 8th November, at 5 o’clock in the morning, with the whip in his possession, and which he said he had found. Prisoner asked several persons, while at witness’s house, if they had lost a whip.

The jury acquitted the prisoner.

South Eastern Gazette, 3 July, 1860.

County Court.

This court was held on Wednesday, before C. Harwood, Esq., Judge. There were but 18 plaints and 2 judgment summonses.

Lawrence v. Bodkin. A Military Lark.

Mr. Minter for plaintiff, Mr. Wightwick for defendant. This was an action brought by James Laurence (who is the principal of a company performing at Rigden’s Music Hall at Sandgate, and forming the well-known groupe on the stage known as "Poses Plastiques”), to recover the sum of £50 for damages for an assault and damage to certain theatrical appointments.

Mr. Minter said the plaintiff was a respectable man and was employed by Mr. Rigden, at Sandgate. On the evening in question the defendant, Lieut Bodkin, with others, forced their way into the dressing-room of the plaintiff, and not only assaulted and destroyed the property but almost strangled him. His client had offered to settle the business for £9 but that offer had been declined.

James Laurence deposed:— I am a pantominist, and am employed at Mr. Rigden's at a salary of £5 per week. In consequence or what I heard on the evening of June 2nd, I went to my dressing-room near the stage, and there found the defendant lifting off a shield from the place where it hung. He had a coronet on his head. There were other officers with him. I ordered him out, but he refused to go. I then took him by the collar and turned him out, and went back to turn the others oat. Defendant afterwards seized me by the back and threw me down, and we fell over a form. We struggled there and I got my coat torn up and spoilt. It coat me £4 10s. Defendant and another officer then got a cane, and one got hold of the end of it and pulled it across my throat tight, nearly strangling me I could not speak, and for two or three days could hardly swallow. The coronet was broken and was worth 15s.

Cross-examined:— The dressing-room is across the stage at the end. No person can see into the dressing-room where the ladies were unless the door was open. I know the defendant well and can swear he had hold of the cane at one end. I said I would be satisfied if they paid me £5. Defendant had no right in those rooms; they ware for my private use.

Re-examined:— The other dressing-room is where the females were; some of whom were nearly naked. I was trying to prevent the officers from getting to that room.

Sergeant Smith, of the Kent County Constabulary, deposed:— I went into the room at half-past 11 o'clock, and saw the defendant and others playing with the things, and a scuffle ensued. There was a cry that there was a man being choked. Defendant had hold of Laurence. I saw a cane across his throat, and the defendant had hold of it. I carried the defendant away and handed him to a brother officer; he came back two or three times to strike the plaintiff; at last we got him outside the door; he was very anxious to fight everybody, and was very tipsy.

Cross-examined:— Never saw any blow struck; the row lasted an hour.

Some other witness were examined, and Mr. Wightwick, for the defendant, denied that an assault had been committed, declaring that it was a trumped up action to put money into the plaintiff's pocket.

He called Mr. Robert Rigden, who deposed:— I am proprietor of the Music Hall. The disturbance did not last more than two minutes. I did not see Sergeant Smith in the room, saw the plaintiff pull a gentleman from the dressing-room, but do not know who it was. The room is very large and is capable of holding 1,000 persons. I saw a cana across the plaintiff s throat. I will swear that Smith did not do what he has stated in his evidence. I saw several gentlemen go into the dressing-room, but did not see the defendant attempt to fight the plaintiff. I was 60ft. or 70ft from the stage when the row took place.

Cross-examined:— There was no cry of choking or strangling; if there had been I must have heard it. I don't recollect Lieut. O'Ryan having hold of the other end of the cane. Defendant was not drunk, but was not quite sober.

Lieut Bodkin, Military Train, deposed:- I was at the Music Hall on the 2nd June, and was assaulted by Mr. Laurence, the plaintiff. He came to me, and pulled me out of the room, and threw me down. I saw a shield in the room, but no coronet. I got on to the stage and so into the room. There were other officers besides me, Lient. Hackett and Lieut O’Ryan. I had no cane. I was not quite sober, but certainly able to take care of myself, and have a perfect recollection of what took place. The policeman Smith did not lead me away from Laurence.

Cross-examined:- I was the gentleman who figured at Hythe for an assault upon the police the same evening, and was fined £3.

Lieut. Shaw deposed that he was at the place named with defendant and others, and with them got on to the stage and passed into a room. Hackett had an umbrella over his head, and a coronet on. Was perfectly sober and recollected everything that transpired.

Cross-examined:— Devoted my attention to Mr. Bodkin the whole evening. Was a witness for the defendant at Hythe and gave evidence in his favour; do not know whether the magistrates believes me or not. Was asked my name by the police and gave a false one, as I did not wish my name to be mixed up with the affair.

His Honour carefully went through the evidence, and the Jury, after retiring for a short time, found a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £5.

South Eastern Gazette, 10 July, 1860.

County Court.

In the evidence of Sergeant Smith, in the report of the trial Laurence v. Bodkin, last week, an error occurred as to his stating that he saw the cane across the plaintiff’s throat, and that the disturbance lasted an hour. This evidence was given by a witness named Butler.

From the Kentish Gazette, 28 March 1865.

SANDGATE. Stealing a £5 Note.

At the County Sessions Hall, Hythe, on Saturday (before Thomas Denne, Esq.), Thomas Bruty, a discharged soldier of the 71st Regiment, and Benjamin Dayley, Daniel Green, and Henry Whicks, privates in the Grenadier Guards stationed at Shorncliffe Camp, were brought up in custody of Inspector Smith, K.C.C., charged with stealing a £5 note from the person of Henry Amos, of Dover, beerhouse keeper.

Prosecutor stated that he was at Sandgate on the 24thi inst., and went into the "True Briton" beerhouse there about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. All the prisoners were then in the taproom drinking together. The prisoner Whicks asked him if he would take a glass of beer, he replied "Yes," and did so, and then he stood "treat" giving them two pots of beer. He stayed there altogether between a quarter of an hour and twenty minutes, when he left and went on to Folkestone. On reaching Folkestone he put his hand in his pocket to pay the flyman and then missed a £5 note which he had in his right hand trousers pocket when he went into the "True Briton." Prosecutor identified a £5 note produced as the one he lost, he knew it by the corner having been torn off, and by its having been divided.

Miss Charlotte Rigden stated that she lived with her father at the "Bricklayers’ Arms" public house, Sandgate. About half past 5 o’clock on the afternoon of the 21th inst., the prisoner Dayley came into the house and asked for change for a £5 note, she gave him 4 sovereigns and two half sovereigns for the note.

Thomas Francis, of Sandgate, draper, proved that between half past 5 and 6 o’clock on the evening of the 24th inst., the prisoner Bruty came into his shop and purchased several things amounting to 6s. 2 1/2d. He produced a sovereign to pay for them and was given the change.

Inspector Smith, K.C.C., stated that from information he received he went to the "True Briton" beerhouse between 7 and 8 o’clock in the evening of the 24th inst. He found the prisoner Bruty there drunk. He asked him what money he had got about him, he replied, "I don’t know, I may have 2 or 3 shillings." He then asked him where he had got it. He said, "I have been on the Camp and the guards gave it to me" he searched him and found 16s. 9 1./2d. and a parcel containing some new things, which he said belonged to him. Smith also asked him where the three men where he was drinking with. He said "He didn’t know anything about the three men." The other prisoners were subsequently apprehended and searched. On the prisoner Dayley was found 19s. 9 1/2d., on Whicks 18s. 2 1/2d., and on Green 19s. 4d.

Evidence was then given to show that directly the prosecutor left the "True Briton" beerhouse the prionners began whispering together, and Bruty said, "We will go to some place and see whether it is good, and will be back again." They then left together. It was also proved that the prisoner Bruty had been sleeping at the "True Briton" for nearly a week, and that as he had no money on the morning of the 24th instant, some girls living there gave him his breakfast.

In reply to the usual caution the prisoner Green said, "I wish to say that I picked it up for a piece of paper to light my pipe with it." Whicks said that he had heard Green say he picked up a note. Bruty had nothing to say, but Dayley said, "I wish to say that we did not steal that note."

The magistrate committed them for trial at the ensuing Quarter Sessions at St. Augustine’s, Canterbury.

From the Southeastern Gazette, 6 March 1866.

SECOND COURT.

(Before J. ’Espinasse, Esq., Chairman).

William Lee, 29, marine, was charged with stealing 15s. and a clasp knife from the person of William Woollett, at Sandgate, on the 26th January. Mr. Kaye appeared to prosecute. The prosecutor is a mariner, and on the evening of the above day he was drinking with the prosecutor in the “Bricklayers’ Arms.” Woollett at last fell fast asleep under the table, and the prisoner took advantage of his state to rob him of his money. Ha was observed to do this, but eluded immediate suspicion by saying that Woollett was his brother, and he would take the money and keep it for him.

Six months’ hard labour.