Thanet Advertiser 26 November 1859.

PETTY SESSIONS - MONDAY.

(Before T. Whitehead, Esq. (chairman), Major-Gen. Williams, G. E. Hannan, Esq,. and the Rev. G. W. Sheklemore.)

William Brock, of the "Cannon" beer shop, was charged with allowing gaming in his house, on the 12th instant. Defendant pleaded Not Guilty.

Police constable Tucker deposed:— On the 12th inst, about 8 o'clock in the evening, I went to defendant's house at St Lawrence. I was, by the directions of the Superintendent, in plain clothes. I was asked to go into the parlour; I said I would rather go into the skittle alley. I went there and I saw six lads from sixteen to twenty, playing at skittles. They played seven games while I was there, for a pot a game; four were playing at a time, two side. Before they began they said "we two will play you two for a pot." After the game was over they said "what shall we have." They agreed to hare "shandy gaff," a mixture of beer and ginger beer, six pots of which were brought in whilst I was there, the losers paying for what was lost. Defendant brought the beer in and received the money for it. He was in the skittle ground the whole time except when he went out to fetch the beer in; he was there when the betting was made and must have heard it unless be wes very deaf. I spoke to him afterwards and he did not appear deaf. While there two men came in; one bet the other a penny that he did not knock the skittles down so many times; the other threw and knocked them down in once and received the penny.

Defendant, in his defence, denied the gambling, and said he had a notice up in the alley that gambling was not allowed, and more than that he invariably made it his practice to be present in order to prevent it.

The Chairman said, after due consideration the Bench were of opinion that the case had been clearly proved against him, and they fined him 40s., and 10s. costs, ordered to be paid forthwith.

The Reverend Mr. Stcklemore said, the case having been closed he could not refrain from commenting upon the defendant's conduct in serving the boys, as he had been proved to do, with six pots of beer. They had in the case before them that day seen the evil of drink in men — and three boys were being trained in a similar course. He could say that the house had been a disgrace to the village of St Lawrence for years past and the terror of the youths of the place. He for one was determined to abate the nuisance as far as in him laid, and if the police did not do their duty he would see that they were reported.