From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 22 May, 1868.

CHARGES OF HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

John Foord and John O'Donnell, two artillerymen of the 13th Brigade were charged with assaulting Patrick Conolly, and robbing him of two half-crowns and ten shillings, upon a public highway.

It appeared that the prosecutor is a travelling optician and lodges at the "City of London Tavern." On Saturday evening he had been drinking with the two artillerymen at two or three public-houses. The "Granville Arms," at the top of Adrian Street, was the last public-house they visited. Here they had two or three pots of beer, and they had also consumed a considerable quantity of beer at the other houses they had visited. They left the "Granville Arms" about half-past nine o'clock. the prosecutor being under the impression that the prisoners, who professed to "know the town" were taking him to another public-house. Instead of doing that, however, they conducted him past Adrian Row and in the neighbourhood of St. Mary's Cemetery where Foord knocked him down and knelt on his chest, while O'Donnell rifled the right hand pocket of his coat. His cries brought assistance and the prisoners then "ran for their lives." They took away with them ten shillings and two half-crowns, which the prosecutor had previously had in his pocket, and some half-pence, which he had also had with the silver, were found strewn upon the ground near to where he had been thrown down. When prosecutor had recovered his feet he found his pocket turned out and of course quite empty. He was advised by the man who came to his assistance to go to the police-station and give information of the robbery; but the police considered him drunk and detained him. He probably had the appearance of being drunk and he certainly had had a deal of beer, but his own belief was that he was more excited than drunk. (Laughter.)

By Foord: I have not offered to compromise this case by accepting half-a-crown.

John Bentley, a mariner, living in Adrian Row, said that about half-past nine on Saturday evening he heard cries, and on running up the passage to see what was the matter he found the complainant on the ground with two artillerymen standing over him. Witness going up close to the spot, one of the soldiers caught hold of him by the arm. One of them had a basket and a stick, which the prosecutor said belonged to him. [The basket, it appeared, contained the complainant's stock-in-trade as an optician.] He wrenched his arm away from the soldier and ran back to his house for something with which to defend himself. He caught hold of a poker, and on his coming back armed with this  the soldiers ran away. One of the soldiers was kneeling on the complainant's chest and the other seemed to be turning his money out of his pocket. Witness heard the money go upon the ground. After the soldiers had run away he picked up four-pence. He could not swear to the soldiers, but he saw by their uniform that they were artillerymen, and by the numbers on their shoulder-straps that they belonged to the 13th brigade. He should think that the complainant and the soldiers too were drunk.

Hannah Dyer, wife of Abraham Dyer, said that her husband kept the "Granville Arms." Complainant and the two prisoners came into the house a little after nine o'clock on Saturday evening. Complainant had a basket but the two prisoners were carrying it for him, and they put it on the top of a cupboard while they remained in the house. They had two pots of ale, for which the prosecutor paid. They left a little before ten. Witness did not see in what direction they went. None of them were sober. The complainant seemed to have a good deal of silver about him; and witness observed him pull some of it out, and put it back again into his pocket. After the complainant had paid for the ale one of the prisoners asked me what I had done with the change, and I said I had given it to the old man, of course, when he replied "You ____ fool, why did you not give it to me?" I told him he had no right to speak to me in that way, and he went back to the room grumbling.

Police-sergeant Johnson said: The prosecutor came to the police-station on Saturday night between half-past nine and ten o'clock. He was drunk and was bleeding from the mouth. The right-hand pocket of his coat was turned out, and he made a complaint. In consequence of his statement I proceeded to the Castle yesterday and took the prisoners into custody. The prosecutor picked them out of a number of men who were standing together. At the police-station, after the prisoners had been cautioned, O'Donnell admitted being in the prosecutor's company and said  he picked him up after he had fallen down, and gave him his basket. I remember that on Saturday night, shortly after half-past nine o'clock, O'Donnell came running into the Market Place, from Market Street, and as he passed me near the "Walmer Castle," he nearly tripped me up.

The prisoner having been cautioned, Foord declined to make any statement, and O'Donnell repeated in substance what he had said to the policeman.

Both the prisoners were fully committed for trial at the next Maidstone Assizes.