From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 20 November, 1858.

DESERTION FROM WALMER BARRACKS

Three curiously clad individuals were placed at the bar charged with deserting from Walmer Barracks on the preceding evening. The first, William Tucker, belonged to the 7th Fusiliers, and the others, John Parker ad Thomas Cosgrove, to the 1st battalion of the 2nd Royals, both of the above corps being quartered in Walmer garrison.

The defendants, it appeared, had been seen to enter the town from the Walmer road on the preceding evening, and had attracted the suspicion of the police by their strange costumes and the military fashion in which their hair was trimmed. The defendants were seen to enter the "Marine Arms," in Woolcomber Lane, where they spent the night, carefully watched by the police, and on the following morning just as they were about to depart by the train they were stopped and taxed with desertion. They admitted being soldiers, but denied that they were intending to desert, being only, as they contented, absent without leave and intending to return to their quarters.

The defendants admitted the statement of the police to be substantially correct, but still denied that they had contemplated desertion. Tucker, who had the appearance of an Ethiopian seronador, being adorned with an enormous white cravat, seemed to be the ringleader, and in his replies to the enquiries put to him exhibited a droll kind of effrontery. In answer to the questions of how they had disposed of their uniforms, he told the Bench they had sent them fishing for a week. In reply to the enquiry had he any marks, he enumerated a long list, concluding with the letter "D" on his left side, where, he added, there was still room for another.

The Magistrates ordered them to be conveyed to the quarters of their respective corps.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 1 August, 1863.

CHARGE OF KEEPING A DISORDERLY HOUSE

Michael Maroney, the landlord of the "Marine Arms," Woolcomber Lane, was summoned upon the information of Supt. Coram, for having unlawfully and knowingly suffered common prostitutes to assemble at his house, on the 23rd July.

Mr. Fox, who appeared to support the information on behalf of the parochial authorities of St. James's. said the "Marine Arms" had for a very long period been a disorderly house. It had lately changed hands and come into the possession of the defendant. He was, however, prepared to assume that the offence for which defendant stood charge might have occurred through inadvertence, and he did not intend to press for a heavy penalty; but he would be satisfied with a nominal penalty, on the defendant undertaking to amend the character of the house. If the parish complaints had been so loud and numerous about the conduct of this and one or two other houses, that the parish officers were determined to effect a reform. On Thursday the police visited the "Marine Arms," about a quarter before eight o'clock, and saw about thirteen or fourteen girls and twenty soldiers congregating there, and dancing. The police pointed out to the defendant the character of the persons who were there, and paid another visit about half an hour afterwards, when they found about the same number of the same class assembled in the rooms; hence the present proceedings.

Mr. Lewis, for defendant, said he was prepared to admit there were persons assembled as stated; but it arose entirely through inadvertence. A professional musician, named Wood, was in court, and if the case had been gone into, would have told the Bench he had sole charge of the room, and that he had received express orders from the defendant not to permit any improper character there. Wood was quite willing now to promise the Bench not to allow improper characters, so far as he knew them to be as to assemble; Maroney would do the same; and Mr. Johnson, the owner of the house, would also promise the same. It was the wish of all to have the house respectably conducted, and he therefore submitted that a nominal penalty would meet the case. The persons alluded to were not all bad characters; some of them were known to be respectable married women, the wives of non-commissioned officers, whose husbands would of course not allow them to associate with improper characters.

Mr. Fox reminded the Bench that the defendant was expressly cautioned, when he applied for a transfer of the license from the previous occupier, that as the house had been very badly conducted, it must be carried on more orderly for the future; and the defendant obtained a transfer subject to his promising to do so. He could not admit that the defendant, as stated, know nothing of what was passing at his house.

The mayor remembered cautioning the defendant upon his manner of conducting the house, and he could only suppose that this offence must have arisen through some oversight or inadvertence on his part. The Bench, taking all the circumstances into consideration, and upon the promise of the defendant not to allow a reoccurrence, mitigated the fine to 4s. and 16s. costs, which was paid.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 22 August, 1863.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

John Follness, a young man of shabby appearance, and described as a waiter at the "Marine Arms" public-house, Woolcomber Lane, was charged with attempting to commit suicide, by cutting his throat, on the Thursday evening previous. The defendant said he was an engine-fitter by trade, and was employed as a waiter at the "Marine Arms" because he had nothing to do at his own business. He could not account for the attempt upon his life in any other way than from his indulgence in drink, and he was now very sorry for what he had done. The Magistrates, having ascertained from the medical officer of the union, J. Walter, Esq., that the defendant was in a fit state to be at large, dismissed him with a solemn admonition to abstain from drink for the future.