Kentish Gazette, 24 February 1857.

A Silent Member.

A young fellow with a jaunty and indifferent sort of air, giving the name of John King, and stating himself to be a seaman, was brought up on suspicion of being a deserter. At an early hour in the morning he accosted Constable Holloway, as to his knowledge of a Mrs. King keeping Market House; but the constable knew no such house - only "Market Hall," which prisoner said was not the place, and that perhaps his mother was dead as he had been absent seventeen years, — and from other matters which transpired, about prisoner saying his mother formerly lived there, he was induced to take him into custody on suspicion of having deserted from a regiment at Dover. A message laving been sent thither, a reply was received of such a person having deserted from the 42nd five years ago, when lying at Stirling, but nothing further was elicited to ground the suspicious of the policeman; and the prisoner refusing to give any account of himself, there was no alternate but to discharge him. On leaving the bar, he expressed his regret that he never had been a soldier, — for the very good reason that he was disabled by a palpitation of the heart. One of the magistrates stated that he remembered a person named King keeping a coffee-shop in the neighbourhood indicated 15 or 16 years ago.

From the Kentish Gazette, 17 January 1865.

Charge of Theft against a Domestic Servant.

On Tuesday, at the City Police Court, before the Right Worshipful the Mayor (Peter Marten, Esq.), and W. Masters, Esq., a domestic servant named Eliza Widley, in the employ of Joseph Parker, of the "Market Hall," was charged with stealing a key and a piece of print, value 2s., the property of her master.

Mr. Delasaux appeared for the prosecutor.

Mrs. Parker, wife of the prosecutor, deposed that the prisoner had been in her service about fifteen months. On Wednesday she asked far a holiday for two days, which was granted her, but instead of returning on Friday she did not come back till Monday, when she told the prisoner she was to leave her service. The prisoner went away and said she would call for her box in the afternoon. Between four and five o’clock in the afternoon the prisoner called for her box, when witness told her she desired to look in her box, but the prisoner refused. She said she would fetch a policeman, when the prisoner answered, "I'll save you the trouble; I'll fetch one myself." Prisoner then apparently locked her box, but the hasp did not catch the bolt, and then left. On the prisoner’s, return with a policeman, she went upstairs with them, and the prisoner commenced to take her things out of the box. Witness saw a chemise and a dress, which she knew to belong to her daughter, in the box, and she afterwards saw the piece of print produced, some stout bottles and a key, which she could identify in the box, and she gave the prisoner into custody.

By the Clerk:- When the prisoner came with the policeman she said "My box has been broken open." There had been no one in the room during the time the prisoner was away.

P.S. Hayward said that about half-past five on the previous afternoon he was in the station-house, and inconsequence of what the prisoner said to him he went with her to Mr. Parker’s house. When he got there he saw Mrs. Parker coming down stair; from the direction of the prisoner’s room, whither they all three proceeded. As soon as the prisoner went to her box she ail "This box has been opened, I left it locked," and on opening the lid she further said "the things have been shifted, they are not as I left them."

Prisoner then took the things out, and on coming to the chemise and dress prisoner said she bought the dress of the prosecutrix’s daughter for 1s., and that the chemise had been lent to her, and she intended to return it when it had been washed. On coming to the piece of print produced, the prosecutrix said "I know you stole that for it was in my bedroom," to which prisoner*replied "No it was not, it has been in here ever since I sat up with your daughter when she had delirium tremens. The last I saw of it was on the trunk, at the foot of my bed. It was not in my box when I left it."

When the stout bottles were found the prisoner said they were brought upstairs by the prosecutrix’s daughter, and the prosecutrix replied, "From what I can see of it, yon are both alike, You have both been robbing me."

On the key being found in the box, the prisoner said "You know Mrs. Parker I used to carry the keys, and I might have put it in my pocket."

This being the case, the Bench, without calling on the prisoner for her defence, dismissed her.

She was then charged with stealing a dress and chemise, the property of the prosecutrix’s daughter.

Mr. Delasaux again appeared for the prosecution.

From the evidence of the daughter, it appeared that she and the prisoner were very intimate friends, spending nights together, and that she had been in the habit of lending the prisoner clothes.

The Bench dismissed the prisoner on this charge also.