Dover Express, Saturday 28 May 1864.

To Publicans.

To Be Let, the "Oddfellows Arms," Commercial Quay. Apply to Mr. Harding, Wellington Brewery, Buckland.

(I am not sure whether this indeed is a different pub having the address of Commercial Quay, or whether the address was incorrect. As you can see from the map below, Commercial Quay and Beach Street are quite a distance apart. Paul Skelton.)

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 26 November, 1864.

INFRINGEMENT OF LICENSE

William Back, landlord of the "Odd Fellows Arms," Beach Street, was charged with infringement of his license, and was fined 10s. and costs, which he paid.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 29 April, 1865. Price 1d.

DOG STEALING

Richard Amos, a bricklayer, living in Mill Lane, was charged with stealing a small terrier, belonging to Thomas Sinclair, of beach Street.

Prosecutor deposed to the loss of the dog on the preceding day, and identified the one produced as belonging to him. A little boy named William Hill stated that on the previous day, he saw the dog playing inside the "Oddfellows' Arms," and the prisoner took it up, put it in his pocket, and went off with it. Police-sergeant Bailey and Stevens deposed to the apprehension of the prisoner, and finding the dog at his sister's house in Mill Lane.

Prisoner pleaded as an excuse that he was drunk at the time, and that he only took the dog in a "lark."

Superintendent Coram observed there had been a great number of dogs stolen this way lately, and Sergeant Bailey, said he knew of a former case in which the prisoner had taken a dog belonging to someone else.

The Magistrates committed the prisoner to gaol for a month with hard labour.

Dover Express 14 October 1865.

LONDON COURT OF BANKRUPTCY. October 5.

RE: THOMAS CRADDUCK.

This was an examination and order of discharge sitting, under the bankruptcy of Thomas Cradduck (sued and committed as Thomas Craddock), described as late of the "Odd Fellows Arms" beer shop, Beach Street, Dover, and on the 19th June a prisoner for debt in Maidstone Gaol, from which prison he was subsequently released by order of Mr. Registrar Scudamore. The Bankrupt attributes his failure to the following causes, viz: "The illness of myself and family, the death of two wives and four children, and bad debts."

Mr. Sykes represented the official assignee, and stated that the bankrupt had not filed any "statement of accounts," according to the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act, 1861, whereupon the Court adjourned his examination sine dic, with liberty to apply for another sitting at his own expense, when he shall have filed such account. - Enlarged protection from arrest was granted the bankrupt for a month, and the sitting ended.

RE SARAH CRADDUCK.

This was also an examination and discharge sitting, under the bankruptcy of Sarah Craddock, wife of the above bankrupt Thomas Craddock.

It appears from the examination of the bankrupt, that she was in Maidstone Gaol, from the 16th May to the 19th of June last, and at the time of her arrest she was living with her husband at the "Odd Fellows Arms" beer shop; and that she had previously lived with him at Boughton Monchelsea, at the "Rose" beer shop, which she kept for three years before her marriage in February, 1865. The amount of her debts before her marriage, which still remain unpaid, is about £60. The husband's debts are stated to be between £300 and £400.

She has no property whatever, and she attributes her difficulties to "losses by lodgers, and the heavy rent she had to pay." Mr. Aldridge stated that in this case there were no accounts, and the Court made the same order as in the foregoing case.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 4 May, 1866.

ROBBERY FROM A PUBLIC HOUSE

John Potts, a private from the 74th Regiment, was charged with stealing from a bedroom at the "Odd Fellows' Arms," Beach Street, half a sovereign, a brooch, some copper money, and a number of foreign coins, the property of the landlord, George Craddock.

The prosecutor said that prisoner came into his house on the previous morning, about eleven o'clock, and remained there some two or three hours. His wife was engaged in the lower part of the house, and witness was employed about the premises. The prisoner remained chiefly in the tap-room, but must have taken advantage of an opportunity to get upstairs, as witness saw him coming down about three o'clock. He (witness) told him he had no business upstairs, and he said he went up "in a mistake." Immediately after the prisoner left the house, a half sovereign was missed from a little box, standing in a bedroom window. Witness pursued the prisoner, and ultimately found him at the "White Hart" public house. He sent for a policeman and gave the prisoner into custody. He was conveyed to the station-house, where witness saw him searched. Among the money found on him was a number of foreign coins, and a brooch, which had been in the place from which the half sovereign was stolen. There were also found upon him some English copper coins, dated 1797, which witness also identified.

The prisoner did not desire to put any questions to prosecutor.

Elizabeth Craddock, the daughter of the prosecutor, gave corroborative evidence as to the identity of the coins, but there was some technical difficulty in respect to the half sovereign, and the charge was therefore confined to the stealing of such articles as could be clearly identified.

The prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment, with hard labour, a sergeant of his regiment, who was present, giving him but an indifferent character.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 21 June, 1867.

CUSTOMS INFORMATION

Thomas Craddock, the landlord of the "Odd Fellows' Arms Inn," Beach Street, was summonsed for having, on the 30th May, been concerned with shipping or unshipping one pound of tobacco of foreign manufacture, contrary to the Customs Act. The defendant was also charged upon another count with infringing the clause of the act which provided that dealers in tobacco should keep all foreign tobacco in their possession in a printed wrapper provided for the purpose.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.

It appeared from the statement of Mr. Beverly, the solicitor to the Board of Customs, who appeared in support of the prosecution, that the defendant keeps  the "Odd Fellows' Arms," a public-house in Beach Street, Dover, and that the prosecution had been instituted in consequence of the tobacco mentioned in the information having been found concealed on his premises, on the 30th May. It appeared that on that day the officers of customs, in consequence of certain information they had received, visited the premises. They requested Craddock to produce his stock of tobacco, and he showed them a very small quantity, saying that was all he had. The officers then commenced a search of the premises; and underneath the flooring of a cupboard, in a kind of store-room adjoining the passage, they discovered the tobacco referred to. It was loose and was of foreign manufacture, and such tobacco being found on the defendant's premises, the onus was cast upon him of showing whether the duty had paid upon it. The Customs authorities had taken the lenient course in this case, it being open to them to prosecute the defendant either for the £100 penalty, or for treble the value and duty of the tobacco found, and they having decided to adopt the latter alternative. The tobacco being negro-head, the defendant had moreover laid himself open to prosecution for having such a description of tobacco in his possession without being enclosed in the distinctive label provided by the excise authorities, it being the practice, on the information of such tobacco to place it in bond, which it did not leave under any circumstances without being enclosed in the distinctive wrapper he had referred to. For this offence, therefore, the defendant had laid himself open to a second penalty.

William Clark: I am an examining officer of customs. On the 30th May last I went to the house of the defendant, who keeps the "Odd Fellows' Arms," in Beach Street and Seven Stars Street, Dover. Mr. Boddy (an officer of Excise), two police constables and four other officers of customs were with me. The time was about half-past eleven in the morning. I entering the house I told the defendant I had received information that he had foreign tobacco and spirits on his premises. He said he had not. I then showed him my authority for searching the house. Before doing so I requested him to produce what tobacco he had, and he showed me a small quantity in a box, about half an once, saying that was all he had got. A search of the premises was afterwards made, and in a cupboard of a lumber-room was found one package of foreign manufactured tobacco. I called the defendant, and produced the tobacco to him. He asked me where I had found it, and n my pointing out the place to him he said he knew nothing about it. He asked whether it was likely if he knew it was there, he should let it remain so, as to become unfit for use. The tobacco was found underneath the flooring. The flooring was loose, and in the cupboard, upon the floor, were some pots and kettles. I then told the defendant I should report the case to the collector, and I subsequently did so.

By the defendant: You did say the tobacco was rotten. It is produced.

By the Magistrates: The tobacco is deteriorated, but it is not rotten. It is a little mouldy.

William Francis Driver, an out-door officer of Customs in Dover: I accompanied the last witness and other officers to the "Odd Fellows Arms" on the 30th May. The tobacco produced was found concealed under the flooring of a cupboard in a storeroom. I removed the flooring. Upon the flooring were several pots and kettles; and under the flooring there were several loose bricks. On removing the bricks the tobacco was found in a hole.

By the Bench: The flooring did not seem as if it had been recently disturbed. The bricks were not loose, but wedged in. the tobacco was damp, and the paper in which it was wrapped was rotten. On handling it the paper dropped to pieces, but part of it still remains around the tobacco. The defendant said the hole had been made to get at the gas-pipe.

George Boddy: I am an excise officer stationed at Dover. I know the defendant, who has a license to deal in tobacco. He has held such a license for the "Odd Fellows' Arms" since the 14th March, 1865.I was present with the other officers when the tobacco in question was found. Foreign negro-head, if in the possession of a dealer, should be wrapped in a printed wrapper. This was not so enclosed.

Mr. C. S. Saunders, the collector of customs at Dover, proved the single value and duty of the tobacco to be 5s. 6d.; and this evidence completed the case.

The defendant, on being called upon for his reply to the charge, said he was entirely ignorant of how the tobacco came upon his premises. He accounted for the floorboards being loose by saying that they remained in that manner in order that the gas-pipe which ran through the cupboard might the more easily be got at.

The Magistrates did not consider the defence sufficiently satisfactory, and convicted the defendant fining him treble the value and duty and costs.

Mr. Beverly asked whether the Magistrates convicted on both counts.

The Chairman: No, upon the second count alone.

The defendant paid the fine and costs, which amounted to £2 3s.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 1 November, 1867.

CONVEYING CONTRABAND GOODS

John Ticknor, a baker carrying on business in Dover, charged with conveying in his cart 1⅓ lbs of foreign manufactured cigars which had not paid duty. A customs officer named Pattison saw the defendant come from the "Odd Fellows' Arms" in Bench Street on Friday afternoon, with a box under his arm. On going up to him and asking what the box contained, he said he was in a hurry and could not stop, but on the officer pressing his question he replied, "Eggs." The officer insisted on looking, and he then said there were in it a few cigars he was going to take home to dry for the landlord. Mr. Minter, for the defendant, said the landlord of the "Oddfellows' Arms" put the box into the cart, and on his interfering he said the box contained a few cigars which he wanted Ticknor to dry for him. Mr. Minter addressed the Bench for the defendant, contending that if any one ought to have been proceeded against in this case it was not his client, and also that there was no evidence as to manufacture. The Magistrates dismissed the summons on the ground of insufficient evidence as to the manufactures of the cigars.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 8 November, 1867.

SINGULAR CHARGE OF SMUGGLING

Thomas Cradock, landlord of the "Odd Fellows' Arms," Beach Street, was brought up in custody, charged with having on the 31st of October in his possession, 4½ lbs of cigars of foreign manufacture, and liable to forfeiture.

These were the same cigars that a baker named Ticknor was seen to receive into his cart, and against whom a similar charge to the above was brought last week and dismissed by the Magistrates. It will be remembered that his defence was that they were entrusted to him by the present defendant to be dried in his over; and another reason for the dismissal was that the only witness for the prosecution would not swear that the cigars were foreign ones.

Mr. Saunders, collector of customs, was again present to watch the case on behalf of the revenue.

John L. Patterson, a Customs' officer, now proved the case to the satisfaction of the Magistrates.

Defendant was convicted, and ordered to pay single value and duty, and costs, amounting to £2 17s. 6d.