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From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer,
31 August, 1866.
REMANDED CHARGE
Charles John Smith, the soldier remanded from Saturday on a charge of
burglariously entering the "Prince of Wales" public house, at Buckland,
and stealing two gallon bottles containing spirits, was again placed at
the bar.
Mr. Edmund Ashdown said he was the landlord of the "Prince of Wales."
On Saturday morning last, at half-past five o'clock, he was called up by
his next door neighbour, Mr. Austin, and in consequence of what he told
him he dressed himself and went down stairs, when he found that the
house had been entered at the back, the door parting the living room
from the bar having been broken open. In consequence of what was further
said to him by Mr. Austin, he went after prisoner, and found him near
George Street, about 150 yards from the house. The prisoner was
apparently asleep, with the two bottles now produced close behind him.
Witness waited near him until the police came, and he was taken into
custody. The bottles belonged to witness, and he had last seen them in
the bar the previous night, about eleven o'clock, before going to bed.
On examining the house in company with police-sergeant Johnson he found
that it had been entered by the rear. The yard of the house communicated
with a passage which was approached from the street.
Corroborative evidence was given by a witness named Denne, and it
appeared at this stage that the evidence of some witnesses who were not
then in attendance would be necessary, the prisoner was remanded till
the following day.
REMANDED CHARGE OF BURGLARY
Charles John Smith, the artilleryman remanded from the previous day,
on a charge of burglariously entering the "Prince of Wales Inn," at
Buckland, and stealing two bottles containing spirits, was again placed
at the bar, and the following additional evidence was adduced.
George Austen: I am a cellar-man in the employ of Mr. J. Lukey, and I
live next door to the "Prince of Wales," Buckland. The two houses have a
common staircase. On Saturday morning last, about twenty minutes to five
o'clock, I was aroused by a noise downstairs, and on going down and
looking about, I saw Mr. Ashdown's window open. I thought the noise I
had heard had been occasioned by the servant doing her work, and I went
back to my bedroom. I had been there about a quarter of an hour, when
Mr. Denne, a neighbour, called out at the bottom of the stairs that
there was someone in the house. I then ran downstairs and went through
Mr. Ashdown's parlour, when I saw a pair of military gloves lying on the
table. Those produced are the same. I then went into the bar, where I
saw that the till had been broken open. A pair of compasses was lying
over it, and a razor on the shelf opposite was broken to pieces. I then
asked Mr. Denne some questions, and in consequence of what he told me I
called Mr. Ashdown, when we all went in pursuit, and found the prisoner
opposite the "Green Man," in Erith Street.
He was leaning against the house, sleeping, with the two large bottles
produced by his side.
John Harding: I am acting pay sergeant of No. 4 Battery, 13th
Brigade, Royal Artillery. The prisoner's regimental number is 1433. The
gloves produced were issued to him on the 17th of last month. They were
numbered in mistake 1434.
By prisoner: I sent your name in for the gloves. The Quarter-master
Sergeant issued them, and I saw you with them afterwards.
Police-sergeant James Johnson deposed to apprehend the prisoner in
Erith Street, drunk, and asleep, and with the bottles at his feet, early
on Saturday morning. He afterwards made an examination of Mr. Ashdown's
house. In the garden he found marks of footsteps where some person had
got over the wall. The sitting-room window, which communicated with the
yard, was thrown open. A door leading from the sitting room into the bar
had been forced open with some sharp instrument. The till in the bar had
also been forced with some sharp pointed instrument; and a pair of
compasses and a razor had been removed from the place where they had
been left the previous night. The marks on the side and the top of the
drawer corresponded with the compasses. On getting the prisoner to the
station house witness searched him, when he found upon him 1s. 9d. in
coppers, two three-penny pieces in silver, and an old farthing of George
II.
Mr. Ashdown: That farthing has been in my drawer for a twelve month.
Johnson: The same morning I saw the prisoner about 300 yards from the
"Prince of Wales." He was then sober and was walking towards the house.
This being the whole of the evidence, the prisoner was cautioned in
the usual way; but he had nothing to say in his defence, and was
committed for trial at the next Maidstone Assizes.
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From the Dover Express