From the Kentish Chronicle, 23 February, 1861.

Mary Sullivan, a mat-maker, was charged with stealing two beer glasses from the “Hope and Anchor” beer shop, in High-street.

Thomas Doust deposed:— I keep the “Hope and Anchor” beer shop in High-street, and last Saturday my wife, who had been ill, informed me she missed two glasses, in consequence of which I went to Mr. Thirton’s, on Thursday, and asked him if he had bought two, and if he had two brought there he would let me know? In the evening he came up and told me he had had them offered for sale. In consequence of this information I went in company wit Police-constable Ridnell, to the prisoner’s house last night. I saw the prisoner there, and the constable asked her if she had any glasses. She said “yes,” and took two off the mantel, which she said she bought at Ramsgate of a woman whom she did not know. She said I could take the glasses away if I liked, or leave them, and she would pay for them.

The glasses shown to me by Police-constable Ridnell are the same, and I believe them to be mine, but I cannot swear to them. There is no mark about them. The prisoner is in the habit of coming to my bar as a customer and was there on Wednesday last. The value of the glasses is 2s.

The prisoner wished the case to be tried by the Bench, but pleaded “Not guilty,” and made a rambling defence that she bought them, together with three smaller ones and two others of not quite the same sort, of a woman at Ramsgate. The woman was short of some money to pay for a mat.

The Bench considered the case, and said there were some suspicious circumstances attending it; but the evidence was not sufficient to justify a conviction. The case was therefore dismissed.