From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 5 February, 1859.

BURGLARY BY SOLDIERS

Thomas Watson, Michael Lynch, and David Lawson, privates of the 4th battalion 60th Rifles, were charged with burglariousely entering the premises of Richard Bruford, the "Queen Victoria" public-house, Blenheim Square, on the previous night.

Richard Bruford, the landlord of the "Queen Victoria," examined - Last night I went to bed at nine o'clock. My home was not then closed. I got up and came down stairs this morning at about a quarter before five, and I then found the back door of the house open. This door shuts upon a lane leading from Blenheim Square to Seven Star Street. The door must have been unb0lted from the inside, the fastenings not being in any way forced or injured. On going into the tap-room I found the window up and the shutters open. These shutters were folding shutters, and were usually secured by an iron bar outside, fastened with a bolt. Nothing had been disturbed in the tap-room; but on making further investigations, I found that the bar had been entered, the till had been forced open and its contents carried away, and a bottle of rum had been taken. A box in which we keep brewers' accounts and excise papers had also been broken open, and I found its contents strewn about the bar. Several commodities, consisting of butter, cheese &c., had been taken from the back room, and also a stone bottle containing about half a gallon of rum. The bottle produced, enclosed in wickerwork, is the same. On leaving the house to proceed to the police-station, I saw the bar by which the shutters of the tap-room had been secured lying half-way across the square. I picked it up and returned the fastened the shutters, and afterwards went and gave information to the police. Police-sergeant Scott, sergeant Geddes, and some other police officers went in search of the prisoners. I accompanied them. They first went to a coffee shop at the back of the "Plume of Feathers," in Limekiln Street. The coffee shop and the "Plume of Feathers" is approached by a lane. I remained at the bottom; and after a short time the Constables returned with the three prisoners in their custody, and a stone bottle now produced by Sergeant Geddes. I identified it as the one taken from the back room. the prisoners were conveyed by the police to the station-house, where they were searched in my presence. Upon them were found a bunch of keys, the metal pencil-case, another small key, a pair of tweezers, and the black bottle produced, all of which, except the bottle, I can swear to as my property. The things specified were usually kept in a small compartment of the till. I cannot saw when I saw them last in my possession, as I am but very little at home, the business being chiefly managed by my wife and a servant girl named Mary Ann Fox. After the men were searched I went back to the house with the police and examined the shutters of the tap-room, the bar of which appeared to have been prized out. The bar and the bolt are in one piece. I found in the house two knives very much bent - one I know nothing of, but the other belongs to me, and I can swear that it was not in its present state when I went to bed, as I used it for supper.

In reply to the Mayor, the witness said he believed he had seen the prisoners at his house; but upon their cross-examining him, he would not adhere to this statement. The prisoners put some other questions in cross-examination, but elicited nothing material.

Mary Ann Fox, servant at the "Queen Victoria" public-house, examined - I fastened up the house last night. I closed and fastened the tap-room shutters between 10 and a quarter past. The bolt attached to the bar was fastened with a pin. I am quite sure I put the pin in securely .My mistress took the money out of the till in my presence, and locked it. I fastened the front door and also the door in the passage leading to the bar at the same time. My mistress took everything out of the till. The stone bottle which has been produced was in a cupboard in the back room, and the black glass bottle was on a shelf on the bar. I know the black bottle by some marks upon the top of it. My mistress at first wanted to take the stone bottle up-stairs, where it was usually kept, but I suggested that she should leave it where it was, which she did. I had fastened the back doors at about half-past eight in the evening. I heard no noise during the night. previous to going to bed I had left my master's breakfast on the table, and this morning shortly after five I was awoken by my master calling out that nothing had been left for him, and that the doors were open. The tweezers produced by Sergeant Scutt were in the till. The bunch of keys was in the cupboard door at the back room, and the pencil-case was usually kept in the desk. Watson had been in the house several times, I saw him there a week or a fortnight before Christmas, but do not recollect that he has been there since.

Sergeant Scutt, of the Dover police force, examined - The prosecutor came to the police-station this morning at twenty minutes before six, and said his house had been broken into during the night. I went with him, accompanied by sergeant Geddes and six or seven constables, to the back of the house 21, Limekiln Street. We had previously visited a coffee house next door and to the "Plume of Feathers." At the back of 21 we found the three prisoners in a water-closet. Between them we found the stone bottle covered with basket-work now produced. We took them into custody and conveyed them to the police-station. The stone bottle was identified by Bruford. I searched Lawson and found on him the black bottle produced (containing a little rum), the ring and three keys, the tweezers and pencil-case, which have been identified by the prosecutor. After the prisoners had been secured, I returned to the rear of the house in Limekiln Street, accompanied by police-constable Irons and the prosecutor, and there found the black-handled case-knife produced, which Mr. Bruford said he could swear to as his. We then proceeded to the "Queen Victoria" public-house. On examining the fastenings of the shutters, it appeared to have been forced open by some instrument; and on looking at the bar door, we found that the screws by which the bolt and plate had been attached to the door were loosened. In the bar a number of papers were strewn about. The till appeared to have been forced open. there were marks on it which corresponded with one of the bent knives I produced.

The prisoners were then cautioned in the usual way.

They had nothing to say in reply to the charge, and were fully committed for trial at the next Maidstone assizes.

A gold earring and some other property found in the possession of the prisoner Lawson, and supposed to have been stolen, remains in the hands of the police.