Southeastern Gazette, 4 January 1853.

Ann Britton was charged with felony. From the statement of the prosecutor, a labourer named George Martin, from Larkfield, it appeared that on Christmas-eve he came into the town, with 15s. or 16s. in his pocket. He fell in with the prisoner at the "Roebuck Inn," and after having two or three pints of beer with her, they left the house together and proceeded to the "Two Brewers," where they had some more beer. They then returned to the "Roebuck" again, where they again "refreshed" themselves with sundry other pints, and finally adjourned to the "Paper-maker’s Arms," where they regaled themselves on bread and cheese and more beer, and hired a bed. In the morning Martin found his pocket minus of his money and silk handkerchief. Prisoner afterwards contrived to slip away from the house unperceived by prosecutor. Information was given to the police, and police-constable Hills found her at another lodging-house. She denied having any handkerchief in her possession, but Hills perceived a portion of a handkerchief protruding from her dress, and found it to be prosecutor’s, it having his name upon it; none of the money was found upon her.

Prisoner denied the theft, and said the handkerchief was given her by prisoner.

Committed to the Borough Sessions.

Kentish Gazette, 11 January 1853.

BOROUGH SESSIONS.

The Epiphany Sessions for this borough were held on Monday, at the Town Hall, before Sir W. B. Riddell, Bart., Recorder, and the following magistrates:— H. W. Joy, (Mayor), and Messrs. Argles Godden, Stacey, Hydo, Ellis, and Whichcord.

The Grand Jury having been sworn, and the usual preliminaries transacted, the Recorder addressed a fey words to the Grand Jury, observing that there was nothing in any of the cases to come before them calling for any remarks, or with which they as men of business would find any difficulty; he therefore dismissed them at once to their duties.

Ann Britton was charged with stealing a handkerchief and 7s. from George Martin, at the "Paper-makers' Arms" Stone-street. The Recorder expressed his opinion that Martin had drank so many pints of beer on the night in question, that his evidence as to anything that took place was not to be relied upon. Guilty of stealing the handkerchief.

One month's hard labour.

South Eastern Gazette, 31 July, 1860.

SATURDAY. CROWN COURT. Alleged Perjury at Cranbrook.

Horace Fuller, a decently-dressed young man, was indicted for having committed wilful and corrupt perjury, at Cranbrook, on the 16th December. Mr. Barrow was for the prosecution, and Mr. Ribton defended the prisoner.

The charge arose out of an affiliation case which came before the magistrates in petty sessions at Cranbrook, on the 1st December, when Arthur Fuller, brother of the prisoner, was alleged to be the father of the child of a young woman named Caroline Penfold. The prisoner, who is a horse dealer at Canterbury, was called as a witness for the defence, and swore that on the second night of the Maidstone fair, in October, 1658, Penfold stayed with him at an inn in Maidstone, which was the perjury now alleged against him. The summons, in consequence of this evidence, was then dismissed, but a fresh information was taken out, and the case re-heard on the 3rd May. The prisoner then repeated the above statement, but an order was made, and the magistrates directed the present proceedings to be taken against Fuller.

The young woman Penfold was now called, and stated that she was at Maidstone during the fair of Michaelmas, 1858, but the first night she slept at the "Papermakers’ Arms," Stone-street, and the second at the "Gardeners’ Arms," Earl-street; and that at the last-named place three women slept in the same room. Fanny Spice, Elizabeth Couchman, and Thomas Brooker, the latter keeping the "Gardeners Arms," were called to corroborate the statement of Penfold, with reference to her having slept at the last-named house.

Mr. Ribton urged that the prisoner had simply made a mistake, when before the magistrates, as to its being the second instead of the first night of the fair. In support of this defence he called Hepzibah Pooley, who stated that on the second day of the fair Penfold admitted to her that she slept with the prisoner on the previous night; Joshua Aldridge, the landlord of the "Rodney’s Head," who said that on the first night of the fair the prisoner slept at his house in the same room with two females, one of whom he believed was Caroline Penfold; and Richard Parritt, of Horsmonden, who stated that Penfold had asked him to swear that he saw her come down stairs at the "Papermakers’ Arms" on the second morning of the fair. William Farley, horse-dealer, of Goudhurst, also spoke to the prisoner as being a person of good character.

Superintendent English, one of the witnesses for the prosecution, was recalled, and said that on the 3rd May, in a conversation be had with the witness Aldridge, that person told him that none of the Fullers slept at his house during the fair in question; that one of them ordered a bed, but did not sleep there, and that no girl or stranger to him slept at his house during the fair.

The hearing of the case occupied the court several hours, and the jury ultimately found the prisoner guilty.

Sentence deferred.

South Eastern Gazette, 23 October, 1860.

TO BEERSELLERS, LODGING-HOUSE KEEPERS, AND OTHERS.

TO BE LET, THE PAPERMAKERS’ ARMS, Upper Stone street, Maidstone. Coming-in moderate.

Apply to Messrs. Day and Sons, Appraisers, Maidstone.