Southeastern Gazette, 16 August 1853.

Charles Crane and Benjamin Hollands, of Dartford, were charged before James ’Espinasse, Esq. (at the rising of the County Court, held at the Town-hall, on Monday), with stealing several trusses of hay, belonging to Mr. Rowley Edward Potter, the proprietor of the "Victoria Hotel," Dartford.

The prisoner Crane’s premises adjoin the stabling of Mr. Potter, who has missed a considerable quantity of fodder lately, and Mr. Pearce, a blacksmith residing in a house in Lowfield-street, which overlooks the prisoner Crane’s premises, seeing him removing some straw early on Sunday morning last, mentioned the fact to Mr. Potter, who immediately gave instructions to the police upon the subject, and Superintending-constable Thatcher, assisted by police-constable White, succeeding in apprehending the prisoners, which has resulted in their committal for trial. A young man named Wm. Streatfield was also apprehended on the charge, but there being no evidence against him he was discharged. The following evidence was adduced before the committing magistrate.

Wm. Charles Pearce, of Dartford, blacksmith, deposed:- I live in a house adjoining the premises of the "Bull Inn," in Dartford, belonging to Mr. Potter. On Sunday morning, the 7th August, at about five o’clock, I was looking from the window of one of the back rooms in my house. I saw the prisoner Crane remove a truss of straw from the back part of a shed on my premises; he took it down the yard towards a stable in his occupation. He came back from the direction of his stable to the back of my shed; he then took a truss of fodder in the same direction, and came a second and third time and did the same. The prisoner occupies the adjoining premises to me, and keeps a horse and cart and sells bavins.

Frederick John Thatcher, inspector of the Dartford police, went to the house of the prisoner with Mr. Potter, told the prisoner Mr. Potter had lost some hay, and asked him to let them look in his stable, to which prisoner replied "Yes, you may look in welcome, I know of no fodder being there, for I have not carried any in nor have I been in the stable for a week or ten days." In the stable witness found six trusses of hay and two of straw piled one on the other. Prisoner said he did not know how it came there, and denied putting it there. Some hay was scattered about the prisoner’s garden, and under a window of Mr. Potter’s stable, which abuts on the garden.

William Barnes, ostler to Mr. Potter, identified the property.

Charles White, police-constable, Dartford, deposed that at about one o’clock that afternoon he apprehended William Hollands, the other prisoner, in a field in the occupation of Mr. Parkhurst, where he was at work. Witness told him he took him into custody on a charge of stealing some hay and straw, the property of Mr. Potter, and selling it to Mr. Crane. He said the prisoner Crane has asked him several times to get him some hay and straw, and last Sunday morning he got him four trusses of hay and a truss of straw; that no one carried it from the stable but himself; that he put it out of the window and some man received it, and at about eight o’clock he received 5s. of Crane for getting the hay and straw.

The prisoner Crane denied asking the other prisoner to get any. Hollands, it appears, was in the habit of carting, the hay and straw to Mr. Potter’s from Mr. Parkhurst’s, of whom the hay and straw was bought, and the stable containing it was never locked.

They were both committed for trial.

Crane made application to be liberated on bail, which was refused.