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From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 9 April 1864.
On the night of yesterday Friday week, suspicion having fallen upon a beer
shopkeeper in Mill Lane, Deptford, as been a receiver of stolen property and
military necessary's, a warrant was granted (for the second time within a period
of 11 years) to search the house in question.
Accordingly Sergeant Major Osborne, Sergeant Newton, and detective Randall,
three Government Woolwich Officers, proceeded with P.C. Bickel, 55R, to the
house of Uriah Gitcham, the beerseller in question, and having asked him if he
had any military uniforms in the house, he strenuously denied it, and they
proceeded to search, and under the counter of the front bar, found a pair of
military boots, and in the bar partition two more pairs of new boots, having
apparently only been worn in a walk from the barracks.
On going up into his bedroom they found seven linen shirts, four flannel
shirts, two great coats, four marine trousers, all quite new, and several other
articles, all bearing the Government mark. They also found three watches, to one
of which was attached a massive silver chain; and 12 duplicates, three of which
referred to what is pledged at Mr. Bishops, Broadway, Deptford; seven dress
pieces, four woolen scarf shawls, quite new, a quantity of gas fittings, and
plate with initials engraved on it; all of which are supposed to have been
stolen. Gitcham being also a wheelright, they proceeded to his workshop in the
back yard, and found in a barrel a new coat and three shirts, bearing the name
of an artillery man who had deserted a few days previously, together with two
white marine slops and a pair of boots belonging to a soldier who gave
information of Gitcham's doings.
After locking Gitcham up, the police returned to the lodging house adjoining,
also belonging to the prisoner, taking the precaution to place one man in front
and another in the rear of the premises. While searching it, the prisoner's
housekeeper, named Mary Mahoney, aged 18, was in the act of leaving the house
with a military cape on her arm, and was taken into custody.
The total value of property found is estimated at £12.
The name of the house kept by the prisoner was the "Freemason's" beer shop,
and he will be brought up at the Police Court, this day (Saturday.)
South London journal.
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