Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 22nd September 1860.

Tunbridge.

A very serious accident happened to William Leney, a hawker of cutlery, on Thursday. It appears that he was travelling towards this town, and being intoxicated he fell down in the middle of the road, near the "Upper Cock Inn," about midway between Sevenoaks and this town. The omnibus come along from Sevenoaks about half past eight, and the night being dark the driver could not see anything in the road, but a sudden jerk showed that the omnibus had passed over something. The guard went back and found the unfortunate man lying in the middle of the road, bleeding frightfully. Assistance was obtained and Leney was conveyed to the "Castle Inn," and was immediately attended by Mr. Parker, surgeon, when it was discovered that six of his ribs were broken, his left arm fractured in three places above the elbow, and his left temple seriously injured. He still lies in a very precarious state, no hope being entertained of his recovery. He has a wife and two children.

Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 29th September 1860.

Tonbridge.

On Tuesday, Thomas Reynolds, George Watson, James Ryan, and George Webb, lads under 14 years, and who were convicted for vagrancy last week, and committed to Maidstone gaol for 7 days, will charge before Major Scoones, with housebreaking under the following circumstances. It appeared that after leaving Sevenoaks common they continue their journey towards this place, and the Ostler at the "Upper Cock" public house saw them pass there about 1 o'clock, and they had no bundles with them at that time. At a very short distance from this place are three cottages one of which is occupied by person name Fuller, and the prisoners were observed playing in the road close to the cottages for a short time. The inhabitants of the cottages were all engaged in harvesting, and on Mrs. Fuller leaving home that morning she left in the Pantry half a Dutch cheese, 4 or 5 small plum cakes, part of a plum pudding, meat pie, and part of the pear pie, and on her return home in the evening she found the house had been entered by cutting away the lead of the casement window, and the previous mentioned were all missing. It further appeared that in the course of the afternoon the prisoners were at the "Lower Cock" public house and begging water from the Ostler, who stated that they had a bundle with them which contain provisions. When Superintendent Colman apprehended them on the charge for which they were previously committed, he saw them come from the edge side, and at that place on the same afternoon a cricket ball marker named Cockerill found the stolen victuals. On Sergeant Mayne's apprehending them at Maidstone, they denied that they had knives, but P.C. Noakes, of the Sevenoaks division, who was present on their apprehension by his Superintendent, produced two knives which he found on them when he searched them.

Committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions.

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 23 February 1861.

Shocking Death.

On Friday morning, as a carter in the employ of Mr. Young, farmer, at Leigh, was going into the field to plough, he found an old man named Charles Lipscomb, 68 years of age, for a great number of years gamekeeper to Mr. Harris, of Under-river, in this parish, lying dead in a ditch skirting a wood over which he watched. There were no marks of violence whatever on his body, and his watch and money were safe. An inquest was held on the body at the "Upper Cock," on the Tunbridge Road, on Saturday last, before Mr. J. N. Dudlow, coroner. It appeared that on Thursday evening deceased had been drinking at the "Upper" and "Lower Cock" public houses, and shortly before 6 o'clock left the latter house, the worse for liquor. Mr. S. Day, assistant to Mr. Parker, surgeon, of Tunbridge, gave it as his opinion that the deceased fell into the ditch from the effects of drink and died from suffocation.

A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was returned.