From the Folkestone Observer 19 November, 1864.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY

Thursday November 17th:- Before Captain Kennicott R.N. and James Tolputt, Esq.

James Knight, of Hastings, plasterer, was charged with being drunk, disorderly, and riotous in High Street on the previous evening. He had been drinking in the "Fountain Inn" and refused to pay for his drink. Being ejected from the house he was noisy and laid down in the street. The bench fined him 5s. and costs, or seven days' imprisonment.

Folkestone Observer 13 July 1866.

Monday July 9th:- Before R.W. Boarer Esq.

Robert Brand was charged with assaulting P.C. Swain in the execution of his duty on the 7th inst.

P.C. Swain, his face and eyes in a dreadfully battered condition, said: On Saturday night at a quarter to twelve I was on duty in High Street. I was called to the Fountain Inn by Mrs. Morford, the landlord's wife, to assist her husband in removing some men who were fighting in the back room. I saw Morford and several people in the room, the prisoner amongst them. The prisoner was doing nothing, and when I entered the room he left the room. Morford then asked me to assist in clearing the house as it was twelve o'clock. Several people left the room. I went out of the room and saw a man go into the bar where the prisoner was, and when the man got in the prisoner knocked him down. I was at this time in the street, but I could see what was going on in the bar. I was called into the house. I pushed open the door and the man who was knocked down was getting up. I put out my hand and said “That will do, Brand; no more of this; knock off”. I was closing the door with my right hand, when the prisoner struck me with his right hand in my left eye, and knocked my hand against the door. The blow partly stunned me, and in defence I struck the prisoner with my right hand somewhere, I believe in the face. I then attempted to take him into custody. He seized me by the whiskers with his left hand, and struck me with his right across the bridge of my nose. When I struck the prisoner I knocked him backwards on to a cask. I had got him then with my left hand by the collar of his coat. When he was getting up two women caught me by my hair, and while they were doing so the prisoner struck me with one hand, i believe the right, in my face. At the same time I received two knocks from some person, one on the back, and the other on the thigh. Mr. Morford, the landlord, then came to my assistance and released me. I then went into the street and wiped the blood from my face. I could scarcely see. The prisoner was brought out into the street by four or five people, and I again took him into custody. P.C. Smith came up at the time, and some resistance was offered by four or five people. It ceased, and we brought the prisoner to the station house. After I had taken the prisoner into custody, and when opposite Mr. English's, the prisoner kicked me on the left leg. After that he came quietly to the station house. When the prisoner struck me the second time he said “You ----, I'll smash you. You have no business in here. Your place is in the street”. My present appearance is the result of the prisoner's blows.

Cross-examined: When against English's I hit you with my fist after you kicked me. I did not strike you when I came into the bar, until after you struck me.

Re-Examined: The prisoner was drunk. I was sober.

Richard Morford said: I am landlord of the Fountain Inn. About half past eleven on Saturday night there was a quarrel in my back room between the prisoner and a plasterer. I parted them and in the meantime a policeman was sent for and P.C. Swain came. I requested Swain to clear the back room. Swain cautioned them and several went out. I believe the plasterer went out first, Brand went out afterwards. A few minutes afterwards I was called into the bar. The first thing I saw was that Brand had got hold of Swain's whiskers, with his right hand I believe. I saw no blows struck. I parted Brand and Swain. Swain left the bar. Brand went out some little time after. Brand was intoxicated. I remained in the back room getting the remaining parties out until I was called into the bar. Swain seemed to be perfectly sober.

Mary Ann Morford said: I am the wife of the last witness. About half past eleven o'clock on Saturday night I was busy in the bar with my customers. There was a row in the back room and I sent for the police. Swain came, and I sent him into the back room to clear it out. Swain shortly came out of the back room and went into the street. Some of the people who left the back room came into the bar. The prisoner was one of them. I went out of the back room, and in the meantime a scuffle arose, and when I came back into the bar I saw Swain standing in among the people trying to get hold of the prisoner. I turned round to attend to my baby in the cradle, and when I rose Swain's head was on my counter, being held down by a woman. I did not see what Brand was doing, and I went out of the bar to send for a policeman. When I came in again at the street door they were all clearing out. I saw no blows struck.

Prisoner, in his defence, said: As soon as the policeman came into the bar he knocked me down over a barrel by a blow from his fist over my nose. The blood flew out and covered my jacket, which is at home. After that I certainly did strike him. He said further that there were plenty of people there who could corroborate his statement and singled out a man amongst the crowd in court, who, he said, saw all that passed.

John Marshall, who said: I am a labourer, living in Folkestone. I was at the Fountain Inn on Saturday night about half past eleven. I was there from eleven to half past eleven. I was sitting in the back room, playing cards, when a row broke out between the prisoner and a plasterer. Swain came in and ordered us out of the back room. Prisoner was one of the first who went out. He was followed out by the plasterer. I went out afterwards and called for a pint of beer at the bar. Was standing drinking the beer when the plasterer came in; the prisoner had previously come in. They began to scuffle again. Swain came in while the scuffle was going on. The first thing he did on coming in was to hit the prisoner on the nose with his fist. He made nis nose bleed, and the blow knocked him backwards. The Swain leaned over him and attempted to pull out his staff. I said “Hold on, policeman. It is a pity to use a staff on a man”. The policeman then went out. Brand went out a little while afterwards. I saw Brand hit Swain twice with his fist in the face. Brand struck Swain after Swain first struck him.

Mr. Boarer said he believed the statement of the constable, and considered the assault case, one of the most frightful that had ever come into court since he had been on the bench, fully proved. The magistrates were determined to protect the constables in the execution of their duty, and Swain was doing his duty. He regretted that he could not inflict a heavier punishment on prisoner than one month's imprisonment, with hard labour.

Folkestone Observer 20 July 1866.

Saturday July 14th:- Before J. Kelcey and R.W. Boarer Esqs.

Elizabeth Grace Hall, a married woman, (cohabiting with Brand, who was sent to prison for assaulting P.C. Swain) was charged with assaulting P.C. Swain in the execution of his duty on the same occasion.

P.C. Swain said: Last Saturday night I was called into the Fountain Inn, to clear it, about 11-45. While I was there I was assaulted by a man named Brand and by someone else. Several women were standing round me. The prisoner was one of the women. She pulled my whiskers and several others pulled my hair. I believed that more than one woman pulled my hair, as I felt three hands holding my head down. The hair produced (as large as the pads used by ladies for their side hair) was pulled out of my head and face, and was picked up in the bar at the Fountain the next morning. The women held my head down on the bar for more than half a minute, and quite overpowered me. At that time I was attempting to take Brand into custody and had hold of the collar of his coat. When I was released, this woman was standing nearest to me.

Mary Ann Morford, wife of Richard Morford, landlord of the Fountain Inn, in High Street, said: I saw Police Constable Swain in my bar between half past eleven and a quarter to twelve on Saturday night. I saw the prisoner there also. I saw Swain attempting to take a man into custody. The prisoner tried to pull the man away from Swain's hands. In the course of my business I turned round in my bar, and when I next saw her she had got hold of Swain's hair and was holding his head down on the counter in order, she supposed, to prevent Brand from being taken into custody.

Mr. Kelcey told prisoner he was sorry to find the law did not provide any adequate punishment for her offence. It was most disgraceful for a married woman to be in a public house at 12 o'clock at night and mixed up in such an affair. The law did not allow them to give her what she deserved, and the limit was one month's hard labour, which she would have.

Folkestone Observer 24 August 1866.

Licensing Day.

The magistrates issued their licensing certificates on Wednesday to all established publicans who applied for them, Mr. Morford, of the Fountain, being the only pub who got a lecture, and that a not very severe one. There were seven applications for new houses, and certificates were granted for four, namely: The Rendezvous, Mr. S. Hogben (another publican lost a £10 bet over this, we hear); Alexandra, Mr. Spurrier: Raglan, Mr. Lepper; and a house in Bouverie Mews, Mr. J. B. Tolputt.

Notes: If this is the first license for the Raglan it puts the accepted date of 1864 into doubt. Also, no record of Tolputt having a license anywhere. Could this, however, be the first license for the Albion Hotel?

Folkestone Observer 14 September 1866.

Tuesday September 11th:- Before the Mayor and J. Kelcey Esq.

George Boorn was charged with feloniously stealing a linen shirt and two dimity valences, of the value of 5s, the property of John Stainer.

Eliza Gold said: I am a domestic servant in the employ of Mr. Stainer, High Street. About ten minutes past five yesterday afternoon I missed a shirt and a pair of valences from the drawers in my kitchen. The prisoner and a soldier had been in the kitchen a few minutes before. I saw the things safe on the drawers a little while before. When I missed them, I went to Mrs. Morford's, at the Fountain Inn, where the prisoner had gone in. There was a soldier with him, and they had come to our house by mistake seven or eight minutes before. They came to the back door, and into the kitchen, passing the drawers. I asked them what they wanted, and the prisoner said “This is the Fountain, is it not?”. I said “No, it is not. It is the next door”. I did not see them come in. I was coming downstairs, and met them at the bottom of the stairs. They had passed through the kitchen, and were in the passage beyond. As they were suspicious looking characters, as soon as they had left I looked around, and I missed the shirt and other articles. On missing them I went in to Mrs. Morford and made her acquainted with the loss. The prisoner was there. A man said he was going to perform some conjuring tricks, and cleared the room – the back parlour – and while the prisoner was gone the man looked into prisoner's bag, and there I saw the things. Prisoner had had a black bag in his hand while he was in our house. The shirt and valences produced are the things I took out of the bag, and they are the things I missed, the property of my master. After I had found the things I took the bag and things and went into the bar to him, and told him he had taken the things as he passed through our kitchen. He said he had taken them for a drunken lark. I went for a policeman then, and P.C. Swain came, and I gave prisoner into his custody, and I also gave him the shirt and valences. The things are worth about 4s.

P.C. Swain said: At half past five last night, from information received, I went to the Fountain Inn, High Street, and found the prisoner standing at the bar, detained by the last witness and the landlady. I received one shirt and two bed valences from the last witness, which I now produce. She stated that she had found them in the presence of the prisoner in a black bag which she saw him carrying when he left her master's house. She then gave him into my custody. I searched the black bag, which contained some work that he had to make up for a tradesman in the town. He is a boot closer by trade. I charged him with stealing the things. He said he had taken them in a drunken lark. (He was not drunk). He was very sorry for doing it. He said the soldier had nothing to do with it, and did not know that he had them. The soldier was then present. I searched the prisoner at the station, and found on him 5d.

The prisoner was then asked if he wanted to be tried at the quarter sessions or by the magistrates, and preferred an immediate decision, adding “I am guilty. I took them, but did not intend to steal them. I took them out in a lark, and I am very truly sorry for it. I did not intend to steal them. It is the first time. I have not done anything of the sort before. It will be a warning to me for the future”.

A person who gave his name as Spicer spoke from the body of the court, and said he had known the prisoner these last thirty years, and never knew a guilty trick of him, nor a guilty action. He firmly believed the prisoner did this present action through drink, and he was very apt to skylark. He was very sorry to see the prisoner in the position he was. He knew him from his childhood. He was a native of Canterbury.

The bench then sentenced him to one month's hard labour.

Folkestone Observer 17 November 1866.

Thursday November 15th:- Before W. Bateman and James Tolputt Esqs, and Captain Kennicott R.N.

Margaret Carefield was charged with stealing a pewter spirit measure.

Charles William Spurrier, proprietor of the Alexandra Hotel, identified a small spirit pewter measure as his property, value 1s. Had seen the prisoner at his house the day before yesterday, but not on yesterday.

P.C. Ovenden was on duty a little after three o'clock yesterday afternoon in the High Street, and from information received went to the Fountain Inn in that street, when Mrs. Morford told him she had lost a pewter measure, and described the prisoner. He then went in search of her and found her in the Dolphin Inn, and took her into custody. Bringing her up to the station, prisoner dropped the measure from under her clothes in Broad Street. Witness saw it fall, and as he stooped to pick it up a gentleman stooped at the same time and picked it up and gave it to witness. Had observed all the way up High Street the uneasiness of the prisoner, as if she had something she desired to get rid of. Made enquiries and ascertained that the measure belonged to Mr. Spurrier.

Cross-examined: Prisoner was just in front of witness, not an arm's length off, when the measure was picked up. It was picked up from close to his feet.

Elizabeth Jacobs Spurrier, residing at the Alexandra Hotel, saw prisoner come into the bar of the hotel yesterday between two and three o'clock for a glass of ale. Witness served her. She was in the bar about half an hour. Witness thought she did not leave the bar at all during the time prisoner was there. When the spirit measures are being used they stand on the bar. Could say that it was Mr. Spurrier's spirit measure, but could not say whether it was on the bar yesterday. Had not discovered the loss of the measure when the policeman called, between five and six o'clock. Identified the measure.

Cross-examined: Prisoner stood at the bar some portion of the time, while calling for the beer, and afterwards sat on the form. She was certainly there half an hour. Did not remember when she last saw the measure.

Prisoner now pleaded guilty to taking the measure from Mrs. Morford's bar.

The Clerk: If you plead guilty to stealing from Mrs. Morford's, that is not guilty to stealing from Mr. Spurrier.

Prisoner: Then I must plead guilty, I suppose, to have it decided here.

She was sentenced to two months' hard labour.

Folkestone Observer 9 November 1867.

Monday, November 4th: Before Captain Kennicott R.N. and James Tolputt Esq.

George Mercer was charged with assault.

Mr. Minter appeared for the defendant.

William Cockett, cabinet maker, living at 13, North Street, said on the 31st of October, between nine and ten in the evening, he was in the private bar at the Fountain Inn, and prisoner and four or five others were in the outer bar, and they called him all sorts of names – bankrupt, cheat, &c., and when he was coming out the defendant came around to him and struck him in the eye twice with his fist. He never said anything to them in the outer bar. The black eye he still had was the result of the blow.

Cross-examined by Mr. Minter: There were in the outer bar James Mullett sen., John Mullett jun., and George Mullett. The three Mulletts were insulting him. Mercer was as well. After he left the Fountain he did not go near Mercer's house. He went to Mullett's house. He had lived there for the last four or five years. He did not say to them in the bar “You are a monkey up a stick. You are a thief”. Defendant did not go into the passage to him and say “What do you mean by calling me a thief?”. Did not reply “So you are a thief”, and defendant did not thereupon strike him in the eye. Had not any number of times been turned out of different public houses for insulting people who were standing at the bar. Did not have a fight with Mullett after he left the house. Mullett did not strike him, nor did he strike Mullett. That he swore.

Mr. Minter said he could not deny that defendant struck the blow, and of course it was improper for him to take the law into his own hands. All he could say was the complainant richly deserved all he got, and if he had had two black eyes instead of one he would have deserved them both. He asked the Bench to impose the very smallest fine, for the reason that the plaintiff was insulting George Mercer, calling him all sorts of names, ending with calling him a thief. Being called a thief, Mercer did that which any man would be likely to do – he struck plaintiff in the face. Of course it was improper for him to take the law into his own hands, but he was provoked to do it by the language used, and the smallest fine would amply meet the justice of the case.

George Mullett, coke carrier, was at the Fountain on the night in question, and heard Cockett call Mercer a thief, and he kept on saying “Monkey up a stick” to Mercer. He was doing all he could to aggravate Mercer, and also to aggravate everyone who was there.

William Adams, landlord of the Fountain, hear Cockett call Mercer a thief. He called out that someone was a thief, and Mercer said “Do you mean me?”. Cockett said he did. He also said something about a monkey on a stick, but who he was alluding to, witness would not say.

The Bench, in imposing a fine of 5s. and costs, and said if defendant had not had provocation they would have dealt with him very severely indeed.

Folkestone Observer 20 June 1868.

Monday, June 15th: Before Captain Kennicott R.N. and James Tolputt Esq.

Patrick Farlan, a private of the 3rd Buffs, stationed at the Camp, was brought up and charged on suspicion of being concerned in a robbery at the Fountain public house, in High Street.

William Adams said he was a publican, and kept the Fountain Inn, High Street. He lost some property on Tuesday, the 23rd of June; a silver geneva watch, a gold lady's chain, 3 silk scarves, 3 scarf pins, 2 shirt studs, pair of gold ear drops, silver drinking cup, and 2s. in money. The value of the articles is £12. The watch and chain, scarf pins, studs, and drinking cup were taken from his drawers. The ear drops and the money were taken from a box, and the money from a pocket of his wife's sister's dress. He discovered the loss about half past nine the same evening. Was not at home when the robbery was committed. Had not seen the articles since the 2nd June.

James Baker said he was a sailor on board one of the S.E.R. Company's boats, and was in the Fountain public house on the 2nd of June, about a quarter to 7 in the evening. Was upstairs in the bagatelle room. The prisoner was there with two other soldiers, one of the 3rd and one of the 5th Regiment. They were playing bagatelle. They all left the room at 7 o'clock and went downstairs. Saw them about half an hour after on the harbour, about half past seven.

Elizabeth Mackenzie, single woman, living at the Prince Of Wales beershop, Sandgate, said she knew the prisoner by sight. He offered her a pair of earrings in the tap room between 5 and 6 in the evening. There were several persons in the room. Prisoner produced a pair of earrings. He took them out of his trousers pocket and asked the company if they knew the value of them. He said he had been to the jeweller's shop to see if they were gold, but the jeweller was not at home, and he was going down again. He said he would take two shillings for them. Told him if they were gold they were worth thirty shillings. He made no answer, but took up his beer and went out of the room. Had no doubt that the man at the bar was the man who offered the earrings.

Elizabeth Smith, single woman, living at the Prince Of Wales beershop, Sandgate, said she knew the prisoner. Was present when he offered some earrings for sale. It was about 5 or 6 in the evening. He came into the tap room and took the earrings out of his trousers pocket. (Witness here described the earrings.) Witness thought they were gold. The last witness was in the room with her. He said to all of them that he had been to the jeweller's to see if they were gold. He then took up his beer and went out of the room. They offered him a shilling for them, and he wanted to know if they thought he was a fool. Did not hear him offer to take any sum for them.

On the application of Superintendent Martin the prisoner was remanded until Thursday.

Thursday, June 18th: Before The Mayor, Captain Kennicott, Captain Leith, James Tolputt and R.W. Boarer Esqs.

Patrick Farlan, on remand, was brought up and discharged, the evidence being insufficient.

Folkestone Observer 10 July 1869.

Wednesday, July 7th: Before Capt. Kennicott R.N. and James Tolputt Esq.

The magistrates granted the transfer of license of the Fountain to John W. Boorn.