From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday 31 December, 1842. Price 5d.

DOVER WINTER SESSIONS

John White, butcher, aged 65, and homas Gammon, labourer, aged25, charged with receiving at Dover, 8 fowls, knowing them to have been stolen, the property of John Bishop, of Gutteridge farm, Denton.

Prosecutor being called deposed, that on the 1st of December, he missed 8 fowls, (1 cock and 7 hens.) The fowls roosted in an open lodge in the yard. Saw some fowls at the Dover station house, on the following Monday, which he believed to be his property, as the colour was similar to those he had lost.

George Bishop, brother of the last witness, had no doubt the fowls were those stolen, particularly the cock bird, and a Poland hen with a black head. Observed foot-marks near the hen-roost, and on the bank some red clay, which they had passed over, had left marks on the chalk.

Isaac Butler, driver of the Union Coach, deposed that about 7 o'clock in the morning, a man stopped him on Ewell hill and asked him to take a parcel to Dover. The man came from a stile leading towards Denton, and gave him a parcel, which was a blue bag. A bag was then produced, which witness identified as the one given to him. Judged the contents to be dead fowls, as the bag was quite warm. believes the prisoner Gammon to be the man who gave him  the bag. He wore a waistcoat like the one then produced in Court. The bad was addressed "To Mr. Gammon, Silver Lion, Dover."

Thomas Houghton, book-keeper at the Union Coach Office, received the parcel from Butler, which he took  to the "Silver Lion," as addressed.

Jane Eliza Pike, servant at the "Silver Lion," received the parcel from the last witness, which she took to her master, who gave her 1s. 2d. to pay for the carriage. About a quarter of an hour afterwards, Mrs. White, wife of the prisoner, came for the bag which was given her, and for which she repaid the carriage fare.

William Gurney, landlord of the "Silver Lion," received the nag from the last witness, and perceived that it contained fowls. When the girl told him Mrs. White came for the bag he gave it to her, as he knew Gammon lodged there. Was ill at the time and not able to make further enquiries.

E. C. Correl, superintendent of police, deposed, that after making enquiries for the bag at the "Silver Lion," he went to White's home, where he saw both prisoners. Not finding anything in the cupboard, asked Mrs. White if she had not received some fowls, and she answered, No. Then went into a back room, with policeman Hills, who there found 7 fowls plucked; and one on a table in another room. White and his wife both denied any knowledge of them.  Saw Gammon upstairs, who appeared in a dirty state, with fresh mud on his boots. White's boots were more dirty than Gammon's.

The evidence was corroborated by police-constable Hills and Ridley Friend, who further said that he saw blood on Gammon's trousers. Mrs. White told him she brought one of the fowls of Mr. Rayner. The shop appeared like a poulterer's, as there were turkeys in the window.

William Gurney recalled. The fowls were unplucked when taken away by Mrs. White.

George Bishop being recalled, and shown the heads of the fowls, identified them as those stolen from his brother.

Mr. Dickenson addressed the Jury on behalf of the prisoner, contending that the evidence of Butler was not sufficient to identify Gammon as the person who gave the parcel, and urged the impossibility of the direction being written at that time of night.

The learned Recorder then summed up the evidence at great length, and observed, that the number of fowl stolen corresponded in every particular with those found at the prisoner White's house. During the Address White fainted, and fell into the arms of the gaoler.

The jury after a short consultation returned a verdict of "Not Guilty."

From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports Advertiser, 22 March, 1845.

DOVER POLICE REPORT

FRIDAY. - Henry Redsull, charged with having in his possession a quantity of contraband cigars. - Robert Bounding, coast-guard boatman, deposed that he went to the "Silver Lion" public-house, when prisoner asked him to buy some cigars. He gave information of this to his chief boatman, James Rule, who, on crossing the Red Pump square, saw the prisoners carrying a box, which, on examination, was found to contain about 2000 cheroots. - Redsull, in his defence, stated that they were given to him by a man at Deal to sell, but he did not know if they had paid duty. Remanded till Monday.

From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports Advertiser, 13 September, 1849.

CORONERS INQUEST

On Sunday afternoon last, at four o'clock, a jury was empanelled before G. T. Thomas Esq., Coroner for the Borough, at the Silver Lion, at the Pier, to investigate the circumstances attending the death of James Goodman, an engineer's apprentice, of H.M. steam vessel Confiance.

The jury having been sworn, and Mr. R. C. Fuller appointed as foreman, they proceeded to view the body, which was lying at a house near, and on their return to the inquest room

The Coroner observed that he purposed, on this occasion to take only the evidence of the Surgeon by whom deceased was attended, and then adjourn the inquiry till the Commander of the Confiance was communicated with, that the attendance of such of the crew as could furnish evidence of the accident that resulted in the death of deceased might be secured.

Edward Jones Esq., surgeon of Dover, was then called and deposed as follows:- Yesterday morning, about 4 o'clock, deceased was brought to my house on a litter by several men, consequently by an other, who stated that they were part of the crew of H.M. steam tug Confiance. I had him removed to the house of a man named Perry, at the Pier, and there attended him. The officer informed me that at about nine o'clock the previous evening the deceased, while attending upon the engine, slipped and fell among the machinery. On examining the deceased, I found a large lacerated wound in the left leg, and a smaller deep one over the lower part of the back-bone. These were the only external injuries, he was perfectly sensible and continued so until about five minutes before his death, which occurred about half-past nine o'clock yesterday morning. The injuries I have stated were insufficient to account for his death, they bore the appearance of being caused by the wheels and beams of machinery. From the symptoms present I apprehended the deceased had received some serious internal injury. He made a statement to me, but it was not given in the belief that he was dying.

The inquiry was then adjourned to Wednesday afternoon, at half-past 2 o'clock - the Coroner in the interval to adopt the necessary measures for obtaining the attendance of one of the crew who say the accident.

WEDNESDAY

On the re-assemble of the jury, the inquiry was proceeded with by the examination of William Lowther, senior engineer of the Confiance, who had attended from Woolwich, and stated - I knew the deceased, who was an engineer's apprentice, on board the Confiance, and was 18 years of age. On the 4th instant, at about half-past 9 in the evening, the Confiance being off Beachy Head, the deceased, while oiling the cranks, was drawn into the engine, but whether from his clothes catching or his foot slipping I cannot say. He was alone, and on deck at the time: I was in the engine room, and had eased the engines in order that he might oil the crank. The first that I saw of the deceased was when he was falling from the hatchway, down the foreside of the connecting rod, on to the plate beneath the forked tail of the engine. I immediately stopped the engine, but from the "way" the vessel had on I could not stop it sufficiently quick to prevent the fork-tail from striking deceased. He was struck with considerable violence across the stomach and lower part of the body - so much so that the plate, which is five-eighths of an inch thick, and of cast-iron, (but hollowed) was broken. He did not receive more than one blow. When the engine was stopped he was instantly taken out, and did not appear at the time to have suffered much, as he said to the man who took him up "I am all right," and he was then taken forward to his berth. As we had no medical man on board, we immediately run for Dover. The deceased fell about half-past 9, and we arrived here about 3 on the morning of the 5th. I did not see him landed. I noticed a wound on his left leg, and one on his back. I think they occurred previous to his falling on the plate, since he must have been carried over by the crank .He was quite sober, there was a swell on, and a light motion on the vessel, but not enough to disturb the deceased, who was used to the sea. The deceased was sick on board after the accident, and vomited some blood.

By the Foreman: We did not try whether deceased would stand or not.

By the Coroner: I was standing between the engines at the time of the accident, expecting to hear deceased say, "All right." The engines were of 50-horse power each, and were not effected by the fall of deceased.

At the close of this evidence the Coroner observed that the only vacuum in the evidence was from the time of leaving the Confiance till deceased was taken to the surgeon. If the jury were of the opinion that it was at all material, he would write again to the Confiance for the attendance of the crew who came ashore with deceased.

The jury expressed themselves satisfied that what had already been stated, and returned the following verdict:- That the deceased, James Goodman, died from injuries received by accidentally falling into the engine room of Her Majesty's steam vessel Confiance.