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FAREHAM PETTY SESSIONS.
MONDAY.—Before the Rev. T. Maine, and F. Bradshaw and J. Carpenter Garnier, Esqs.
THEFT BY AN ARTILLERYMAN.—John Sharp, belonging to the 11th Brigade of Royal Artillery, stationed at Hilsea Barracks, was charged with stealing half-a-pound of tobacco, value 1s. 9d., the property of Edmund Webb, the landlord of the “Coach and Horses,” at Hilsea.—Stephen Banger stated that he resided at the “Coach and Horses,” Hilsea, and was in the employ of Mr. Webb, proprietor of that place, as ‘bus-conductor. On Saturday, the 24th ult., witness bought half-a-pound of tobacco for his master at the shop of Mr. Franckeiss, tobacconist, of Commercial-road, Landport. It was done up in half-ounce packets, the whole being tied up in one parcel, which the witness placed on a seat in a corner of the ‘bus near the door, there being at the time a gentleman and two ladies in the ‘bus. The prisoner and two other artillerymen afterwards got in, and the prisoner seated himself near where the tobacco was placed. The soldiers rode as far as Hilsea Barracks, and they then alighted. On arriving at the “Coach and Horses,” witness searched for the tobacco, but could not find it.—Henry James Webb, son of the prosecutor, stated that on the evening in question, about nine o’clock, he got on to his father’s omnibus near the “Bedford Hotel,” Landport, and rode outside until they reached Kingston-cross, when he took a seat inside. The prisoner was there, sitting in the corner nearest the door, close to a paper parcel on the seat. The ‘bus stopped at the Hilsea Barracks gate, and prisoner, with the other soldiers, alighted, taking the parcel with him. Witness did not know whether it belonged to him or not.—Henry Cloake, a shoeing smith in the 1st Brigade of Royal Artillery, stationed at Hilsea, deposed to buying half-an-ounce of tobacco from the prisoner on Sunday morning.—P.C. Compton deposed that on Monday, the 26th ult., he went to Hilsea Barracks, having received information from the prosecutor of the loss of some tobacco, and saw the prisoner there. He asked him if he rode in Webb’s omnibus on Saturday night, to which he replied in the negative, but the constable took him across the barrack square to a sergeant, who identified him as having been in the ‘bus on the night in question. The constable then asked him what account he gave of having sold some tobacco to Cloake on Sunday morning, to which he replied that he had bought it at Landport. He was taken into custody and charged with the offence, but made no reply.—Prisoner elected to be tried by the Bench, and pleaded guilty.—He was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Wednesday 06 March, 1872