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ROBBING AN ARTILLERYMAN AT HILSEA.—Charles Barrington was charged with stealing a pair of top boots, valued at 14s., belonging to John Forrest, a gunner of Royal Artillery, stationed at the Hilsea Lines. On the 10th instant the prosecutor and the prisoner were in company at the “Coach and Horses” public-house, at Hilsea, and on leaving a little before two o’clock the prosecutor dropped behind the prisoner and another gunner of artillery, laid down at the foot of the Hilsea ramparts, and went to sleep. At a quarter before three Sergeant Robert Fryer was passing the spot, and then noticed that the prosecutor was without boots. Information was given to P.C. Gregory, and he and the sergeant found the prisoner at the “Ship” Inn, Cosham, the boots then being under the settle where he had been sitting. He (the prisoner) said he had come from Portsmouth and was going to Basingstoke, and that he had not stolen the boots, but that a soldier had given them to him to go and sell at Southsea, that he was to take the soldier back 8s., but that he would not go to Southsea to do so.—In cross- examination by the prisoner, the prosecutor stated that he did not say at the “Coach and Horses” that his boots were too small for him. He did not pull off one boot and hand it to the man at the bar. He did not give him (prisoner) the boots; nor did he tell him to sell them for 8s. He (prosecutor) was drunk at the time.—The prisoner alleged that the prosecutor had given him the boots, and pressed him to go to Southsea to sell them. He pleaded guilty, he said, solely to prevent his being sent for trial; but he knew the rules of the Service, and that the prosecutor was not allowed to sell his necessaries. He (the prisoner) had served 20 years in the army, and had been at Balaklava, Sebastopol, Alma, and in other actions.—George Martin, the son of the landlady of the “Coach and Horses,” proved that the prosecutor had taken off his boots while at the house and offered to sell them.—The Magistrates were satisfied of the prisoner’s guilt, and they sentenced him to a month’s imprisonment with hard labour.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Saturday 21 September, 1878 (source)