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COUNTY BENCH.—THURSDAY.—Before H. Carter and F. Bradshaw, Esqrs.
AN UNGRATEFUL ACT.
—James Clarke and William Walker, navvies, were charged with stealing £1 0s. 6d. from the person of Abraham Clarke.
—The prosecutor is a labourer residing at Cosham, and on Monday afternoon about one o’clock he met the two prisoners against the Coach and Horses. He knew Walker, and he asked the prisoners where they were going, to which they said they were seeking for work and were hard up. He took them into the Coach and Horses and gave them some beer and food. He had a purse in his inside waistcoat pocket which contained half-a-sovereign, two five shilling pieces, and a sixpence. One of the five-shilling pieces was worn more than the other and had George and the dragon on it, and the sixpence was crooked and had a hole in it. He laid his head on the table as he was not quite well and after he had been in that position for some time, the prisoner Clarke shook him and told him to wake up. He looked up and saw Clarke had his hand in his inside waistcoat pocket. Prosecutor asked him what he was doing when he said, “Wake up.” The two prisoners then went out together and before the prosecutor had lost sight of them he found his purse was gone. He followed them and saw them go into the Canteen at Hilsea. He then went for a policeman came gave the prisoners into custody. Mr. Leader, the keeper of the Canteen proved that the prisoners went into his house on Monday afternoon. Clarke called for a pot of beer, for which he tendered a five-shilling piece. He afterwards asked him if he could give him change for another five-shilling piece, which he did. When the prisoners were searched a sixpence was found on the prisoner Clarke.
—Both prisoners, who said they were not guilty, were committed for trial at the Sessions.
— Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette, Saturday 21 September 1867 source
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ALLEGED ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON.—Upon the same occasion James Clark and William Walker were brought up in custody charged with having, on the 16th inst., stolen a half-sovereign, two 5s.-pieces, and a 6d., from the person of Abraham Clark, at Hilsea. It appeared that the prosecutor saw the prisoners near the “Coach and Horses” public-house at Hilsea, about one o’clock on the day named. He had known Walker before. They said they were “hard-up,” and he took them into the house and paid for some beer and food for them. His purse, containing the coin above-mentioned, was in the inside pocket of his waistcoat. The sixpence was a crooked one, with a hole in it, and he had worn it on his watch chain seven or eight years. He stayed with the prisoners about half-an-hour, and then lay down on the table, when Clark went and shook him and told him to wake up, and he (prosecutor) saw Clark’s hand in his waistcoat pocket. The prisoners then left the house, and the prosecutor missed his purse and money and followed the prisoners to the canteen at Hilsea barracks, where they had changed the two 5s. pieces; the sixpenny-piece was afterwards found upon Clark. The prosecutor identified the five-shilling pieces and the 6d. as his property.—The prisoners, in answer to the usual caution, said they were not guilty, and were committed for trial at the ensuing quarter sessions.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Saturday 21 September 1867 source
Question
What is “the Canteen at Hilsea”? Can we find out more about Mr. Leader?
(It was definitely part of the barracks, I’m just surprised civilians were allowed to wander in and buy beer).