The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-23 00:00:00

THAMES.

ROBBERY IN THE LONDON DOCK.—David Gouts Lon Gorner
a foreman in the bottling department of the London
Dock, was brought before Mr. Paget, on a charge of steal-
ing a brass screw, value 45., and a bottle of brandy, the
property of the London and St. Katherine Company, from
their premises.
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner was
leaving the dock, when his peculiar appearance attracted
the notice of a gatekeeper, named Andus, who asked him
if he had any property about him belonging to the dock
company. He replied that he had not, and was walking
quickly away, when the officer stopped him, and
found on his person a bottle of brandy. It was
fastened by a string to his waistband under
his clothes, and hanging in front of his belly.
Andus no sooner took the bottle from him than the pri-
soner made a snatch at it, regained possession of the bottle,
and threw it on the ground. The liquor was wasted. Mr.
Swingland, one of the principal dock constables, then took
the prisoner into custody, and upon searching him found a
brass screw-nut in his pocket. It was made and had been
used for screwing down temporary gas burners on gas
pipes and cost the Dock Company 4s. The rod to which
it had been applied was produced. •
Mr. Charles Young very ingeniously argued that the
stuff in the bottle which the prisoner destroyed was a
mixture of spirits and turpentine, which the prisoner had
used as an outward application for rheumatism, and that
the brass screw-nut was found in a dust-bin. There
were many different things found in the dust-bin
and, although the prisoner had no right to bring it out of
the dock, he might have reasonably supposed it was of no
value, as it was mixed with the rubbish in the dust-bin.
' The prisoner had been employed in the dock nine years,
and had hitherto maintained a good character.
IMr. Paget asked if there was brandy in the place where
the prisoner was employed, to which Swingland replied

plenty of it.
Mr. Paget said if the prisoner had honestly obtained the
stuff-in the bottle he would have carried it out openly in
his hand, and told the officer what it was. The excuse
that it was a mixture for rheumatism was, not
made till the bottle was broken and the liquor
wasted. He had no doubt the bottle contained brandy,
to which the prisoner had access as a bottler. Then there
was a brass screw nut of some value. It was a case of
robbery, nothing else. No cases which came before him in
that court distressed.him more than cases of petty pilfer-
, ing in the docks. Foremen, warehouse-keepers, labourers,
and others, brought things out, and when detection took
place the offenders were sent to prison, and they and
their families ruined. He was bound to protect the pro-
perty in the docks from plunder. It was unusually exposed,
and hence so many of these cases. He sentenced the pH'
sonee to two months' imprisonment and hard labour for the
unlawful possession of the brandy and brass screw-nut.
Mr. U. Young appealed to the magistrate to inflict a fine.
Mr. Paget- No, I certainly will not.

NEW LIFEBpATS.—The National Lifeboat Insti-
tution sent on Saturday two fine new lifeboats to
the coast. Ono is to be stationed' at Haylo, in Cornwall,
and the other at Braunton, North Devon. Each boat is
31ft. long, and rows ten oars double banked. The Hayle
lifeboat, which is named the Isis, is the benevolent gift to
the institution of Oxford University. It is to be publicly
launched into the River Isis to-morrow. It is expected
the lifeboat will be manned on the occasion by the eight
undergraduates who so recently distinguished themselves
on the Thames. The Braunton lifeboat, which has been
presented by Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy, of Lea Coombe House,
Axminster, is also to be publicly launched at Barnstaplo on
Thursday next, the 26th inst. Free conveyance was readily
given to the boats to their destinations by the Great
Western, London and South-Western, and other continu-
ous lines of railways. The National Lifeboat Institution
has now 167 lifeboats in connection with it. Of these 16
are stationed on the coast of Devon and Cornwall at the
following places—viz., Appledore, Braunton, Exmouth,
Teignmoutb, Brigham, Plymouth, Fowey, Lizard, Porth-
leveu, Penzance, Sennen Cove, St. Ives, Hayle, Newquay
radotow, and Bude Haven.