Thanet Advertiser 23rd August 1873 (at Margate).

THEFT OF TOBACCO

George Emptage, of Margate, age 15, was charged with having stolen four and a half ounces of tobacco, the property of Mr Chapman, of the Elms Hotel.

Prosecutor stated that prisoner had been with him for about six weeks as Pot-Boy. He came out of the Union. Prosecutor had lately missed a quantity of tobacco.

Prisoner had been in the habit of buying books, fruit and other things which aroused his (prosecutor’s) suspicions. On cleaning out his room, one of the servants’ discovered a quantity of tobacco in one of the prisoner’s pockets, there were four and a half ounces.

P.C. Beaney deposed to taking prisoner into custody on the previous day, and to finding the tobacco in prisoner’s jacket pocket.

Prisoner told Beaney that he had taken the tobacco from the drawer in the bar, and that he had robbed his master on other occasions.

Mr Chapman said he had no wish to press for punishment, but he had thought it right to prosecute in hopes it might check his bad habits.

The magistrates sent George Emptage to prison for 21 days with hard labour.

Note:

George Herbert Emptage 1859 – 1920, son of William Jesse Emptage 1827 – 1866, and mother, Sarah Ann (Sutton).