Pavilion Shades 1920s

Folkestone Herald 4-2-1922

Local News

At the Elwick Auction Rooms on Tuesday, Messrs. Knight, Frank and Rutley, in conjunction with Messrs. Wickenden and Sons, of Tunbridge Wells, sold the Tenterden Brewery, with its ten tied houses, for £28,700. Included in the ten houses was the Pavilion Shades, Tram Road, Folkestone.

Folkestone Express 24-12-1927

Monday, December 19^th: Before Alderman Spurgen and other Magistrates.

Frederick John Baines, of Dover, a corporal in the Territorial K.A., was charged with having, while being bailee of a handbag containing 7s. 4d., converted the same to his own use, thereby feloniously stealing the same.

Constance Mildred Horton, a housemaid at 7, Terlingham Gardens, said she first met Baines casually one evening at the Town Hall. She met him several times up to the 11^th December. She met him on the 11^th December, and she had her handbag, containing a purse and 7s. 4d. She was with him until about 10 p.m. When she left him she forgot to ask defendant for her handbag. She met him the following Tuesday about 9.15 p.m., and asked him for the handbag. He said he would give it to her on the Friday evening. She met him on the Friday evening at 5.15, and she was with him until ten o`clock. She again asked him for the handbag, and he said he had forgotten it, and that he would send it on Saturday by post. She did not receive the handbag on Saturday. On Saturday evening she went out, and passed him in Sandgate Road about 9.15. Defendant was standing talking to someone else. She saw him again about 9.40, outside a public house near the fishmarket. She said she wanted the handbag and the money back, and he said he had not got it. He said “I will give you the money on Monday”. She walked off, and he went into the public house. She saw a member of the Military Police Force in Tontine Street, and made a complaint to him. He went with her to the public house, and defendant was just leaving. Lance Corpl. Cox questioned him, and a policeman came along. She then noticed her handbag lying on the ground. She pointed it out to the police, and they then proceeded to the police station. The bag was opened at the police station, and the purse was inside, but there was no money in it. The value of the bag would be about 2s. 6d.

L. Cpl. Cox, Military Foot Police, said he was on duty in Tontine Street on Saturday about 9.50 when she made a complaint to him, and he accompanied her to the Pavilion Shades public house. He there saw the defendant leaving the public house. He stopped him, and told him that the young lady had complained that he was in possession of her handbag, and refused to give it up. He said “Yes, that`s right. I will send it to her”. He asked defendant for his particulars, and he replied “Pte. Green”. Seeing he had two stripes on his arm he told him not to play about, and he then said “Gunner Baines”. He asked defendant if he was in possession of a permanent pass, and he said “No, I am a Territorial”. He told defendant to accompany him to P.C. Simpson. They went to where P.C. Simpson was standing, and then returned to the Pavilion Shades. He walked across to the young lady, who was six or seven yards away, and she pointed out the handbag lying on the ground just outside the gate of the Pavilion Shades. He picked the bag up and handed it to P.C. Simpson, and he then accompanied the others to the police station.

P.C. Simpson said at 9.15 p.m. on Saturday he was on duty in Beach Street when defendant was taken to him by the last witness. L. Cpl. Cox requested him to obtain his particulars, as he had been accused by a young lady of stealing her handbag. Miss Horton also complained to him that defendant was in possession of her handbag. He asked him for his particulars, and he said “I am a Territorial”. Miss Horton stated she gave her handbag to prisoner to mind, and that on leaving him she forgot to ask for it. She said she saw him again on Tuesday, and he refused to give it to her. On seeing him again that evening he said he had not got it, but would post it on to her. L. Cpl. Cox then produced a handbag, and Miss Horton identified the bag. He looked into the bag, and saw it contained an empty purse. He took Haines to the police station. He wa charged by Det. Con. Bugden with stealing the handbag, purse, and 7s. 4d. He replied “I did not steal the money. I had no intention of stealing it”,

Defendant pleaded Not Guilty, and said about a month ago, while standing under the Town Hall, he had a conversation with the girl. He asked her if he could see her home, and she said he could. A great friendship sprang up, and after going together for a fortnight she told him she was rather unhappy where she was working, and longed to see him every evening. On the 11^th December he arranged to meet her at 5.15, and he was there. After walking a little way, she said “My hands are cold. Will you kindly put my handbag in your pocket?”, and he did. He forgot about it when leaving her, and arranged to see her on Tuesday, and left the handbag at home. On Friday he found he had not got any money, but he had promised to see the girl, and he spent some of the money to travel to see the girl. He had no intention of stealing the money, and if he was given a chance he would repay it. He wanted to apologise for doing a mean action.

The Chief Constable (Mr.  A.S. Beesley) said defendant had justly described it as a mean action, and it was not the first time he had committed this mean action. On the 3^rd October, 1927, under similar circumstances, he took a purse containing two 10s. notes and 15s. in silver, and was fined £3. He was then in camp at Felixstowe. He was born at Southampton in 1906, and went to Dover in 1917. He was first employed as a plumber`s mate, and then on the switchboard at the electric light works. Since July, 1927, he had been out of employment. He resided at Biggin Street, Dover, and was attached to the Territorials in Dover, and had attained the rank of full corporal.

The Magistrates sent defendant for one month`s imprisonment with hard labour.