the proceedings at the election. And for the new member to be returned at the top of the poll, partly by the electors in Holy Trinity, in which parish, years before, the Radical party were in a rampant majority, was really intolerable. Add to this subversion of political conditions, the presiding of a Conservative Mayor at a Conservative demonstration, and the insult to injury was complete. So good a man was Mr. Hickes in other respects that even Councillor Ross could not resist the will to vote him into the civic chair a second time; but the one grave fault referred to could not be forgiven, and he must not only be told of his misconduct, but measures must be resorted to to prevent a similar recurrence, such efforts were ultimately successful, and from that year to 1873 there were no fewer than 21 Liberal Mayors in succession. Mr. Ticehurst, a Liberal, was Mayor five times; Mr. Gausden, a Liberal, was elected five times; and Messrs. Ross, Ginner and Scrivens (all Liberals) were elected four times each.
A Swindling Transaction
As Robertson street and Robertson-street people have figured rather prominently in the foregoing account of the public dinners, they bring to one’s mind an extensively dishonest transaction in connection with that district. On Saturday night, the 21st of February, a large number of persons in the employ of a man known as Phillips, assembled at the Hastings Arms inn for the purpose of receiving their wages. They waited all the evening but no paymaster appeared. On the following day it was ascertained that cheques to the amount of nearly £100 had been forwarded through a person who went by the name of Quamby, an agent of Phillips’s, and that after cashing them he absconded. The extensive work was afterwards stopped. He was cleverly captured, and his real name was said to be James Benjamin Parker. He was of gentlemanly appearance and was said to have been tried for forgery; that four indictments were preferred against him at Maidstone for obtaining money under false pretences; that he absconded from his bail and his sureties were in prison; that he has recently built some houses in Folkestone, under the assumed name of Phillips; that he had carried on a wine business in London and a corn-merchant’s trade at Colchester; and that he was connected with a party trading as Chas. Neale & Co. This Charles Benjamin Parker, better known in Hastings as “Phillips”, was tried at the Maidstone assizes for getting by false pretences, goods from various persons to a large amount, and was sentenced to six months hard labour only. He had also victimised several persons in Hastings. He was 35 years of age, and had thus pursued a nefarious career.
Burglaries
A burglary was effected on the night of Feb. 28th. at Mr. John Sinden’s, a pork-butcher in Castle street, and £3 or £4 worth of meat stolen. Another burglary was effected early on Sunday morning, June 20th, at Mr. Jas. Hart’s residence at the Tackleway and two hams, a piece of mutton and some soap carried off. On the preceding Sunday, Mr. Hart lost from the Market a leg of veal, weighing 21½ pounds, and about three weeks before that he lost from the same market 18lbs of beef. The thief or thieves must surely have made some Hart-y meals.
