Mexborough and Swinton Times – Saturday 16 April 1904
Robbing His Fellow-Workmen
Samuel Frost, miner, Wath, was accused of having stolen money, the property of John Careless and others.
Mr. W. M. Gichard, Rotherham, appeared to prosecute, and stated that the defendant was charged with having stolen, on the 5th March, £3 3s. 3d., the moneys of himself and others, who were beneficially entitled to it.
It appeared that Samuel Frost (the defendant) and others were engaged together as contractors in “ripping” in the Cadeby Main Collieries, and they worked for one week ending March 2nd, or for some days in that week. Defendant was deputed to receive the money, and divide it according to the number of days each man had worked.
Instead of that defendant retained possession of the money, and decamped. A warrant had been issued, and defendant was arrested at Rotherham on Thursday last.
Defendant was entitled to £1 11s. 2d. out of the £3 3s. 3d.
Charles Ed. Wainwright, 36 Bank Street, Mexboro’, deposed that he was pay clerk for the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, Ltd., at the Cadeby pit, and the sum of £3 3s. 3d. was due to Samuel Frost and others for the week ending March 2nd, for work done in that pit. On March 5th witness paid that sum over to the defendant.
John Careless, 10 Strafford Terrace, New Conisboro’, deposed that he was a “ripper.” Defendant was also a “ripper,” and worked with him at the Cadeby Colliery during the week ending 2nd March. Two others worked during the week, and the sum due to the four of them was £3 3s. 3d. Witness had not received any part of that sum from the defendant. Defendant did not work on either the 4th or 5th March.
George Summerfield, 107 Doncaster Road, Denaby Main, and Albert Coles, 39 Queen Street, Swinton, also spoke to receiving no money from the defendant.
Defendant, against whom there were several previous convictions, was committed to Wakefield for two months.