Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 18 June 1904
Killing Geese at Conisboro’
A Young Offender
Samuel Peplow, a small boy, aged 10 years, of Conisboro’, was summoned for cruelly beating geese at Conisboro’, on May 30th.
Charles Guest, a farmer, of Ferry Farm, Conisboro’, said about 6.30 in the morning of the 30th May, he turned out 23 young geese into a meadow near to the buildings. They were all right when he saw them at one o’clock, but when he went again at three o’clock, in consequence of information he received, he found one of the geese dead, and two more tied together. Another one he found higher up in a ditch with its back broken and one eye knocked out.
One of the geese had both legs tied together, and the other had one leg tied to the other goose.
Witness proceeded to the Board Schools and saw the defendant Peplow, his boots were very wet. He charged him with having injured and killed his geese and he admitted it.
Police Sergeant Horton came up and they all went down to the field. When they got to the field defendant said that a stick they picked up was the stick he had done it with.
George Woodward, a platelayer, said on the afternoon of the date in question, he was near Guest’s field, when he saw the defendant running the geese about backwards and forwards. One went into a ditch and defendant went after it, and witness lost sight of him for about 10 minutes. When he went towards him he ran away and witness found one goose dead and two others tied together.
George Hall, a small boy, also gave evidence.
Police Sergeant Horton stated that when charged with the offence, defendant said another boy named Tom Gilligan was with him. Witness had since satisfied himself, after enquiries, that Gilligan could not possibly have been with defendant.
Supt. Blake stated that there was three previous convictions against the defendant. On 25th May in 1903 he had been summoned for stealing two hens, for larceny on the 25th February this year, and also on the 30th March this year.
The Chairman said they would adjourn the case for a fortnight, in the meantime the boy’s father must correct him. The Bench had no power to order him to be flogged or else they would do it. He must be stopped as he was rapidly qualifying for a reformatory.
The costs were £1 11s., which they would have to pay.