Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 11 March 1919
A Pick Up and a Run.
A Denaby miner, named George Ashton was charged at Doncaster, yesterday, with stealing a stall cover, value 50s., belonging to the Doncaster Corporation, and with assaulting John Townend, the market attendant,
Townend stated that on Saturday night he was taking the covers off the stalls on the market when he saw the prisoner, who was with three other men, pick up a cover from the ground and run in the direction of Baxter Gate. Witness went after him, and asked him to return the cover and he replied, “Go to —.” Prisoner and another man then “set” about him, and he gave information to the police.
Prisoner, who pleaded guilty, and then said that he was taking the cover back when Townend came to him, was fined 30s. for the theft and 10s. for the assault—£2.
He explained that he had been to Egypt and returned with malarial fever, being discharged in December.