Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 24 February 1893
A Shrove Tuesday Lark at Denaby
James Jackson, Junior, a boy of about 13, was summoned for breaking into a lock-up shop at Denaby Main, stealing a quantity of oranges, and also with damaging the shop.
Mr H.H. Hickmott defended.
Martha Peters, a girl of 10, living at Denaby Main, said that on Shrove Tuesday she saw James Jackson go to Wallis’s chip potato van and force it open with a stick. He then went in and came out of the window with a hamper of oranges. She saw him take for oranges, then the other boy scramble for the rest.
Cross-examined: Her brother had not been in the shop no taken any oranges.
Mary Thomson (10), saw Jackson come out of the chip potato van with four oranges after throwing the basket out of the window. She did not see Peters’ boy.
Fanny Wallis, of Mexborough, daughter of the owner of the chip potato van, said that on the morning of Shrove Tuesday she locked the van door, having been to fetch something out of it.
George Wallis, greengrocer, Mexborough, said he had left seven dozen oranges in the van and they were all gone. The lock was broken and the door damaged.
For the defence, a boy named Webster said he was watching the defendants playing marbles, and so I ran towards the van, and someone called out “the vans.” He also saw defendant take two oranges. Defendant had not been near the van before it was open.
Case dismissed.