Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 19 March 1903
Alleged Theft by a Denaby Striker
At the Doncaster Borough Court, yesterday, Thomas Watson, a Denaby striker, living at Balby, was charged with stealing a shirt.
A witness named James Poynter, of Thomas Street, stated that on the Saturday night previous he was on his way home, when he found a drunken man lying on the footpath. Prisoner came up, and saying he knew the man, said he would see him to his home. Witness saw the prisoner take a purse from the man’s pocket, and help him to his feet. At the corner of the street prisoner left the man and went towards Balby.
Witness told Police-constable Tune, who followed prisoner. In reply to the officer, prisoner said, “I am not pinching the shirt, I am going to see the man home; he lives in St. Peter’s Square.”
Police-constable Tune said that he had made inquiries, and found that there was no man answering to the description of the drunken man living in that locality. The shirt was valued at 6d.
Mr. Andrews defended the prisoner. The prosecutor being absent, the case was dismissed.