Mexborough and Swinton Times, October 18.
Boy Thieves at Conisbrough.
Three small boys were in custody on a charge of having stolen two pigeons and a padlock, at New Conisbrough on the 10th inst.
They were George Arthur Marriot, Charles Bryce and Arthur Severn.
The owner of the pigeons, Joseph Golding, said he was a miner, living at 36 Frederick Street, New Conisbrough. About six o’clock on Wednesday, the ninth inst., he fastened up his pigeon cote in Rossington Street Gardens. There were then 16 pigeons in it.
On Thursday, the 10th at about 10 o’clock he went to the cote again, and found that the lock had been broken, and that two pigeons were missing. On Friday at 12 o’clock, police Constable Richardson showed him a couple of pigeons and a padlock, which he identified as his property. He valued them at 10/3 (52p).
Police Constable Richardson said that acting on information received, he apprehended the prisoners, and charged them. Marriot replied, “I undid the lock with a bunch of keys which Bryce gave to me.” Bryce said, “I’ve lost the keys but I have kept the lock”; and Severn said, “I stood and watched whilst Marriot and Bryce unlocked the door and fetched the pigeons.”
The witness afterwards recovered the pigeon from the cellar of the house in which Marriot lived, and the lock from Bryce’s house.
The prisoners now admitted the offence, and Marriot, who had a previous conviction against him for a similar offence, in December 1898, was ordered to receive six strokes with the Birch Rod.
The prosecutor having said he did not wish to press the case, the other two prisoners were dealt with under the First Offenders act, and ordered to come up for judgement when called upon.