Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 26 September 1890
Caught at Conisbrough
John Frederick. Stothard, a boy, was charged with having travelled from Parkgate to Conisborough without having a ticket.
The ticket collector at Conisborough said he was on duty on Wednesday morning collecting tickets, when he found the boy in a train without a ticket. The boy said he had paid 6d for a ticket at Parkgate; he said he had booked from Parkgate to South Elmsall. But that train did not stop at Parkgate, and a telegram was received from that station to say that no one had booked there for South Elmsall.
The lad fumbled about in his pocket pretending to look for a ticket and as he did not produce one he was taken into the porter’s room and detained there until his name and address could be taken. After that information had been obtained, the lad was liberated pending his appearance at the police court. Shortly afterwards by some mysterious means, he arrived on the opposite aide of the station as the train for Doncaster entered, and he got into a third class compartment with a ticket for Doncaster. There was no doubt that he had stolen the ticket from the office, though no one saw him do so.
The grandfather of the boy, who appeared in court, said the mother of the boy lived at South Kirkby, and he no doubt had wanted to go and see her. He had asked to go and he told him if he was a good lad he should go. He had never known him do anything of the kind before. He went to school as a rule.
The Chairman said the boy had done very wrong, and there was no doubt he had stolen the ticket for Doncaster.
A fine of 5s. and 16s costs was inflicted; fourteen days in default.