Conisboro’ Youths Sent to Prison

Theft of Bicycles and Gold Watch

At Doncaster, on Thursday, William Roberts and James Cooke, pony drivers, of New Conisboro’, were charged in custody with stealing two bicycles, the property of John Mitchell, of New Conisboro’, on the 4th July.

John Mitchell, cycle agent, of Stone House, Conisboro’, said on Saturday, the 4th inst., at 2.45 p.m., the prisoners came to hire two bicycles, and wanted them for two hours. They did not say where they were going. He identified the two bicycles produced as those he let the two prisoners have. They were then in a proper condition, and fit to be used. They looked a lot different to what they did now. He had a book, which every person who hired a machine signed. The prisoner, Cooke, signed the book as G. Shaw, and the other prisoner signed his proper name, Roberts. He charged them each 1s. for the two hours, and prisoners paid the amount. They did not return the bicycles according to the agreement, and on Monday witness gave information to the police. He did not see the bicycles again until the 11th of the present month. Each machine was worth £5 when the prisoners hired them.

P.C. Mathews stated on Friday, the 10th inst., he received the two prisoners into custody at Clay Cross, and the two bicycles were handed over to him by the police authorities. He charged the two prisoners with the theft of the machines.

Roberts made no reply, but Cooke said, “We hired them for two hours, for the purpose of going to Sheffield. The machines punctured, and we took one on to Dun Moor to get them repaired, and we were going to send them back by train.” He brought the two prisoners back to Doncaster.

Both prisoners pleaded guilty, and stated that they did not intend to keep the machines. They had three punctures going to Sheffield, and it cost them 3s. in repairs. They then went to their friends, but had another puncture, and intended repairing the machines and sending them back.

The two prisoners were further charged, Roberts with breaking into a lock-up shop, and with stealing a gold watch, the property of Stephen Baines, at Denaby, on the 29th June, and Cooke with receiving it knowing it to have been stolen.

Ada Baines, daughter of Stephen Baines, residing at 38, Cliff View, Conisboro’, said her father kept a lock-up shop at 2, Maltby Street, and about 10 p.m. on the 29th June she locked up the shop, leaving everything right. Shortly before she left the shop she noticed a gold watch in a drawer, and about eight o’clock the next morning, as soon as she got in the shop, she noticed something was wrong, and discovered that the kitchen window at the back was broken. The catch was back. She then missed the gold keyless watch she had left in the drawer the previous evening. She valued it at £5 5s.

On the 10th inst. she accompanied P.C. Waite to Tunstall, and there saw in the possession of a pawnbroker the missing watch. P.C. Waite said on the 7th inst. he went to a pawnbroker’s shop at Tunstall, managed by John Fawcett, for the executors of Robert Miles. He was shown a gold watch, and the last witness, who was with him, identified it as her property. It had been pawned for 8s. He did not produce the watch that day, because the pawnbroker refused to hand it over to him. He saw the prisoner in court the previous Saturday when the case was adjourned, and he warned him to attend court that day (Thursday).

P.C. Mathews cautioned Baines, said he received the two prisoners into custody from the Derbyshire Police at Clay Cross. He then charged them with having broken into a lock-up shop at Denaby, and with stealing a gold watch, the property of Stephen Baines.

Roberts replied, “Yes, but there was another man named James Hill, a miner, of Conisboro’, with me. We got into a shop by forcing a window. I got the watch. Hill got some tobacco, cigarettes, oranges, and pipe and apple, and we shared it. Two days afterwards I gave the watch to Cooke.”

Cooke replied, “I pawned it at Hanley for 8s., but did not then know it was stolen.”

Witness had not traced the man, whose name Roberts gave as Hill.

Supt. Blake stated that two most important witnesses had not turned up, although warned—John Fawcett, the pawnbroker, and another witness named Thorley.

Both prisoners pleaded guilty.

Roberts was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment in each case, and Cooke to one month in each case; the sentences to run consecutively.