Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 21 October 1932
Conisborough Case Dismissed
“A Misunderstanding Somewhere”
Dismissing a case in which two Conisboro’ boys, aged 9 and 11, were summoned for doing damage estimated at 5s. to a fence belonging to the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company, at the Doncaster Police Court on Wednesday, the Chairman (Mr. W. Hinchliffe), said there was a misunderstanding somewhere.
The principal witness referred to an incident which occurred on a Sunday while the summons was for an offence committed on a Thursday.
Mr. Spencer Baker, prosecuting, said the boys, along with about ten others, appeared to have been living a “Robinson Crusoe life.” They foraged for potatoes and then appeared to have gone on to waste land and made a fire of timber belonging to the colliery company, and roasted the potatoes.
Mr. Baker said recently 100 young trees had been planted to support the river bank and boys had taken these. So many things had disappeared that the company felt they must ask for protection.
Mr. E. W. Pettifer, the Clerk, asked the magistrates to hear a complaint by P.c. Ingham who had given evidence, after the case had been dealt with, when a miner, Louis Albert Firth, was brought back.
P.c. Ingham said that when leaving the court Firth said to him, “The first time I see you out I will get you.”
Firth denied the allegation, but another constable corroborated. Firth spoke to saying he would like to see the constable because of what he alleged was a variation of stories. He had not meant any threat.
Firth was bound over in £5 for a year and ordered to pay costs.