South Yorkshire Times, January 19th, 1934
Conisb0rough Thieves Sent To Prison
Burglary Last Summer
Stating that prisoners were a nuisance as well as a danger to the public the Chairman of the Doncaster West Riding Bench (Col. W. St. Andrew Warde-Aldam) on Saturday sentenced James Percy Pegg (24) labourer 19, West Street, Conisborough and John Igo Smith (22), miner, 38, Sheffield Road, Conisborough to one month’s imprisonment on charges of stealing cutlery valued at 25s from the house of John Maxfield, retired confectioner, Holywell House, Holywell Lane, Conisborough.
They pleaded “Guilty under provocation” but it was pointed out that they could not make that plea to a charge of larceny and they then pleaded “Guilty.”
Inspector Redfern said that complainant made secure his house on Sunday July 9th 1933 and left for a week’s holiday at Scarborough. He returned on July 16th and found a window of the house partly open and articles of furniture disturbed. A case of cutlery and an old watch had been stolen. On January 8th 1934 Smith was seen at his home and admitted being concerned with the theft and made a voluntary statement. On the same day Pegg was taken to the police station where he asked to be supplied with writing material and he also wrote a voluntary statement. The cutlery was recovered from Pegg’s house. Charged with the theft Smith said “That’s correct,” and Pegg “I am saying nothing further.”
Mr. Maxfield corroborated and said he found the beds upstairs, besides other furniture, had been disturbed. The thieves had evidently got in through a back window.
Inspector Redfern read Smith’s statement which said that he (Smith) told Pegg that Maxfield’s house was unoccupied as the owner was on holiday. They then went in the house and Pegg opened a window there with a table-knife. The drawers in the house were searched to see if there was anything worth taking, and then they laid on a bed upstairs for a while. The took the case of cutlery and hid it in Pegg’s garden, and later shared the cutlery.
In Court, Pegg said he was more or less tempted to steal.
It was stated that Pegg was a Scots Guards reservist, and was afraid of losing his pension if convicted and the chairman said that was why he ought to be more ashamed.
Smith was also fined 12s on each of two summonses of using obscene language.
Mr. Maxfield thanked the police for their work, and said he had given the cutlery up as lost.