South Yorkshire Times January 21, 1950
Conisbrough Men Charged
Alleged Theft from Railway Van
Two Conisbrough men, charged with stealing 41,700 cigarettes, tins of sweets, and 15 pairs of overalls from a railway goods van in transit between Sheffield and Hull on January 17th, were at Doncaster yesterday remanded in custody until January 26th to enable the police to make further inquiries.
The men are John Thomas Brannan (45), labourer, of Daylands Avenue, and John Smith (52). labourer, of Sandal Road.
Detective Inspector Maskill said that during the evening of January 17th a train left Sheffield for Hull. When it arrived at Hull it was found that three wagons had been entered and property stolen.
It was presumed that because the wagons had been altered at Conisbrough that was where the offence had been committed.
Det.-Ins1ector Maskill continued that when P.c. Shaw, of Conisbrough, on Wednesday night saw Brannan walking along a footpath carrying a suitcase which was found to contain cigarettes, he was taken into custody. His home was searched and more cigarettes were recovered. Smith was later interviewed and taken into custody.
It was alleged that when charged both men replied, “Yes, that is correct.”