Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 02 May 1914
Damage at Conisboro’.
Chopping Down Trees
Mr. Wm. Goodison, of Conisboro’, was the prosecutor in a number of cases.
John Edward Garry and Norman E. Swift, schoolboys, of New Conisboro’, were summoned for damage to a fence on April 17th.
P.C. Grant said that in consequence of numerous complaints he visited the prosecutor’s field and saw the boys chopping down trees with an axe.
They were each fined 6s. inclusive.
Arthur Waitworth, moulder, of New Conisboro’, was ordered to pay the damage, 1s., and a fine of 5s. and costs, for damage to a fence on April 17th.
It was stated that he cut down a fence and chopped it into small pieces, putting the pieces into a bag.
Arthur Lunn, errand boy, of Conisboro’, was fined 5s., and ordered to pay the damage, 3s., for damaging turf on April 17th.
P.C. Butter said he saw the defendant chopping up the turf with knives. He had chopped three square yards of it.
Joseph Waterhouse and Wm. Hodgett, New Conisboro’ miners, damaged grass to the extent of 6d. each, by lying on it on April 19th.
They said they were not doing any harm, and went into the field to watch their allotment gardens, because someone had been stealing.
They were both ordered to pay the damage and costs.
Fred Cooke and Thomas Cooke, miners, of Conisboro’, on April 16th, walked in a grass field for a distance of 300 yards.
Thos. Cooke appeared and admitted the offence. He said he thought there was a footpath in the field.
Thomas was fined 5s. and costs and the damage 1s., and Fred was ordered to pay 1s. damage and costs.
A charge of damage to a tree was preferred against Wm. Ellis, a miner, of New Conisboro’.
P.C. Butter said he saw the defendant carrying a log of wood from a tree. He went to him and charged him with stealing the log.
The defendant replied that his child was ill, and he had got no coal, so what was he to do?
The defendant pleaded guilty, and said his child was ill. The doctor had told him to get a fire from somewhere.
He was ordered to pay the damage and costs.