Damaging a Lock at Conisborough

Martin Myers, aged 15, was summoned at the instance of Thomas Bramley, of Marr Street, Conisborough, for doing damage to a Lock valued at eight pence.

Complainant said that about 9 o’clock on 29 October he had retired to bed. He was aroused about 10:10 by someone telling him his fowl house had been broken into. He got up and went to look and found that the lock on the door of the fowl house had been broken. There were some fowls in the place, but none of them were missing.

James Walker, a neighbour of the complainant, said that about 10:10 he heard a noise and went out to see what was taking place. He saw someone tampering with the lock of the fowl house. He was only seven yards off, and saw the defendant quite easily. When the defendant saw the witness he ran away. The defendant had struck the lock with some hard substance, but he could not see what it was. There were some of the boys with him who were taking part in it, but he only recognised Myers.

Eliza Myers, the mother of the boy, said the boy was sent to get some coal and in the dark went to Mr Bramley’s fowlhouse by mistake and in trying to open the door smashed a lock. She had told Mr Bramley she would pay for the lock.

The Chairman said the bench found the boy guilty of breaking the lock, and they could not but think he had some other motive for doing it.

Fined five shillings and 15 shilling costs and ordered to pay the damage 8d.