Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 26 December 1902
Damaging the Company’s Property
A Footballer Fined
David Walton, a miner, of Denaby was summoned at the instance of the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company, for damaging a door at Conisbrough, on 8 December.
Defendant appeared, and pleaded not guilty.
Mr W Baddeley prosecuted and stated that Mr Wortley, of Doncaster, had been building some new property for the colliery Company, and it had just been handed over to the company. The men at Denaby seem to think that they had a right to break into those houses, make fires, and gamble. This kind of conduct have been going on for some time, and on the morning of 8 December Mr Wortley caught defendant in one of the houses.
It appeared that the door had been broken open, and a bolt broken, and also the paint damaged; and that defendant seem to have made a fire in readiness for when his mates came to gamble. Mr Wortley asked him what he was doing there, and he said he had come to warm himself. He denied having broken the door. A number of houses had been damaged in like fashion.
Mr Wortley was called, stated that the house in question was 56, Braithwell Street.
Mr Smethurst, architect to the Colliery company, estimated the damage at 2s 6d. A considerable amount of damage had been done to the Company’s property.
Defendant was fined 20 shillings and the costs and ordered to pay the damage.