South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 20 February 1904
Denaby Man Sent to Prison
At Doncaster, on Monday week, Thomas Patchett, of Denaby, an elderly man, was charged with indecent conduct at Mexboro’ on the previous Thursday.
Mr. F. Allen defended.
Mary Stone, aged eight, residing with her parents, Mexboro’, deposed that on the date named she was with some other girls near the Mexboro’ Theatre, when the prisoner offered her a penny if she would show him the way to the station. On reaching Station Road they turned on to the canal bank, and when they got to the tunnel the prisoner committed an offence.
Jane Ann Robinson, another child, gave similar evidence.
Robert Wilkinson, a glass-hand at Waddington’s Works, Mexboro’, stated that he and another man noticed the prisoner on the canal bank with the girls, and crossed the canal in a boat. When they entered the tunnel prisoner ran away, and witness hastened his flight by dealing him a blow.
Prisoner denied the charge on oath.
Committed to prison for two months with hard labour.