Local Epidemic Of Burglaries – Denaby Men Charged – Mexboro’ Scuffle.

March 1928

Mexborough & Swinton Times, March 30 1928.

Shops And Bars
Local Epidemic Of Reported Burglaries
Denaby Men Charged.
Story of a Mexboro’ Scuffle.

At Doncaster on Monday, four miners were sent for trial at the Quarter sessions.

The accused were William Frost, of Conisbrough; William J. Hand of Denaby, Samuel Turton, of Denaby; and Albert Murphy, of Denaby.

Frost, Hand and Turton were charged with stealing spirits and tobacco from the Sprotborough Club and Institute; Frost, Hand and Murphy were charged with shop-breaking and stealing cigarettes and cash.

Frost and Hand were charged with stealing spirits and cigarettes from the Mexborough Athletic Club. Hand was charged with stealing cash from a meter the property of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries; and Frost and Hand wits shop breaking at Conisboro’ and stealing cigarettes and chocolates.

Two Stainforth men, William Clegg, a motor driver, and Richard Ollerton a miner, were charged with receiving stolen property to the value of £6. Mr. Donald Dunn represented them, and pleaded ” Not guilty.”

A Lively Encounter.

In the Mexborough Athletic Club case, P.-c. Rowling said that at 2.5 a.m. on March. 17th, whilst on duty in plain clothes with P.-s. Wigglesworth, P.-s. Duck, and P.-c. Forsyte, he heard a noise coming from the direction of the Mexborough Athletic Club. He immediately went there and saw Hand get out of a window. Frost was still in the club, and he handed to Hand two sacks in which witness heard the rattle of bottles. Frost joined Hand, and they each picked up a sack and started walking away. Witness closed with Hand, who hit Rowling on the head with the sack, which contained a two-gallon keg of whisky. The keg broke with the force of the blow, but after a struggle Hand was overpowered. The other police officers caught Frost and overpowered him.

Wigglesworth said that Frost deliberately threw one of the sacks containing bottles at him, and he was stunned for a moment or two.

Sprotboro’ Club Rifled.

In the Sprotborough case, William Sharpe the steward, said that on March 4th, when he arrived at the club he found the door partly open. Inside the room everything was upset and a Doncaster Infirmary collecting box in a committee-room had been wrenched from its fastenings, and the contents taken. Part of the box was still left. He examined the stock and found that tobacco and liquor to the value of £18 5s. had been taken, and also that the intruders had consumed whisky and soda on the premises.

Further evidence was given by Thomas Gelder, a labourer, of Cliff View, Denaby, who said that he bought 50 packets of cigarettes for 5s from Turton and promised to pay another 5s later.

P.-c. Rowling said that consequent upon information received whilst Hand and Frost were in. custody on other charges, he arrested Turton.

Walter Stevens, a labourer, of 9, Ivanhoe Road, Conisborough said that he met Hand on March 5 and he was asked to take Hand to Stainforth on his motor-cycle. Hand had a sack in the form of a parcel, and witness could hear the sound of bottles rattling. Hand said that he wanted to see a friend at Stainforth. They went to a caravan near the colliery sidings at Stainforth, and there saw the  man Clegg, -who lived in the caravan and took a bottle out of the sack and it appeared to contain gin. Hand poured out something into a pint pot from a bottle, added a drop of hot water, and he and Clegg drank from the pot, drinking about half the contents. Hand then whispered to Clegg, and witness heard Hand say, “I want ‘four ‘ oils ‘ (meaning pounds). Clegg said “Three,” and Hand then said “It is not a dollar Apiece.” He saw Clegg hand to Hand some paper. On March 17th Stevens went to Stainforth again and there saw Clegg. Witness told Clegg that Hand bad been caught breaking into a club, and Clegg said, “He will have to shift It.”

Cross-examined by Mr. Dunn, witness denied that he knew it was stolen liquor that Hand had the night he took him to to Stainforth.

Mr. Dunn: You can’t swear that what you saw pass were pound notes? —No.

Is not your story of Hand and Clegg bargaining in the caravan a pack of lies? –It is not.

Didn’t Mrs. Clegg tell you after Hand and Clegg had gone ” to get out and take the stuff with you” —No.

Why did you stay after the others had gone?—-To talk to Mrs. Clegg.

I suggest that you and Hand stayed behind for some time and consumed, between you. the ‘contents of three bottles of whisky?—No, sir.

Did you say to Clegg on March 17th, “You’ve got it now and you had better get rid of it quick “?—No.

P.-s. Naylor gave evidence of finding whisky, sum and gin at 6, East Lane, Stainforth, in a bed in which Ollerton slept.

Ollerton said he knew nothing about the case at all. He was employed by Clegg as a handyman.

Clegg pleaded he was “Not guilty,”- and reserved his defence.

Mr. Dunn contended that there was no case against Ollerton. Throughout he had denied knowing anything and there was no evidence against him.

The Chairman (Mr. J. Dymond) said that with regard to the charge against Ollerton, the Bench had come to the conclusion that they would dismiss it, but the other prisoners would be remanded for trial at the next Quarter Sessions.

A Conisborough Raid.

Frost, Hand and Murphy were charged with breaking and entering the shop of Fred Wheatley at Conisborough, and stealing cigarettes and cash to the value of £3 16s.

Fred Wheatley, of 9, Crescent View, Conisbrough said he kept a lock-up grocer’s shop at the Crescent. About 8 p.m. of February 28, he left his shop secure. He went to the shop the next morning and found the police there. Tobacco, cigarettes and boiled ham had been stolen, and from a cash register £1 in cash had been taken. He valued the goods at £5 11 shilling.

PC Rowling said that at 2:30 p.m. on March 17 in consequence of a statement by Frost and Hand, who were in custody on other charges, he arrested Murphy. When he cautioned all the prisoners, Hand replied: “I admit it.” Frost replied, “Yes we did it,” and Murphy said, “I will go no more. I only got three shillings out of the deal.”

Mexborough Shop Broken

Frost and Hand were next charged with breaking into the shop of Charlotte Whitehouse. of Mexborough, and stealing a quantity of chocolates and cigarettes to the value of £3.

Charlotte Whitehouse, married, of Crossgate, Mexborough, said that she carried on a confectionery business in Doncaster Road, Mexborough. On Thursday, March 8th she left her shop secure at 8.15 p.m. The next morning she found that the premises had been broken into during the night and the shutter at the back of the premises had been forced. Cigarettes and chocolates were missing, and she later found that a pair of boots valued at 10s had been taken by the intruders.

Doris Siddons, married, of 17. Thornhill. Street, Denaby, said on. March 12th she was asked by Mrs. Hands, the wife of the prisoner, to pledge for her a pair of boots.

Mrs. Whitehouse identified the boots as the pair taken from her shop

P.c. Rowling said that on March 17th Frost and Hand whilst in custody confessed to having entered the shop of Charlotte Whitehouse. When cautioned Hand replied. “I am guilty. I pawned the boots on Monday.” Frost said, “We did it and sold the stuff.”

Slot Meter Pilfered.

Hand was also charged with the theft from the gas Meter.

George Luther Robinson, a. builder, of 64, Tickhill Street, Denabv, and an inspector of the gas slot-meters for the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, said that at 10.20 a.m. on March 17th, in company with P.-c. Lund, he visited the home occupied by Hand. He found that the slot meter bad been broken open, and that the lock had been forced. Cash amounting to 11s 1d was missing.

P.-c. Lund at. 5 a.m. on March 17th saw William Hand at the Mexborough police station. He cautioned and charged him with breaking a slot meter at 13, Braithwell Street, Denaby, and he replied, “Yes, I did it.”

All the prisoners were sent for trial, bail being allowed in the case of Clegg only.