Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Wednesday 20 September 1911
Machine Robbed at Conisbro’
Joseph Smith and Thomas Jones (alias Stokes), who were arrested at Conisborough early on Sunday morning for stealing 55 packets of cigarettes from an automatic machine were brought up on remand Doncaster yesterday.
Evidence was given by James Peters, the owner of the machine, that on Saturday night he filled the machine with cigarettes and took all the money out. The machine had been removed, and the fragments were produced in court. The machine and contents were- valued at £4 10s.
Police-constable Barnes missed the machine from the shop front, and found broken pieces on some waste ground a short distance away. The prisoners were walking in the direction of Doncaster, and he stopped them. In reply to questions, they said they had got nothing on them, but Smith had a handkerchief, and examining this he found it contained 55 packets of cigarettes.
Jones said, “We might as well make clean breast of it. We got them from a machine down there,” and Smith said, “It’s a fair cop.”
Smith is an old offender, and was committed to prison for one month. Jones was sent for 14 days.