Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Saturday 15 March 1919
Plucky Women.
Charged with feloniously entering the dwelling house of John Collingham, miner, Cliffe View, Denaby, and attempting to steal a cloth cap, Albert Beesley, rope runner, said to Police-constable Rushton: ” I had no money and I wanted a new cap,” but at the West Riding Court, Doncaster, yesterday, when formally charged, he replied, “I couldn’t say anything.”
Lily Collingham, married, Cliffe View, Denaby, stated that upon returning borne after a short absence, she saw the prisoner in the house, standing near the dresser with a lighted candle in his hand. He was searching a drawer in the dresser. She unlocked the front door and went in. Her sister had gone to the back gate, and as witness went in at the front prisoner bolted through the back. She followed him, and got hold of his leg as he was getting over the gate. Prisoner swore at her, and caught her on the chest with his foot, so that she failed to hold him but her sister chased him. She found her husband’s cap wrapped up and placed on the kitchen table. When she left the house the back door was shut, but not locked, and on her return she found the door open.
Annie Hall, 46, Cliffe View, Denaby, said that she first saw the prisoner Iooking on the mantel-piece with a lighted match, and told her sister, who was in their house. Together they went across to the house, witness to the back gate, and when prisoner jumped over the gate she ran after him, and he ran up a gennel and escaped her.
Police-constable Rushton arrested the prisoner the same night, and prisoner was now committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions.