Mexborough times 15th of March 1878
The Pocket Picking case at Conisboro’.
To the editor of the Mexborough and Swinton Times
Sir
Referring to the above case reported in your last issue I was very much surprised to notice a statement that the prisoner, James Taylor, was apprehended by Sgt Morley at Conisbrough station at 9:30 on the night of the first interest. I beg to state that such a statement is not true. If it will not be intruding too much upon your valuable space I will give you the particulars of how the prisoner was captured after his escape from the police at Doncaster.
At the time the prisoners were first apprehended at the station in the afternoon, no policeman could be found, and Mr Barron, not wishing to keep prisoners at the station until one came (which might have been a long time) asked me if I would assist him in removing them to Doncaster, which I readily consented to do, with the permission of my employers. Messrs Baker and Burnett of the Atlas wheel works. Upon arrival at Doncaster the prisoners were handed over to the Great Northern Platform Policeman, who, accompanied by Mr Barron, was escorting them to the West Riding lock-up, when they slipped the handcuffs and the prisoner James succeeded in getting away.
At about 7:30, the same evening, as I was taking my tea, a man called at my house and asked for the nearest station to take train to Rotherham, but before I could answer him, he bolted. I was surprised at his conduct, and the thought then struck me that he might be the prisoner, who had escaped during the afternoon, and with this thought I pursued him, and after a hot chase of about an hour and a half I captured him in the middle of a field near the Hill Top Inn, the landlord of which, accompanied by his brother in law, assisted me in taking the prisoner to the station, where upon arrival, we met Sgt Morley, PC Gardner, and a number of the public discussing the subject. I then handed the prisoner over to the sergeant together with the hand cuffs he had on when he escaped in the afternoon.
Now Sir, I hope you will excuse me, for trespassing. So far upon your columns, but allow me to say, in conclusion, that if the police do not wish the public to do their work and get the credit for it, they should be on the spot to do it themselves.
For my own part, I do not desire credit; I do not seek credit; because I felt it my duty to capture, if possible, one who has transgressed the laws of the land byrobbing a poor woman of a few paltry shillings, although the those few shillings were no doubt of great value to the possessor.
I hopewhenacase of this kind occurs again true circumstances will be brought before the magistrates and if anyone be deserving of credit, let it be given to whom it is due.
B.W.Evans.
Lime Grove, Conisbrough, March 13, 1878