Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 12, 1932
Police Court Girl “Gangsters.”
Conisboro’ Children’s Silly Exploit.
Four Conisborough schoolgirls were charged at Doncaster on Wednesday with having stolen cream cheese valued 9d., face cream valued 6d., and toffee valued at 1s., from the shops of Charles E. Webster, Reginald Troughton, and Sarah White, on January 30th.
Police evidence was that Mr. Webster saw the girls outside his shop, busily chewing toffee. Suddenly two darted into the shop, snatched up two cream cheeses and ran out again. He gave chase and caught them.
The girls admitted the offences but blamed one another for throwing out “dares” to go and steal. “We did not go for empty boxes but to steal,” one said.
Inspector Taylor announced that the girls belonged to the “Three S’s,” namely the “Shop Stealing Society.”
The girls were questioned about this and it came out that one girl invented the idea of forming a gang for thieving purposes, and another thought of the name. It also came out that one had raided another shop on the same day, stealing a bun.
The father of two of the children made a passionate plea for “innocent children not to be branded as thieves.” He added that the shopkeepers could have smacked them and notified the parents, who would have made reparations.
The Bench bound each over in £5 to be of good behaviour for a month, each also to pay 5s. costs.