Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 4 November 1881
Robbery of Eight Sheep at Conisborough
A labourer, of Conisboro’, named Thos. Crabtree, was charged with stealing eight sheep, valued at £28, from a field there, the property of Mr. Godfrey Walker.
On Saturday, the 1st of October, Mr. Walker’s farm bailiff placed fifty sheep in a field at Conisboro’. At noon the same day it was found that eight of them had gone. In the morning the prisoner was observed by George Goodlad, butcher, Conisboro’, to be driving sheep in the direction of Doncaster. He took them to Askern and sold them to a man named Yates. He charged £2 each for them. Yates paid him £1 15s. on account, and placed them in a field at Rushmoor, near Askern. They remained there all Sunday and Monday, the 2nd and 3rd ult., but on the following morning it was discovered that they had disappeared.
A search disclosed the fact that they were going in the direction of Doncaster, and on the same day the prisoner was perceived to be driving the sheep from Askern to Warmsworth, with the apparent object of again selling them. On reaching Warmsworth he found that the police were “on his track,” and, having placed the animals in a field belonging to a Mr. Crawshaw, he decamped. Until the 24th ult., no more was heard of him. On that day he was apprehended at Wath.
The prisoner made no defence, and was committed for trial at the West Riding Sessions, to be held at Wakefield, in January next; bail was refused.