Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 19 August 1909
Sad Story of Drink and Its Effect.
A labourer named John Thomas Haigh, Conisborough, has, his intemperate habits, brought himself within the provisions the Inebriates Act, and at the West Riding -Court, Doncaster, yesterday, an application was made to the magistrates to commit him to the Cattell Reformatory for three years.
The defendant is 39 years of age, and has been convicted three times during the last 12 months. On Saturday night, July 31st, he was drunk and disorderly in Conisborough, and within the preceding 12 months he has been convicted at least three times, twice in that court, and in addition it was declared that was an habitual drunkard.
He had, it was said, reduced himself by his drinking habits to a state of vagrancy, and whenever he got any money it went in drink .Not only was unable to manage himself or his affairs, but by reason of his intemperance he was dangerous to himself and to others.
Evidence of previous convictions, and of the prisoner’s drunken habits was given, and then the chairman (Mr. J. W. Hodgson), said the magistrates did not think it was a fit case to send to a reformatory at present. Their intention was to deal with the man themselves.
Prisoner pleaded guilty of being drunk and disorderly, and was committed to prison for one month, the chairman warning him that if he came before them again he would be sent to inebriates’ home for three years.
Prisoner; I shall not come again.