Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 17 August 1912
Stolen Cigarettes
A Conisbrough Boys Lapse
A small boy, aged 13, who lives with his parents at New Conisbrough, was summoned for stealing two Threepenny packets of cigarettes in the shop of Ernest Yates, a hairdresser and tobacconist, the previous day.
The prosecutor, whose premises are in the Alexander Buildings, New Conisborough, said at 12.15 the previous day the boy came into the shop while witness was in the house adjoining. When he was going to attend to him witness noticed that the glass case on the counter had been disturbed, and that two threepenny packets of cigarettes were missing.
He asked the boy what he was doing there, and he made no reply. Witness thereupon got over the counter and took him into the barbershop with a view of searching him, and then he noticed two packets of cigarettes on the floor. When he drew the boy’s attention to them he said he would pay for them if you would not send for a policeman. Witness however did so. During the past few months a good many cigarettes had been taken from the case.
PC Grimshaw said he received information of the theft the previous day, shortly afternoon, and when he went into the shop and saw the boy, who denied stealing the cigarettes. He had charged him that morning, when he replied “Yes, I took them.”
The father said the boy had always been a good lad, and he had never been guilty of similar misconduct. He was the oldest of a family of eight.
The Chairman said they thought the best thing for the boy but he should see three strokes with a birch rod. He would then probably keep away from cigarette shops.