Mexborough and Swinton Times January 6, 1928

Straying Ponies.
Footprints in the Snow.

James Crawford, a cattle dealer, of Conisboro’, pleaded not guilty at Doncaster on Tuesday to having allowed his ponies to stray on the highway.

P.c. Winfield said that at 2.45 a.m. on Dec. 19th he was called to an accident at Bentley, where, according to his information, a car had run into straying ponies.

At the scene of the accident he found footprints of one or two horses. He followed the prints in the snow from the accident to a field, in which he found several small pit ponies. He made enquiries and found that the ponies were owned by the defendant. When seen by witness, defendant said, “I have several small ponies on Bentley moor, but if they are in that field they must have strayed from mine.”

Richard Smith, a confectioner, of Bentley, said that on Dec. 19 he was driving a motor car through Bentley. It was snowing at the time, and when he rounded a bend he ran into two ponies. He struck a pony, went over a cyclist, and crashed into a hedge. He reported the accident to the police.

Mr. Lindsay Crawford, defending, contended that the case was not proved. There was no evidence of identification of the- footprints, and there were nineteen ponies in fields adjoining.

The case was dismissed.