The Sunday Gambling Nuisance between Denaby and Conisboro’.

Heavy Penalties.

At the Doncaster Police Court, on Saturday, Chas. Farrar, Hubert Kane, Henry Bailey, Elijah Potts, Rich. Potts, David Betts, Emanuel Honslow and Saml. Hudson were all charged with gambling on the highway at Conisboro’, on the 17th (Sunday).

Sergt. Morley stated that on Sunday the 17th in the afternoon he and P.C.’s Garnett and Midgley dressed in private clothes hid themselves in a hut on the side of the M. S. & L. Railway near Denaby. They went in at 1 o’clock and remained until about 5. At 3 o’clock a large number of men came from Denaby and Conisboro’. There would be from 150 to 200 of them. They first began dog racing and then playing at pitch and toss. There were about 40 in this first lot, betting and tossing for about 2 hours opposite the hut. Took what names they could and then rushed out after them. Told them we did not mind them running as we knew them. If any persons passed they always had something nasty to say. The noise they made could be heard a mile away. They had 2 boys on gates as “spies” these boys would whistle and then they stopped playing till people got past.

P.C.’s Garnett and Midgley gave corroborative evidence. Mr. Barron, station master, Conisboro’, deposed that whenever he went for a walk along the road in question from 3 to 5 on a Sunday afternoon he found groups from one end of the lane to the other. His daughters or wife could not pass them without being insulted. Suptd. Todd said this was becoming a crying nuisance. Time after time some of them had been summoned, but hitherto it had no effect, and he would ask the bench to inflict such a penalty as would put a stop to it. The greater number in this batch did not appear, but sent their mothers, some of whom said they were sure their lads was not gambling because he had no money. Some said they were not there at the time. Richd. Potts, who had been previously convicted for a like offence, was sentenced to 1 month’s imprisonment with hard labour without the option of a fine. The others were fined 40s. and costs 10s. 6d. each, or 2 months.

A second batch was then charged with a similar offence at the same time and place. There were 10 in this lot, viz., J. H. Freeman, Edwd. Freeman, Jas. Bowen, Jno. Taylor, Chas. Taylor, Enoch Dovey, Wm. Collins, Rowland Webster, Charles Moore, and Jas. Wilkinson, all colliers. The Police gave similar evidence in this case as in the preceding, all the defendants appeared personally. Nearly the whole of them denied the charge, some saying they were not there, while others said they happened to be there but did not gamble.