Theft of Bottled Beer and Stout at Denaby

On Monday at Doncaster, William Webb (Collier), Annie Houghton; and Hannah Mary Machin, at Denaby, were charged with receiving, knowing them to have been stolen, 16 gill bottles of beer, one dozen pint bottles of stout, and two bottles of Rum, value 17s 6d, the property of Horace Phillipson, wine and spirit merchant, Swinton, on Saturday.

William Knott, of Swinton, who was employed by the prosecutor, took the goods to Denaby, to deliver, and left the dray in charge of a boy named Gardiner. He was away about 20 minutes, and on his return found that the boy had gone into a house to warm himself.

He missed the bottles of beer, etc. from the dray, and subsequently he visited Machin’s house, when the other prisoners were present, and a number of bottles of beer and stout, and a bottle of rum, were recovered.

A witness named Tucker stated that he saw a man go up to the dray and take a number of bottles, and then going to Machin’s house. Machin stated to the police that she found the bottles in her house, and she put them in the pantry, a portion of the goods was found in Webb’s house, and a bottle of was discovered among some clothing belonging to Houghton

Webb pleaded guilty, and was fined 40s including costs; and Houghton was fined 20s including the costs. The magistrates had a doubt about Machin and she was discharged.