Young Thieves at Denaby

Simeon Tuft, James Hill and Frances Lawley, all of Denaby, were charged with stealing a pair of ladies boots, value 4s 11d, on 2 December, the property of Mr George Makin of Denaby.

Jane Makin, daughter of the prosecutor, said that at 3 o’clock on Monday the second inst, she was left in charge of the shop, and a pair of boots produced were hanging at the shop door, but she afterwards put them inside the shop. This was at 3 o’clock.

At 4 o’clock she missed them from inside the shop.

At about 8.45 in the evening a pair of boots were shown her which she identified as her father’s property.

Herbert Henry Wray, pawnbroker of New Conisborough, stated that on the second inst he saw Lawley and Tuft at his shop. Lawley came in first, and pawned a pair of boots to his assistant. Tuft came in afterwards, and offered a pair of boots for pawn, but though they are been robbed in the mud, he saw they had never been worn, and refused to give any money on them. He detained the pair of boots, and communicated with the police.

It appears these boys have been up before at Doncaster, for stealing cocoanuts, and bound over, under the First Offenders Act.

The Bench said they were unwilling to take a strong course, but it was apparent that light punishments were of no use to them. They would each receive 12 strokes with the birch rod. It is to be hoped that this painful experience would have a good effect upon the culprits.