Mexborough & Swinton Times — September 17, 1904
Burglaries at Mexboro’ and Conisboro’
Pony Driver Committed for Trial
Arthur Dawson, pony driver, Swinton, was charged with breaking into a lock-up shop at Mexboro’, belonging to Eliza Rutter, tobacconist.
It was stated by Mabel Beverley that she managed a lock-up shop for the prosecutor at 11, Swinton Road, Mexboro’. On the 20th August she locked up the shop about midnight, and it was all right. She took the key home. Next morning, on going to the shop, she missed nine boxes of cigars, each containing 100, a box of “Woodbine” cigarettes (less four packets sold), a box of Ogden’s “Tab” cigarettes, and a dozen tobacco pouches, the value of the whole being about £10.
Asked if he had any questions to ask, witness, prisoner said: “No, it’s all right.”
P.C. Haigh deposed that on Sunday morning he found the door of the shop unlocked.
A miner named Albert Taylor said that on Sunday morning he was walking on the Conisboro’ Crags, when he saw prisoner, who sold him three tobacco pouches for 6d. Prisoner sold a quantity of cigarettes and cigars to other people, and said he would come next Sunday morning with some more. When witness heard the pouches had been stolen, he handed them over to the police.
There was a second charge against the prisoner of breaking into the house of John Crowcroft, collier, New Conisboro’.
Emma Crowcroft, the wife of prosecutor, said that on Monday 21st August on going to bed she locked up all right. Next morning she got up at four o’clock and found everything topsy-turvy. She called her husband.
The kitchen window was wide open, a pane of glass having been broken and the latch pushed back. She missed 26s. from a box, 4s. 6d. out of a purse in the kitchen, 6s. from another purse, from the sideboard, a gold albert, chain, and razor from a drawer in the sitting room, another razor and cap and a muffler the value of the whole being £5.
She found in the house 6ozs. of tobacco and a screw driver, also a muffler, and a man’s overcoat and cap which did not belong to her or her husband. Outside the windows she found a small pocket knife.
Emily Dawson, of Swinton, said prisoner was her step-son, and on the night of the 20th August he was wearing the cap and muffler found in Crowcroft’s house, and Albert Taylor proved that he saw prisoner wearing the overcoat.
Again asked if he had anything to say prisoner replied, “No, I had better keep my mouth shut.”
He was committed for trial at the Sessions. He has previously been committed for trial for shop breaking in the Rotherham district.