Mexborough and Swinton Times  September 27, 1929

Gangs In Conflict,

Disturbance At Mexborough.

Members of what are termed by the police to be rival gangs came into conflict at Mexborough on Sunday evening, September 8th, when a, crowd of about 400 people gathered in Main Street, causing serious obstruction to traffic.

The sequel was heard at Doncaster on. Tuesday, where Arnold and Harold Thompson, labourers, Mexborough, Walter Beevers, miner, Mexborough, Cyril Birkett and Sidney Peplow, of Swinton, were summoned for fighting on the highway.

All pleaded not guilty, and the brothers Thompson. were represented by Mr. K. M. Roddis.

P.c. Snashall told the court that at 11 o’clock on the night in question, he saw the five defendants in. Main Street, and as a disturbance seemed likely he told defendants to go away. Later, defendants commenced fighting, and the constables got amongst them and separated them. Beevers was ordered home, and went. Peplow wanted to fight the elder Thompson, but he went home when told, Thompson chasing P.c. Ancock then caught hold of Birkett, who collapsed in his arms. It appeared that he had had a lot of drink, and he remained unconscious for over an hour, before he was removed to a doctor’s surgery. As a result of the disturbance, about 400 People gathered and traffic was held up for some time.

Mr  Roddis suggested to the constable that Peplow and party were the cause of the disturbance, as they wanted to fight the Thompsons. Did not Thompson complain immediately before the fight that there was going to be trouble?

The constable replied that it was he who spoke to Thompson, and then stopped a ‘bus for Peplow and. Birkett, but they would not go away. Witness admitted that he did not see the Thompsons strike a blow.

P.c. Aucock gave corroborative evidence, and stated that there might have been a riot. The youths concerned belonged to different gangs who were always at loggerheads. If they went to a dance there was always trouble, and the police had had occasion to speak to them on many occasions. He did not see any blows struck.

Mr. Roddis stated that the cause of the trouble was that the younger of the Thompsons was accosted by Peplow and Birkett, who threatened to hammer him if he did not help them pay a fine. It appeared that they had been fined the previous week, when Harold Thompson helped the police to identify them. Thompson walked away and went to his brother for help, and he in turn complained to the constable, who stopped a ‘bus and advised the other men to get on it and go home, but they refused, Shortly afterwards, the younger Thompson was attacked and his brother went to his assistance pulling off his assailants. There was no actual fighting.

This statement was borne out by Arnold Thompson, who said that as far as fighting went he did not strike a blow

Supt. Minty: There was no reason why you and your brother should not have walked away as well as the other men.

Harold Thompson gave similar evidence, and Beevers declared that he walked into the fight stop he came up and said “Hello Sid,” when Birkett hit him on the jaw, and that was all he knew.

Birkett declared that the brothers Thompson had been following him all night, and then the younger one came and called him something. He retaliated with the same expression. Harold Thompson told his brother, who came up with some other youths and started wrestling with witness. Witness was forced into a shop doorway, when the whole bunch attacked him, hitting and kicking him until he remembered no more.

He complained that the Thompsons were always at him, and Supt. Minty replied,

“You say they are always at you, and they say that you are always at them. This is how you will carry on until you are stopped.”

Peplow agreed with Birkett’s evidence. When Birkett was attacked, he tried to pull his assailants off. However, he was punched and kicked, and when he ran off Arnold Thompson followed him, tripped and kicked him

Supt. Minty told the Bench that he had a very serious report from the Mexborough police regarding the conduct of defendants and he appealed to the Bench to give defendants to understand that such incidents had got to stop.

Addressing Beevers, the chairman (Mr. Mark Nokes) told him that he should have kept out of the way. None of the defendant said anything against him, in fact his name had not been mentioned, so he would be discharged.

“In future you have to keep out of all botheu in Meshorough, otherwise there will be serious trouble,” he added.

There were a number of convictions against Arnold Thompson, Peplow, and Birkett. They with Harold Thompson were fined 40s. each, and the Chairman warned them as to their future conduct.

“You have got to be quiet in Mexborough in future. The next time you are brought here for anything of this kind, you will not be given the option of a fine, but you will go to prison.”