Mexborough and Swinton Times December 3, 1921

Mexborough Innocents.

Stack Fire Sequel.

Two very small boys, aged seven and eight respectively, and living at Mexborough were at the Rotherham West Riding Children’s Court on Tuesday, charged with having set fire to a haystack and pig sty, the property of George Lidgett, farmer, of 15 Argyle St, Mexborough on October 31.

George Lidgett said he had a stack of wheat and barley and a pigsty housing three pigs in one of his fields of Rowms Lane, Swinton, adjoining the great Central Railway. The stack weight 6 ½ tons. It was all right at 11:30 AM on October 30. He was called to the place of the fire on October 31 and he saw that the pigsty was burnt to the ground, and the stack was on fire.

He estimated the damage at £65. For the attendance of the Fire Brigade he had to pay £19.

John Hugill of 3, Belmont street, said he saw a stack and a pig-sty on fire in a field off Rowms Lane, Swinton. 20 yards in the stack his or two small boys running away. He liberated three pigs from the sty.

Joseph Hepworth said he met small boy running from the fire. He said he had caused the fire, but could not help it.

One of the boy said “Alfie” had bought a box of matches, and they went to the field to make a bonfire. He lit a piece of paper, and it flew out of his hand and went under the stack. The boy said what “Jud” said was correct. The father of “Alfie” said he was ill in bed at the time, and he gave his child a penny to go an errand. With that penny he must have bought a box of matches.

The chairman (Mr E.Rose) said the boys were too young for him to say anything to them, but he wished to impress it upon the parents that it was very dangerous for such little boys to have boxes of matters. The boys are very young, and they could not find that there was any malicious intent, and therefore they would be discharged.