Mexborough and Swinton Times April 26, 1929

Caught Red-Handed.

Highgate Miner’s Dual Offence.

At Doncaster on Saturday, Frederick Smith, miner, of Highgate, was summoned for stealing a gun valued at £3 and with game trespass on land at High Melton belonging to Benjamin Parker.

Arthur Friend, gamekeeper, of High Melton, said that about 6 p.m. on March 26th he was walking on land in the occupation of Mr. Parker when he saw two men, one of whom was the defendant, in a field. They were placing nets over a large burrow, and he asked them to accompany him to High Melton. They ran away, but he caught Smith after a chase of a mile and a half. He took a ferret out of Smith’s pocket, and as he did so the defendant snatched the gun from him and made off.

P.c. Howarth said that in company with Friend he visited Smith at his home on March 28th. When he told him his business Smith said, “The Government will keep my wife and kids.” In reply to the theft charge, he said, “Does he say that I stole the gun? How can he say I stole it when he gave his gun away?”

Defendant denied both offences, and said that on the day in question he went to seek work at Grimethorpe. He had been out of work for eighteen months, apart from odd jobs.

He was fined £4 for stealing the gun, and £1 for the game trespass, or 35 days’ imprisonment.