Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 13^th, 1932

Goldthorpe Coal Thefts

Two Goldthorpe men, Alfred Mellors, labourer, of 3 Beevor Street and Ernest Morley, miner of 17, Cross Street, were each fined 15s. at Doncaster on Saturday for stealing coal valued at 1s. from the Goldthorpe Colliery tip on April 20^th.

P.c. Murray said he saw here men each carry a bag of coal to a garden 30 yards from the tip.  The coal was dumped in the garden which was owned by Mellors.  Morley ran away when he saw witness, who then went to the garden and cautioned Mellors.  He replied that he had not been at the tip and could not help them dumping the coal in his garden.  When Morley was afterwards charged with the offence, he said that they had not found him with the coal on him.

Alfred Lee, screen foreman, said there were notice boards warning trespassers on the tip.  He knew Morley was one of the men because he limped when waling.  Morley had been previously cautioned for being found on the tip.

Morley denied ever having taken any coal, and said the constable was telling lies.  He had never seen Mellors that day.  There were several men in the neighbourhood with the name of Morley.  It was untrue that he had been warned off the tip every day.