South Yorkshire Times, February 24, 1951
Theft of Potatoes
Goldthorpe and Bolton Fines
Two Dearne miners, John Hurrell (20) of Furlong Rd, Bolton on Dearne and Ephraim Whittaker (39) of Homecroft Road, Goldthorpe were each fined £3were ordered to pay £1.11s 6d costs by the Barnsley West Riding Magistrates on Friday, when they were summoned for having stolen 2 cwt of potatoes valued at 22 shillings a the field at Billingsley on January 8th.
Inspector Sanders described how a farmer, Mr Edward Batey, Stapp stacked two sacks of potatoes in a field off the main Barnsley Road at Billingsley and had them covered with a tarpaulin. Later he saw two men pushing cycles along the road, each carrying a sack of potatoes.
When they stopped, and approached the men, one, later found to be Hurrell, pushed his sack off the cycle and ran off. He was caught and brought back and the police were summoned. Hurrell said he took them for the wife. I was a bit hard up, because my wage has not been very big.” His companion Whittaker said “it’s the first time and it will be the last, I should have had more sense.”
In court, both men admitted there part in the theft and expressed their regret.