Crowd in West Street, Dunstable, early 20th century [Z1306/36/12/2]
Wednesday
12th January 1916: Four boys have been birched by order the Dunstable
Borough magistrates after being found guilty of theft. Frederick and Percy
Herbert, aged 12 and 9, and John Alfred and Harold Beard, aged 12, 13 and 8,
were charged with stealing four electric torches, two cases and two batteries from
the cycle shop of Mr. S. Priest in West Street sometime between the 2nd and the
5th of January. When he missed the torches Mr. Priest told the police. The boys
were spotted with torches by Police Sergeant Tingey who questioned them. The
boys admitted the theft; one said that Fred Herbert had given him a penny to
take into the shop so he could buy something if Mr. Priest or his wife came in.
Alfred Beard was discharged and John Beard was excused a birching as he is in a
weak state of health – as he was given a bad character his father was fined
five shillings. The other three boys were sentenced to the birch along with
another who had been convicted of stealing a bicycle.
Source:
Leighton Buzzard Observer 18th January 1916
No comments:
Post a Comment