Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 02 March 1883

Alleged Theft of Furniture

William Kirk, collier, lately residing at Mexboro’, and who was apprehended at Warsop, near Mansfield, was charged before F. J. Leather, Esq., at the West Riding Police Court, Doncaster, on Tuesday, with the theft as bailee of a number of articles of furniture, the property of William Ward, auctioneer and furniture dealer, at Mexboro’.

Prosecutor deposed that the prisoner used to live at Mexboro’, and on the 6th December, 1882, he supplied him with a dresser, three chairs, two pictures, a clock, and other articles on the hire system. The agreement was produced, and contained a clause that the goods remained the property of the prosecutor until April, and the prisoner was not to remove them without Ward’s consent.

The prisoner had not paid for the goods, and from something he heard on the 6th ult., he went to the house that prisoner used to occupy and found the articles were gone. On Monday, the 26th ult., he accompanied Sergeant Gunn to Denaby to the house of a woman named Oakton, and there found the dresser, chairs, pictures, and clock, which he identified as his property, and had been hired from him. The value of the goods was £2 3s.

Sergeant Gunn said from information he received he went to the house of Ann Oakton, at Denaby, and in the house found the above-mentioned articles, and removed them to the police office at Mexboro’. On the same day he received the prisoner in custody at Mansfield, and charged him with the offence, to which he simply replied, “Yes.”

The prisoner was remanded till Saturday.