Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 20 May 1909

Mexbro’ Man’s Candid Admission

Benjamin Smith, who keeps a shop in Denaby, went there at five o’clock on the morning of the ult., and found the shutters had been broken and pulled down and a pane of glass broken.

On making an examination of the shop he missed 2s. 6d. in copper and 30 packets of cigarettes.

At the West Riding Court, Doncaster, yesterday William Ball, pony driver, Mexbro’, was charged with breaking into the shop and stealing the money and cigarettes.

From information received, prisoner was apprehended at Mexbro’ on Sunday night, and when charged with the theft he said. “That’s right. George Hodder broke the window with stone whilst a luggage train was passing by. I helped to break the shutter down and held it until Hodder took out the ‘cigs’ and the money. We then shared them between us, and threw the boxes away.”

He was committed prison for one month