Sheffield Independent – Monday 07 January 1929
Pit Deputy Charged.
Thomas Granger, a Thurnscoe deputy was remanded at Doncaster Saturday for embezzling £62 9s. 9d., the moneys of the North road North-west District Sick and Dividing Society of the Hickleton Main Colliery.
It was stated that gave himself up to the Goldthorpe police.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 14 January 1929
Father of Sick Club.
Thurnscoe Deputy to Repay Missing Funds.
Thomas Grainger, Thurnscoe deputy, appeared the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Saturday on a charge of embezzling £62 9s. 9d. from the North and North-West Sick and Dividing Club connected with the Hickleton Main Colliery, of which he was treasurer.
The Bench bound him over for two years in the sum, £50, and ordered him to repay the money at the rate of £1 per month.
Mr. W. L. Crawford, prosecuting, said this club was founded some 19 years ago and the defendant, who was known the father of the club, had been the treasurer since its formation. The defendant kept his books accurately to last year, but after the secretary spoke him on December 18th about the audit he sent a letter expressing his regret that the money was missing and saying that if the “so-called pals had turned up trumps as they should have done, he would not have been in that position.”
Mr. Spink, the secretary, later found that the defendant had left home, but after warrant had been issued, Grainger surrendered himself to the police. Having regard to defendant’s previous good character, the club very much regretted his position
If defendant gave an explanation of the offence, and the magistrates took certain course to allow the man to earn his good character back the club members would welcome the opportunity given him.
Pleading guilty on defendant’s behalf, Mr. C. R. Marshall, said that, the outset of the trouble was the strike in 1926. The defendant foolishly allowed four or five of his friends who were short to borrow money, which had never been paid back. At the end of the year 1926, defendant went the moneylenders to make up the deficiency and from his own earnings during 1927 he managed to keep them quiet. The deficiency was still there at the end of 1927, and again he borrowed some money. He could not get any more at the end last year. When he left home he went to Hull and tried to raise the necessary money, but was unable so.
Defendant was 57 years of ago with six children. He promised to pay back the money, and Mr. Marshall suggested that the beat possible view the magistrates could take was to give the man another chance.
Defendant was bound over, as stated