Mexborough and Swinton Times, April 1, 1927

Missing Stack Cover

Case Against Thurnscoe Man Dismissed

A summons for theft of a stack cover valued at £2 issued by Walter Smith against Charles H Oxley, a Thurnscoe labourer, was dismissed at Doncaster for lack of evidence.

Smith said he missed a cover from a stack at Goldthorpe on 3 September 1926, but did not report his loss.

About a month ago the police visited him and he identified the cover in their possession as is property.

John William Oxley, railway guard, of Adwick on Dearne, brother of defendant, said he bought a cover about 15 months ago, but could not identify the one now produced as the same. The cover was on his car on the allotment and he did not miss it till the police came and made enquirees as as he had not used the car since September.

John William Dunhill, Mexborough, said that sometime in 1925 he saw the defendant “down Mexborough,” with a cover on his shoulder. Defendant said it was the cover he had got from Goldthorpe vicarage. Two weeks earlier witness had seen a cover folded up in defendant’s caravan. He could not identify the cover.

The police evidence stated that defendant denied all knowledge of the cover when interviewed by them.