Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 13 March 1922

Rendered Himself Liable to £100 Fine.

Charles Smith, miner, Thurnscoe, was charged at the Doncaster West Riding Court, on Saturday. with fraudulently removing goods from a house at Askern.

Mr. W. R. Bell, agent for Mr. Braithwaite, of Thorne Road, Doncaster, said defendant was tenant of a house at Askern and got £10 6s. in arrear with the rent. Notice to distrain was given and then one morning he found that the furniture had been removed and the defendant and his family had disappeared. They had great difficulty in tracing them to Thurnscoe. The landlord had lost £50 in this way.

Defendant’s wife, who appeared, said her husband scalded his leg and could not work. They had nothing and could not let the children starve. The Chairman (Sir A. Bewicke-Copley) asked the wife to tell her husband that he had made himself liable to be fined £100. He would have to pay 10s. a week until the rent was paid off.