A proper carry-on in the courthouse

HERE we have a few legal notes from T.H. Gough’s Black Country Stories of 1939 ...

The presiding magistrate, giving judgment against a defendant: “The magistrates look upon the offence for which you are found guilty as very serious indeed. The maximum penalty is fifty pounds. You will be fined 2s 6d. Let that be a warning to you.” In the old days, the Petty Sessional Court for a considerable part of the

Black Country was held in a small upper room at Wordsley.

A constant offender who had a wooden leg was frequently before the ‘beaks’ for drunkenness and assaulting the police.

At one sitting, the man’s name was called, and the Chairman, hearing him stumping up the stone steps to the Court room, shouted out:

“Bill you’ll have a month without the option, so there’s no need to come any further. The officer’s coming down to take you to the lockup.”

A young man said to be driving recklessly was stopped by a constable and conveyed to the local police station.

He was formally charged and detained until he was a little less drunk.

The Superintendent, not wanting to keep the young man in custody, asked if he could get anybody to send for him. The prisoner suggested that that wasn’t at all necessary, as a constable could drive him in his (the delinquent’s) car.

“Yes,”, replied the Superintendent, “but how is my man to get back to the Police Station?”

“Oh that’s easy enough, I can drive him back, can’t I?”