Boy in bunker over theft of golf balls

Former caddy steals balls from North Cliff to sell to South Cliff

At the North Riding Police Court held in Scarborough, before Mr F Baker (presiding), Alderman WH Fowler and Messrs AH Rudguard, Yarborough Anderson, AM Daniel, HJE Marsden, and HH Illingworth, Joseph Agar (16), labourer, of Scarborough, was charged with stealing 12 golf balls, valued at 6s 9d, the property of John James Berry, at the township of Scalby.

John James Berry, 28, Albemarle Crescent, jeweller, said he was a member of the North Cliff Golf Club and that he left the balls in a box there on November 14. On November 21 he found several missing, between 12 to 15 as near as he could say. Those produced, five in number, he identified as his property. The box was left unlocked, and the door of the room was usually open during the daytime. He could identify some of the golf balls shown to him by Inspector Boynton as his property.

By Mr Yarborough Anderson: He identified the balls by the mark “R.P.” (repaint) which was put on by the dealer, and by the make.

Robert Walker, 30, Greensfield Road, professional to the South Cliff Golf Club, said the prisoner came to him during the latter part of last week.

Offering golf balls for sale, he said that he found them on the North Cliff Golf Course. The witness eventually bought them, afterwards mixing them among others. He purchased 22.

On Wednesday he handed those produced to the Inspector. He picked a certain number out, which he was practically certain he had bought from the boy, and these included those produced.

By Mr Yarborough Anderson: “He gave 3s 6d for the 22. He put them with another hundred.

Witness: “He (defendant) was offering golf balls for sale saying he found them on the North Cliff Golf

Course”