Police court life

STONE THROWING

At the Scarborough Children’s Court seven boys were summoned for having discharged missiles in the Castle Dykes, on February 11th.

The boys had been seen by PC Nalton throwing stones down the Dykes from the top path. Some stones rebounded over the footpath and this, said the chief, was most dangerous to passersby. Some of the lads had been throwing stones at birds. In two of the cases there were nine children in each family, in two others seven, and in one five. One or two were working. One man with nine children, said the elder one was just 19, and was expecting his “death warrant for out yonder” at any time. In one case the father was blind and the mother was deaf. One of her boys before the court was also deaf. An elder brother was on probation and the probation officer had tried to persuade him to go into regular employment. The case where the father was blind was, said the probation officer, a sad one.

The mayor, after the magistrates had retired, warned the boys against such conduct and adjourned the case for a month to see how they behaved. This stone-throwing would have to be put a stop to.

The police, too, will provide one of the boys with boots, as the boy’s boots he wore in court were very bad, and these were all he had. Six children were at home, and there was only an allowance of 15s 6d from the elder boy. The rent was 4s 6d.