Police court life

Samuel Manson Cole (20), fish worker, Allthorpe’s Yard, Sandside, was charged at the Borough Police Court with stealing a cod fish, value 4s, the property of Richard Scotter, on the 16th of May. The magistrates on the Bench Mr J Dippie and Mr RG Heys. Defendant, in reply to the charge, said: “I never took the fish away.”

The chief constable, Mr H Windsor, said Harry Moss was a fish packer employed by Richard Scotter, the owner of the fish. He was working on the West Pier about 1.30 on the 16th of May, and he found he was 4lbs short of fish. In consequence of certain information he went to a fish box, a short distance away and found the fish in a fish box, covered over with another box.

Mr William Ellis, fish salesman, saw the prisoner take the cod fish, and called out to him. Prisoner ran away, and when seen a few moments later the cod fish had gone. Mr Ellis at once informed PC Scott, who saw prisoner running away in the distance. Further enquiries were made, and PC Scott found prisoner on the afternoon of May 17th, and Mr Ellis identified him as the one who picked up a codfish. In reply to the charge prisoner said: “I was taking it for my tea, but I threw it away in a box on the pier.”

After evidence in support of this statement had been given, prisoner practically admitted the facts as stated, and the chairman said it would be better if he had pleaded guilty.

The chief constable, in reply to the Bench, said prisoner had not been before the court at all. The magistrates bound Cole over for six months in his own recognisances of £5, and ordered him to pay 5s costs.