| 23 June 1855 There is a lengthy report of a previous crime in Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser Saturday 23 June 1855, p.5, col.3, with some confusion as to the surname of the second guilty lad (another, much shorter, newspaper report consistently gives the second boy's surname as Wright): JUVENILE THIEVES. - David Wright and Abraham Bentley, two lads belonging to Longton, both twelve years of age, were taken before the sitting magistrates, at Hanley Police Court, on Monday, charged with robbing a third lad, named Samuel Aldersey, about nine years old, of nine shillings and eight pence. The prisoners had to be lifted on the bench in the dock, to raise them in view of the magistrates, and the lad who had been robbed to be elevated on the lawyers' table, to enable him to see the prisoners.. - The little fellow, on the table, in answering Mr Rose's question, revealed an utter ignorance of the meaning of an oath, and it was impossible to swear him; but from the evidence of a married woman, named Rachel Ridge, it appeared that the little fellow had been sent to Messrs Carryers,' pawnbrokers', shop, at Longton, on Saturday night, to redeem some pledges, and Mrs Ridge, who was in the shop at the same time, saw the other two lads go to him, and overheard the biggest (Bentley) ask him if he had given his tickets in, and, on saying that he had not, he told him that if he would give them to him, he would give them in for him. The other lad (Birks), who was standing nearest to the counter, said he would hand them over the counter for him if he would give them to him, and the little fellow, on that, gave him the money and the tickets, and Birks, making a pretence of throwing them over the counter, ran out of the shop, followed by Bentley. Police Constable Cooper, on being informed of the affair, went to Birks' father's house, in search of the lads; but hearing, before his arrival, that he was coming, they got away by escaping through a chamber window. On Sunday night, however, he apprehended both of them at their homes. Birks's father, he said, was a notorious thief, and he had no doubt the lad was encouraged in such practices. When the officer charged the youths with the offence, each one said the other had the money. - Mr Rose said it was very distressing that urchins, like the prisoners, should be brought before them, charged with such grave offences; but the parents of the third boy had acted very improperly in sending him to a pawnshop, with such a sum of money, and on such an errand; it was a strong temptation to uneducated youths like the prisoners, to see money in the hands of a small boy like him. - After earnestly addressing the lads, he ordered them to be admitted to the House of Correction for one month, and to be each once whipped. |
| 3 July 1858 There is a report of his father being had up for failing to contribute to his son's confinement at Saltley in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 3 July 1858 p.7 col.5: QUESTION AS TO A PARENT CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUPPORT OF A SON IN A REFORMATORY. - Some time ago an unfortunate lad, of the name of Abraham Bentley, The son of a bricklayer's labourer in Longton, was convicted of felony, and was sent to the Saltley Reformatory. In consequence of a communication from the Home Office, Superintendent Garnham caused the father to appear before the court to show cause why he should not contribute towards his maintenance in the Reformatory. Bentley was examined as to the state of his circumstances, from which it appeared that he was a married man with three children, one of whom only worked; that on the average of the year he could not be in the receipt of more than 8s or 9s per week; and that, in consequence of the slackness of trade in the winter, he had absolutely felt compelled to enlist into the second regiment of the Staffordshire Militia, but from which he was now discharged. The magistrates considered that the man had not the means of contributing towards the son's support, and directed a reply to be made accordingly. |
