The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-07-18 00:00:00

• GANG OF YOUNG ROGUES.

A moo was beard at our Borough Potty tiorsiono on
Monday which will rather enlighten muter trade men ael ,
others as to the goings on indulged in by sdne boys of the •
orraml-going class. It sill be remembered that on Friday I
Charles Swindles, a careless-looking youngster, received a
sentence for stealing money from Mr. Cole, Jeweller, of II nd.
street. It appears Gist Swindle's father was not ~atifl 4 th
he should get all the pueLlitued, while others e.caped, and so
he lathed to his eon until the boy revealed some facts that may
well flake tradesmen exceedingly careful in looking alter tiao
doings of their erran I boy.. It seem. tlist about half-a-dozm
of them, an far sole known, tend to club together awl " talze
their ease at their inn," passing the llou ling howl, which had s
been filled by • penny or twopenny will. all round. The '
Globe, we understand, as. the liou.c delighted in by thee
precocious young drinkers; but from what was dropped, we
understand the indulge:we ocesionally to .k the milder form
of swine .eke and tea, paid for in the 621110 way, while an
excursion to Poole formed a pleasant variety in their enjoy-
ments Considering that the.: young-teri were only errand
buys in their teens, and that cane of the parents needed the
weekly earnings, it might be guessed that the funds were got
at by foul means. Some .4 it, said Swindles, came from their
pay, whence the rest did, may be gummed. They seem to ha.e I
had a liking for fine ornaments, as well as cakes and ale, and I
Mr. Cole's shop was the 10111,C of supply. Swindles said that
Charles Marlon, errand boy at Mr. Benson'. news rooms, Royal
Rallis. instigated him to steal pins and chairs. Marten woo
sent for to the Superintendent'. office, and charged, after due
caution. Swindles KM taken to Kr. Cole's I.lkup, and directed
to pick out articles like th de he hal stolen. 110 seleetel
small gold necklet, a black chun, and a pin, and said there
was yet another pin, one like which he 00111,1 110 t 600 1,, the
tray. On the return of Swindles to the police oillee, 110 ‘62:1
confronted with Marten, who at first denied having roceived
tne articles from him ; bet Swindles exclaimed " Why don't
you rpm': the truth the same as I have dune I I have got five
years for it, and should not 111V0 been in trouble if it were not
for you." Marten had on a match with a black chain attached,
which the superintendent was ab hit to take away, when Mar-
ten said that was not the right one, and ultimately confeeed
that the articles were in his mother's bedroom, and offered to
fetch them. Mr. Vickery, of entree, would not let him go,
but cent P.C.. Apsay and Bartlett. Marten said he' did not
know the thing, were stolen, the chain was covered with dir,
and he did not not know it SLY gold ; but when he heard
Swindles was in custody for stealing money 1101611 frightened,
and thought of taking them beck to Mr. Cole When the !
policemen went to Core House, the pnsoner's sister told Hu-
tiett where to find the Jet chain, which was not concealed;
but Apaey could not see any sign of the hiding place of the
other articles till he moved away the bedstead,behind the bead
of which was a place where the paper had been torn down and
Cliup again. Tearing away the paper, Apsey found be-
delit. • parcel in which acre two pins, and a gold chain.
On Monday Charles Marten was placed before 11. Haggett,
Zvi.. and 0. Reynold., , charged with inciting Swindles to
the rubbery, and alec with receiving, kn..% ing the goods to
have been stolen.—The father .4 Marten as. ready for his son
to admit having received the articles, but not with a guilty
knowledge. Ile understood there were other bey, to whom
Swindles led euld thing., and he thought it hard that his
eon should be charged with instigating the offenee.—Swindloi
was put in the box, and deposed that • week after he went to
Mr. Cole's Marten asked him to get 111111 a pin. He stole for
him a light gold pin, and gave it to him ; but Marten Ore
him nothing for it. Marten asked nun fur • nice gold Albert,
but witness stole instead a black chain, and gave him. Marten
mid that would du uutil he gut the Albert; but he gave him
nothing for the chain, and again asked bin, to get an Albert.
On this Swindles stole the gold chain produ :ad (a necklet) and
(or this Marten gave him ad. Then Marten asked him to get
another pin, and be stole the phi produced, and for all these
things he got 10d. or Ild, altogether. lb o thought the chain
WY gold, but did not know about the pins. Swindles said
that he did not want to tell, and would not have told, only
his father made him: It.. would not have stolen any of these
things 11 prisoner had not asked Min. In answer to Mr.
Raggett, be said it had never entered his head before; but
Mr. taglcett very much doubted that. When asked if he had
stolen auything else, Swindles said he bad also stolen a pin and
gold it to William King, at Mr. Lowman's, and another which he
cold to Gillingham's toy. King gave hint 6.1.,and Gillingham 44.
Thus he had stolen lour pins. Ile further adinittel that four
or five bop Ig/ether had been drinking in the Globe, some
about his own age, and some older. They put Id, or Yd.
each, and so found f unds, and come of the money woo what
they terned in the week. Swindled gave his evidence OA
unbluahltigly and readily as id he were himself quite free from
biame.—Robert Gillingham. • not over-bright looking lad,
but who will be 16 this month, and hoped to Le appinnties.l to
Mr. Rolls, detailed how Swindles mune up to him and said,
" Bob, I have got a pin to sell; what will you give for it?'
He said he had only • penny, when Swindle. replied "Let me
have the penny, and you must let me have another when
you've got one."—The boy Gillingham showed his manners an
follows :—Asked where this happened he sad "'Teas along.
side Rusrland Thomas's" Did he know where Swindles
worked? " Tee ; C de's," but he dhl not know that when he
bought the pin. His care of articles was shown by the
acknowledgment that he "had been running about out to
Friary," and had lost the pin. This was one of the boys who
had been in the pehlichotee, where they put a penny Of 1,/
011 Ch, Llll.l had ale.—Mr? Cole explained that the gild chain
was a necklet, of which three had been made of a 'wig chain.
Wllliam Swlndies,the Lather of the boy who stole the articles,
declared he did not know his boy was in the habit of going
to the publichouse, though he had watched him to see where
be wont,—Mr. Marten, who said he was thunderstruck at tho
charge agaJm,st his boy, wan anxious to have the case dealt with
6 y ; but this could not he done, as the lad we, Id
years 014,—Prieoner's pies was by advice made that of "N it
Guilty," and he was committed ta the Assizes for trial, but
liberated on bail.