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COURTS - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER  19
(Before the Rev. W. REES, J. FARISH, Esq., and Dr.  BARNES)
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ROBBING ORCHARDS.
 
Three boys named Eli THORNBURN, Robert KENNEDY, and Alexander  BARNFATHER,
were charged with robbing the orchard of W. WORDSWORTH, Esq., of St.  Ann’s
Hill, on Friday night last. Two other boys, Thomas JOHNSTONE and William  
ROUTLEDGE, who had also been concerned in the theft, appeared as  witnesses.
 
Mr. WORDSWORTH stated his orchard had been robbed by a number  of boys on
Friday night last. His man servant pursued one of them,   THORNBURN, as far as
Kingmoor, where he caught him. The boy then confessed that  he had been one of
the lot who had committed the robbery.
 
The police apprehended KENNEDY and found two or three quarts  of apples in
his possession. The boys had all been hidden behind the hedges, and  when they
thought the coast was clear, one of them gave a whistle as the signal  for
attack.
 
The Bench said the case had been made out against THORNBURN  and KENNEDY, but
before deciding on the punishment they would hear the next  case.
 

Thomas COGAN and William MEREDITH were then charged with robbing the  orchard
of Captain PREVOST, at Stanwix. Captain PREVOST stated that on Sunday  
evening, about half past six, a number of men saw four boys together in a field  
adjoining his garden. They ran after them and caught a boy named James FORSTER,  
and found his pockets filled with peaches and pears. The boy admitted that he  
got them in his garden, but stated that the other boys who had run away had
put  him over into the garden, and that they had much more fruit than he had.
The  boys had all since admitted that they had been in the garden, and had
expressed  their sorrow for it.
 
Mr. REES - Not sorry for stealing, but sorry for being found out, I  suppose.
(Laughter.)
 
Captain PREVOST said that the mothers of the boys had told him that they  had
run direct up from Mr. HEAD’s Sunday School to the garden.
 
The Clerk said that stealing from a garden was an offence that could be  
punished with six month’s imprisonment.
 
Captain PREVOST said that he had promised to put in a word for the boys,  not
on their own account, for they deserved punishment, but on account of their  
mothers.
 
Mr. WORDSWORTH likewise recommended to mercy the boys who had robbed  him.
 
Mr. REES said a conviction would be entered against the boys, so that if  
they were brought up again they would receive a good sound thrashing. They might  
thanks the complainants for letting them off so easy this time.
 
The mothers of the boys were then called up and cautioned to take better  
care of their children.
 
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Transcribed by: Ann Selchick,  02/11/2006
 
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