1918 Court: Boys' crime spree is brought to an end
Most of the boys were implicated in all the charges. There were no special features about the first two cases. The boys simply went into the store and stole the articles.
The Chief Constable said Mr Orchard was the landlord of the Leeds Arms, St Mary’s Street, but just now resided at Leeds. The Leeds Arms had been closed some time and left untenanted. On Saturday, May 18th, Mr Orchard left everything secure. In consequence of a police message he came to Scarborough on the 17th August and found the place all in disorder. Glass had been broken and articles taken. The police had ascertained that some of the boys had been seen to throw bagatelle balls into the harbour, and they had been recovered by another boy and handed over to the police.
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Hide AdWhen questioned that they had played billiards in the Leeds Arms and “stick knife” five or six times. They had also taken articles. Mr Windsor added that apart from the property stolen, Mr Orchard estimated that between £30 and £40 worth of damage had been done.
The boys were given good characters by their parents.
The Mayor, addressing the boys, said they had admitted going into houses and stealing things. It was a very serious state of things and if they had been a few years older they would have been sent to prison. It was evident that they had been systematically going into houses. A good sound thrashing would perhaps do as much good as anything. The magistrates would adjoin the case for a week in order to get a report as to how the parents dealt with the defendants in the meantime. If the report was not satisfactory the magistrates would have to consider whether they would not use the birch. One Parent: I have punished him already.
The Chief Constable then called in five other boys who, he said, admitted having been in the Leeds Arms but did not take anything. In the East Ward district, the moment a property was empty, boys seemed to take a delight in damaging it in a spirit of mischievousness.
The Mayor said it was a very serious state of things. He told the boys they had absolutely no right to go into other people’s houses.