Boy punished for stone throwing

At Much Hadham Petty Sessions on Saturday, Vincent Perry, a schoolboy, of Little Hadham, pleaded guilty to throwing a stone on the 19th ult.

P.C. King said he saw the boy throw a stone, half as large as a man’s fist, with all his force at three other lads who were passing him at Little Hadham Ford. The stone missed the lads, but struck a door on the opposite side of the street. James Adams, a boy in the employ of Mr Jarman, who was one of the three boys, corroborated.

Mr Minet said that he had talked to the boy about throwing stones at telegraph posts, and the boy had promised that it would not occur again.

Mrs Perry said her son had been provoked by Adams and other boys. One of them used a catapult and shot at her boy and hit a little boy badly on the head.

The defendant, who stated that his father had beaten him very much for stone throwing, was admonished and warned he could have been fined £2 for the offence. This time he would be fined one shilling, but should he come before the Bench again it would be very different.