Jeremiah Shay, 47, labourer, was indicted for stealing a clock, value 2s.6d., the property of Mr Albert Ketterer, at Ware, on October 2nd. He was further charged with attempting to steal money from a till, belonging to Mr Henry Youngs, at Ware, on October 2nd.
Mr D.R. Chalmers-Hunt appeared for the prosecution.
Prisoner pleaded guilty to stealing the clock, but said he was not guilty of attempting to steal money from the till, and Mr Chalmers-Hunt said that charge would not be proceeded with.
Prisoner also admitted a previous conviction at the Newington Sessions on December 10th, 1902. He said he was very sorry for what he had done. He was in drink at the time. He had been in search of work. He was an unfortunate man and had been unable to obtain work,although he had applied to the Church Army, The Salvation Army and the Prisoners’ Aid Society, and he driven to do what he did. He asked the Court to give him another chance, and when he came out he would go to Mr Wheatley and see what he could do for him.
An Inspector of the Metropolitan Police said he had known the man for about 22 years, and there were 48 convictions against him for larceny, drunkenness, assaults, etc., and in December, 1902, he was sent to prison for six months’ hard labour for stealing five pairs of boots. He would occasionally do a day’s work at the docks, but he was a man who did little work; he was a public-house loafer and associated with notorious thieves.
Prisoner: Witness knows I have done work at the dock.
The Chairman: You seem to have been working most of your time in gaol.
Prisoner: Most of the offences are years back and very paltry.
Witness said the first conviction was in 1880.
The Bench sent prisoner to hard labour for six calendar months.
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