Recidivist boy

Ware Petty Sessions Tuesday, July 18 1871

Present: D. J. H. O. Brien, Esq (Chairman); E. H Hoskins, Esq.,, and H. E Surtees, Esq.

Stealing apples

George Adams, a boy belonging to Ware, was charged with stealing a quantity of apples, value 3d, the property of Mr Squire.

The prosecutor said he was very much annoyed with boys getting into his garden and doing damage. They not only stole the fruit, but they broke the boughs off the trees, he had forgiven several boys, and most likely should have forgiven the prisoner had he not told a lie. The boy said he lived in such a street, and when witness was about to go there the prisoner said he lived somewhere else.

Another boy, whose idea of the nature of an oath, seemed to be very imperfect, said the prisoner made him go over the fence into the garden also; the prisoner broke down some boughs, and filled both his pockets with apples.

The chairman said the prisoner had been there twice before already, and no kind of punishment seemed to doing him any good; magistrates were, however, disposed to give him one more chance of reforming; he would have to go to the house of correction, and be kept to such hard labour as he was capable of doing, and receive 12 strokes with a birch rod the day before he was discharged.