Saltley Reformatory Inmates

Alexander Mountford

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Notes:

[brother to Samuel, boy 519, to see his record click here ]

29 January 1876 On the same day, and reported in the same newspaper the boy's father and brother appeared in the same courtroom, for different offences. The two offences were in the Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser Saturday 29 January 1876 p.6 col.1: Elijah Mountford was charged with being drunk and with assaulting P.C. Taylor at Norton. He was fined 10s. for each offence. Excise Cask… COAL PICKING. - Three boys named Alexander Mountford, David Johnson, and Thomas Barlow were charged with with stealing a quantity of coal, of the value of 3d., the property of the Chatterley Iron Company.-P. S. McRory said that, on Wednesday morning, the 12th inst., he caught the defendants picking coal, at the Mossfield Colliery, Bucknall. They had large lumps of good coal, some of them weighing 20 lbs. On previous occasions, he had caught the defendants at the same thing, and had let them go with a caution. So much coal had been taken away in this manner that it was absolutely necessary to put a stop to the practice. - Mr. Ridgway said he did not know a worse practice than for parents to bring their children up to such thievish practices.- The fathers of the children were ordered to be bound over and to pay the costs.

30 September 1876 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser Saturday 30 September 1876 p.6 col.3: ROBBERY OF BOOTS BY A BOY.-Alexander Mountford, a boy, was charged with stealing pair of shoes, valued at 17s. 6d., the property of Ralph Mayer, Lamb street -Mr. Chief Constable Windle said the prisoner had given the police a great deal of trouble. They had no end writing to do about him. His mother had been the means of keeping him away. As soon as the police ascertained his whereabouts in one town and his friends knew of it, he was removed to another. Prisoner had a brother in the Industrial School, and his father was fined a short time ago for harbouring the brother. Alexander was ultimately apprehended at Nantwich.-Mr. Richardson, who appeared to prosecute, said that in May he appeared against a boy named Ward, who was then charged with stealing the boots. The boy was bound over in consequence of his statement, and ordered to appear when called upon. Mr. Richardson said he had had a conversation with the Chief Constable, and it was thought advisable, for the ends of justice, that the charge against Ward should lie withdrawn, as the case could only brought home to the prisoner through the evidence of Ward.-Richard Ward, Bucknall, deposed to the boy asking him to pawn the boots on the 3rd of May. Prisoner said he had attempted to pawn them that morning, but could not, being told that he was too young. Prisoner fetched the boots from a cabin at Botteslow. Witness attempted to pawn the boots at Mrs. Greenwood's pawnshop, Piccadilly, but an officer was sent for.-P C. Rabbit stated that he apprehended Ward at Mrs. Greenwood's shop on the 3rd May. He stated that the boots were given to him by prisoner, whom he pointed out in the street to witness.- The prisoner mother said her boy had not been right since he was bitten by a dog some years back. He, however, was not out of the house on the day of the robbery -Prisoner pleaded not guilty.-Chief-Constable Windle said that the surroundings of the lad were not of such a nature as would encourage him to become a credit to society. He thought the best thing that could be done would be to send him to a reformatory.- Prisoner was committed to Stafford gaol for a month, subsequently to be sent to a reformatory for three years.

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