| No. in Admissions Register: | 654 |
| Age: | 9 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Birmingham |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | Scar right side of chin |
| State of health: | - |
| Able-bodied? | - |
| Date of admission: | 30 October 1880 |
| Late residence: | Birmingham |
| Parish he belongs to: | Birmingham |
| Customary work and mode of life: | - |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | 3rd Standard |
| Writes: | 3rd Standard |
| Offence: | Attempt to steal 6 printed cards |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 18 October 1880; T C S Kynnersley; Birmingham Police Court |
| Where imprisoned: | Birmingham Prison |
| Sentence: | 14 days hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | Stealing 9d |
| Father's name: | William Stevens |
| Occupation: | Umbrella maker |
| Mother's name: | Fanny Stevens |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 9 court 6 house Darwin Street, Birmingham |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
19 October 1880 There is a lengthy report of the crime in the Birmingham Daily Post Tuesdat 19 October 1880 p.6 col.5: BREAKING INTO A SCHOOL. - Richard Stephens and William Watson, boys of about twelve years of age, and living in a court in Darwin Street, were charged with breaking into St. John's -National Schools, Darwin Street, Deritend, with intent to commit a felony. - The evidence showed that about three o'clock on Saturday afternoon the boys broke into the school, and completely destroyed almost everything it contained. They pulled a large number of cards from which the children were taught from the walls, and tore them into shreds; took the copy-books from the cupboards, and served them in a similar manner; destroyed the picture frames; upturned the tables, and, not being able to open its drawers, smashed them, and strewed the books over the floor. There also was a piano in the room, and to this they used a hammer, with which they broke open the fretwork, smashed the outside of the keys, and twisted the inside wires in every form. The instrument, which was worth about; £20 was completely destroyed. - In answer to the charge made to them by Police-constable Loach, who arrested them, the boys admitted the offence, and said they wrecked the things because they could not find any money. - Prisoners pleaded guilty; and Stephens, who had been previously convicted, was ordered to be sent to gaol for fourteen days, and afterwards to a reformatory school for five years; and Watson was remanded for a week, with a view of sending him to an industrial school.
There is a newspaper clipping attached to the Admissions Register from an unidentified newspaper: BAD COMPANIONS. - Richard Stephens (17)[surname spelled thus], 12 Mount Terrace, Moseley, and Henry Edward Baker (13), 3 Brighton Terrace, Balsall Heath, were charged with stealing a quantity of eggs from a cart in Edwardes Street, the property of Josiah Owen, egg merchant, Montgomery Street. - On the 14th. inst., the prisoners took the eggs from a cart belonging to the prosecutor, which was standing outside a shop in Edwardes Street. - Baker's father stated that his son was a good lad until he fell in with bad companions. - The magistrates ordered Baker to receive six strokes with the birch rod. Stephens, who had been previously convicted, was sent to gaol for two months with hard labour.
| ← Prev | Next → |
|---|
This web page © 2020 Fred Miller