Mexborough & Swinton, June 14, 1929

Cockerel Warning.

West Melton Charge Dismissed.

A cbarge against Clifford Oliver (31), labouror, of 144, High Street, West Melton, of having stolen a hen valued at 7s. 6d. the property of John William Warren, of West Alelton, was at Rotherham West Riding Police Court, on Monday, dismissed.

John William Warren said he left his fowlhouse secure on June 1st. At 4-45 a.m. the following morning he was awakened by the crowing of a cockerel. He got up and on examining the fowlhouse saw that it had been broken into. A dead fowl was lying on the ground and another had its tail pulled out. A fowl was missing. He reported the matter to the police.

P.c. Tulley said that an entrance had been made to the fowlhouse by the forcing of two boards. He found a check cap near the fowl-house. Visiting a pawnshop, an assistant told him that he had sold the cap but did not know to whom. Continuing enquiries he saw Oliver’s father who said something about the cap. On June 6th he apprehended Oliver who at the Police Station said he had lost his cap.

When the check cap was produced Oliver identified it as the one he had lost. When cautioned he said “I was that drunk I did not know what I did, I don’t know what I did with the fowl, so it’s no good saying anything.”

Oliver denied having taken the fowl. He said that he had loft his cap, and in all probability someone had placed it near the fowlhouse to throw suspicion elsewhere.