Mexborough and Swinton Times November 15, 1929
Wath Youths Fined
Chestnut Tree Damaged.
Three Wath youths, Fred Patterson (17), haulage hand of four, Riley Road, Wilfred Winstanley (16), haulage hand of 6 Riley Rd and Thomas Beatty (16), haulage hand of 18 Hawthorne Rd were fined five shillings each Rotherham West Riding police Court on Monday for having done damage to Chestnut tree, at Swinton, owned by Earl Fitzwilliam, by throwing stones at it, on October 27th.
Mr. Donald Dunn, solicitor, of Messrs. J. W. Fenoughty, Dunn and Co., who prosecuted’ said that the defendants, along with other youths, who were not summoned on account of their age, were seen by P.c. Knapton throwing stones at chestnut trees at Swinton near the race course.
The officer saw several branches of a tree knocked off. He asked them for their names and addresses, and Winstanley replied “I have only got one.”
The tree was of the Spanish chestnut variety and was being preserved. To get to the tree, the defendants must have climbed over a fence, and gone 15 yards into a field. He supposed they must have been doing damage. Mr. A. S. Furniss, who was solicitor for Earl Fitzwilliam, had asked him to state that these offences were a source’ of great damage, and were especially common in the Swinton area.
P.C.Knapton gave evidence in support of this statement.
None of the defendants appeared, but sent letters admitting the offence.