Mexborough and Swinton Times December 7, 1921

The Tale of a Goose

Last Friday, at the Barnsley West, Riding Police Court, Walter Wraith, miner, Darfield and William Gallagher, labourer of no fixed abode were charged with stealing a goose, the property of John Wraith of Low Valley, with Walter Wraith’s father.

Supt. Blacker said the goose was taken from a fowl-house at the back of cottages at Low Valley, some time in the afternoon the previous Tuesday.. Complainant kept four geese in this fowl-house, and at 4-30 p.m. on that date fastened them in for the night.

The same evening, at 9.30 Walter Wraith went up to P.c. Freeman, of the County Borough Police Force, who was on duty at the bottom of New street, Barnsley, and told him that Gallagher had stolen a goose from him, and had gone to the station to catch a train to Wakefield. The constable went to the station, and searching the train, found Gallagher in a compartment by himself. He asked him where the goose was. Gallagher, pointing to the rack, said “It is there.”

It appeared, continued Superintendent Blacker, that prisoner wraith had stolen the goose from his father’s fowl house sometime in the afternoon, and that later he was stolen from Wraith by Gallagher.

Wraith said he had the goose given to him by his mother (it wat, her property as much as his. father’s). He gave it to Gallagher to hold while he went to find a customer. He did not accuse Gallagher of stealing the goose and was sorry to have given, the police so much trouble.

John Wraith said he did not wish to charge his son with stealing the goose.

Supt. Blacker pointed out that the prosecutor, as soon as he knew the goose was missing, said the law must take its course.

The Bench dismissed both cases.