By Press Release
This week we have reports of two court cases from the Isle of Wight Observer of November 4th, 1905 involving some young Cowes residents.
The first records the courts doling out some physical punishment, albeit administered by the lads’ parents. The youths in the second report were fined for doing something that is still technically illegal today – although you’d be unlikely to persuade the police to get involved.
DARING A TRAIN.
Percy Taylor, Frederick Starling, Geo. Dale, and Allen Baillie, Cowes lads, were charged with endangering the lives of railway passengers by placing small pieces of stick on the metals.
Mr. H. Pleydell Milton, who represented the Cowes and Newport Railway Companies, said that the case might seem a trivial one for prosecution, but the Company took proceedings, as they felt it was their duty to the travelling public. Starling, one of the lads (whose ages were all below eleven years) was seen to stand in the four-foot way and with his arms stretched out practically dared the train to come on (laughter). Had the train been unable to stop, the boy would have been seriously injured, and the Company might have been accused of negligence. He suggested a birching.
The Bench were unwilling to send such a small boy to trial, and Mr. Wilton said he would be satisfied with a caution and the discharge of the boys on the promise of defendants not to repeat the offence, and their parent’s undertaking to thrash them.
The parents of the boys were called forward, and the Bench intimated to them their desire that they should thrash the defendants, whereupon, the undertaking having been given, the Chairman severely admonished the culprits and discharged them.
MISCHIEVOUS BOYS.
James Dancie and Newton Quigley, boys of 15, were each fined 2s. 6d. and costs each for violently ringing the door bells of Mr. A. Debenham, of Birmingham Road, Cowes, on recent nights.
Header image: Courtesy of IW Steam Railway
