November 1855
Thomas Wilson, farmer, Wickersley, who was lately tried and acquitted on the charge of stealing an overcoat, etc., from the Crown Hotel, Rotherham, was charged before the Doncaster magistrates on Saturday last , for stealing a dress, an apron, and a number of other articles from the Wood-street hotel, in that town.
The prisoner was seen by a policeman loitering about the hotel in a half-drunken state, and suspecting he had an improper purpose in view, the policeman watched his movements. Shortly afterwards he apprehended him with a bundle, containing the above articles, and which had been stolen from the hotel. He first said that the articles had been given to him by his brother-in-law, who lived at Doncaster, but when before the magistrates the defence that he made was that he was rather tipsy at the time in question, and that he did not know how the property came into his possession. He was committed for trial at the borough sessions. - Sheffield Times