TRANSPORT
Railway related prosecutions
"Merthyr Express" 2 September 1876 Colliers Wives Evading The Payment Of Their Rail Fare Marian Jones, Mary Ann Evans and Eleanor Evans, married women, residing in Vochrhiw, were summoned for having travelled from Vochrhiw to Dowlais without previously paying their rail fare and with intent to avoid the payment thereof. The case was a somewhat peculiar one. It appeared from the evidence of Inspector Richard Matthews, of the Rhymney Railway, who prosecuted, that the Taff Bargoed Line was opened on the 1st of February last. The joint owners (the Rhymney and the Great Western Companies) entered into an agreement with the Dowlais Company to carry their colliers to and from Bedlinog, Vochrhiw and Dowlais at a special rate. Subsequently, the colliers themselves made application to the joint companies to allow their wives to travel the same route at reduced fares on market days. The concession was granted them, the fare being reduced to about one-half. Not satisfied with this, a great many women - as much as forty or fifty at a time - made it a practice of gathering into the carriages which conveyed the colliers in order to escape altogether. On the 19th., Inspectors Matthews, Mends and Pegg went on special duty at Dowlais Station and caught the three defendants. There were several other women in the train, but they escaped. These facts were fully proved, and there was practically no defence to the case. The defendants were each ordered to pay a fine, which with costs, amounted to 15 shillings.
"Merthyr Express" 21 December 1878 Robbery By A Railway Guard James Phillips, a railway guard in the employ of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, was brought up charged with stealing four bottles of champagne valued at £1 4s., the property of his employers. It appeared from the evidence that a goods' clerk named Gabe, employed at the Dowlais Top station, in examining the contents of a van on the previous Monday found a broken wine case in which were only three instead of its full complement of champagne bottles. The fact having been communicated to Inspector Cunningham at Pant, the latter telegraphed to Mr. Harris, station master at Vochrhiw, to stop the prisoner's train and search his van. Upon this being done, four bottles of champagne were found in a box of which the prisoner had the key. Prisoner admitted to having found them lying about in a van which he had entered by mistake and had taken them. He was handed over to P.C. Evans at Vochrhiw. He now pleaded guilty to the charge and the magistrate passed a sentence of four calendar months' imprisonment with hard labour.
16 October 1915 Travelling Without Paying David Lewis, Fochriw, was summoned for travelling on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway without paying his fare on Saturday 18th September. William Lewis, station master at Fochriw, said the defendant did not pass through the gate after leaving the train, but went up the line. Defendant: "I was drunk." Stipendiary: "If you work a day for somebody and were not paid for it, you would think your employer dishonest." Defendant: "Your Honour, I cannot hear properly." Stipendiary: "Pay a pound, or down for 21 days."
18 November 1916 Summons David Lewis, Williams-row, was fined 20 shillings and costs for using threatening language at Dowlais Top Station, to the annoyance of passengers. Mr. S. Roberts prosecuted, and pointed out that the offence was all the more serious as the station was in such an outlandish spot.
18 November 1916 Summons David Lewis, Williams-