LAW
and
ORDER
23 February 1884 Gelligaer School Board: Non-
12 February 1938 Pontlottyn Police Court Albert E. Grist was summoned for not sending his children to school and was fined 10 shillings. Attendance orders were made.
2 October 1909 Sunday Trading A correspondent writes: "Sunday trading at Fochriw is increasing rapidly at present. It is generally admitted that the Sabbath ought to be kept as a day of rest, to better the highest faculties of every human being. A few years ago, no one thought of opening his shop on Sunday. There was a deep awe and reverence on every hand towards the sanctity of the Sabbath. It was a pleasure for anybody to spend a quiet day amongst the inhabitants of the place. Today, things have altered for the worse. There are no less than three shops open on the Lord's Day. It is quite natural for us to ask the question what is the cause of this desecration of the Sabbath? There is no doubt that these trades-people are to be blamed: but, on the other hand, the greatest part of the blame is attached to a section of the inhabitants. Careless and indolent parents are slack enough to supply their children with coppers, and even encourage them to support Sunday trading, which is very damaging to the spirit of the young. This evil has reached such dimensions that something must be done to check it. If it is allowed to continue, the rising generation will be ruined. Every denomination in the place ought to unite against it."
31 August 1872 Stealing Coal Mary Smith, 19, was charged with stealing coal, weight 30 pounds, the property of the Dowlais Iron Company. P.C. James Davies said he saw prisoner taking coal from the Dowlais Compay’s railway line at Vochriw on Thursday evening; he followed and took her in charge, when it was found that she had 30lbs. weight, coal that had fallen from the overloaded trucks. Prisoner said she did not know there was any harm in it, and her mother, who was in Court, stated that she rented a cottage from Mr. Dixon, who had given her permission to pick up as much coal as she wanted, for her own use, from the tips. Mr. Jones, cashier of the Dowlais Company, said that Mr. Dixon was merely the contractor for constructing the Great Western Railway extension from Llancaiach to Dowlais, and had no right whatever to give permission to take coal from the Dowlais Company’s line. Prisoner was sent for seven days hard labour.
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.
8 November 1879 Merthyr Police Court: Coal Stealing at Vochriw Samuel Davies, a stoker, a respectably dressed young fellow, was summoned for stealing 112 lbs. of coal from the landing of No. 2 Pit Vochriw on the 25th. P.C. Evans, who is stationed up there, said that he witnessed the theft at about 3 o’clock in the morning, The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to five days imprisonment with hard labour. Monday - Before J. Bishop, Esq..
5 June 1880 Coal Stealing at Vochrhiw Mary Ann Griffiths, aged 12, was summpned by P.C. Evans for stealing 25lbs. of coal, the property of the Dowlais Iron Company, from one of the Vochriw sidings, on the 19th inst. She was fined 2s. 6d inclusive of costs.
5 June 1880 Coal Stealing at Vochrhiw Mary Ann Griffiths, aged 12, was summpned by P.C. Evans for stealing 25lbs. of coal, the property of the Dowlais Iron Company, from one of the Vochriw sidings, on the 19th inst. She was fined 2s. 6d inclusive of costs.