Charles Henry Smith - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 835 |
| Age: | 12 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4ft 5½ ins |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Slender |
| Date of admission: | 11 February 1887 |
| Late residence: | 3 Pembroke Place, Newton Street, Burton on Trent |
| Parish he belongs to: | Burton on Trent |
| Customary work and mode of life: | None |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 6 bottles of ginger beer, etc |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 11 January 1887; John Wardle and M Richardson; Burton on Trent Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month hard labour in prison, 3 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | 5 days hard labour, 6 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing a pair of boots |
| Father's name: | Henry Smith |
| Occupation: | Joiner |
| Mother's name: | Mary Smith |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Well treated |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | 18s per week when in full work. Last week only earned 6s. Has been out of work 9 weeks. |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s per week |
| Parents address: | 3 Pembroke Place, Newton Street, Burton Trent |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Superintendent Gillridge, Police Station, Burton on Trent |
| Person making this return: | Henry Goode, Justices' Clerk, Burton on Trent |
| Notes: | |
| 13 January 1887 The crime was reported in the Burton Chronicle Thursday 13 January 1887 p.7 cols.2-3: THE ATTACK ON THE THEATRE OF VARIETIES. - Charles Henry Smith (12), of Pembroke Place, Alfred Edward Lambert (11), of John St., and George Samuel Oakden (16), labourer of Park St., were charged with stealing six bottles of ginger beer, seven oranges, a handkerchief, and a quantity of checks from the theatre in Derby St., the property of Wm. H. Newsome - John Chapman, a musician employed at the theatre, said at half-past eleven on the night of the 4th inst. he locked the doors, and on going to the theatre at nine o'clock the following morning he found that the place had been entered and the things disturbed. He subsequently missed six or seven oranges, half-a-dozen bottles of ginger beer, and a quantity of checks, and he communicated with the police. - After some evidence had been given by a boy named Fletcher, who is engaged in the pantomime at the theatre, as to seeing the defendants outside the premises on the night in question, and Mrs. Newsome deposed to missing some of the articles mentioned in the charge, and Henry Hare, who is also employed in the pantomime, identified the handkerchief produced as his property, Police-constable Buggy deposed to arresting the prisoners, and said when he took Smith into custody he did not deny the charge, but stated that the other prisoners were in his company at the time, and that they got into the theatre from a closet. He also added that when inside the building Oakden picked up a brooch, but believing it to be made of brass threw it away. Oakden, when charged with the offence, simply said "I think not," while Smith admitted his guilt, but said he only had three of the oranges and a similar share of the bottles of ginger beer. Upon Lambert being searched the missing checks were discovered, and he also accused Oakden of having taken a handkerchief and given it to him (Lambert), - The prisoner Smith, in conjunction with two others - Joseph Walker, of Duke St., and Henry Thompson, of Union Street - were then charged with stealing two pistols and a revolver, of the value of 10s., the property of the same prosecutor, on the 29th Dec. - The evidence in this case was very similar to that in the foregoing The prisoners entered the theatre in the night and got possession of the pistols and the revolver. Only one pistol and the revolver had been recovered, and it was shown by Police-constable Buggy that these had been sold - one to a young man for 6d., and the other to a lad for 3d. All the prisoners had at one time or another been before the Bench for non attendance at school, while against Oakden, Walker, and Smith there were previous convictions for felony. Mr. Wardle having severely reprimanded the parents and pointed out to them the effects of neglecting to send their children to school, the Bench sentenced Smith and Walker each to one month's imprisonment, to be followed by three years detention in a reformatory; Oakden (the elder of the three prisoners) was sent to prison for two months with hard labour; Lambert was ordered to be kept for a week in the workhouse, pending inquiries for a reformatory, where he will be detained till sixteen years of age; and Thompson was ordered to receive six strokes with the birch rod. | |
| 2 January 1890 The Medical Officer reported: Fractured forearm. By 16 January the splints were removed and the fracture united. Convalescent by 26 January | |
| 14 April 1890 The Reformatory Committee Log book report records that Smith was discharged from Saltley on the expiration of his sentence | |