John Arnold - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 970 |
| Age: | 12 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Pale |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 5¼ ins |
| Particular marks: | Cut mark left and front nose |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 8 September 1891 |
| Late residence: | 13 The Green Lane, Walsall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Walsall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 1 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 1 |
| Offence: | Stealing postage stamps, etc |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Lack of parental control |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 19 August 1891; B Beebee and J Thorpe; Walsall Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 21 days in prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | 6 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing money |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | Key smith |
| Mother's name: | Maria Arnold (3 other children aged 10, 9, and 8) |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Not known |
| Parents' wages: | Small |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | - |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 18 July 1891 The remand hearing for a previous offence was reported in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 18 July 1891 p.7 col.2: STEALING FROM THE GOODS YARD. - John Arnold (13) Green Lane, William Watts (12) and Joseph Watts (10), Burrowes Street, were charged with stealing five small jugs, value 6d., from the London and North Western Goods Station on the 16th inst. - John Fieldhouse, officer of the Railway Company, deposed that the lads had been seen in the yard, and afterwards the jugs were found concealed in a bag. After some remarks from Mr. Jeffries, clerk to the School Board, the case was adjourned for a week, the lads being remanded to the Workhouse. At the next hearing, the case was adjourned for three months. | |
| 22 August 1891 The crime was reported at length in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 22 August 1891 p.7 col.1: JUVENILE OFFENDERS. - John Arnold (13), Green Lane, William Watts (12), and Joseph Watts (9), Burrowes Street, were charged with breaking into the warehouse of Dewsbury and Angel, bridle- cutters and harness makers, and stealing a quantity of stamps, silk thread, hemp, and other things, to the total value of over £2. - lsaac Dewsbury deposed he was a partner in the firm, and on Saturday morning he found that the drawers were all upset. He missed stamps, a postal order, reels of silk, and other things. The hospital box had been broken open The garters produced by the police he could identify as the property of his firm. The hemp and thread produced was similar to what he missed, but he could not swear that it was the same. - William Birch, harness maker, deposed that he saw that the premises were safe on Saturday afternoon, the 18th, and that when he arrived at half-past six on Monday the place was all in disorder. There was a pane of glass broken in one of the windows, and a boy could have got through it, as the board which had been nailed over it was knocked off. - Eliza Clenton deposed that she saw a boy named Russon and a lot of other boys in St Paul's Street on Sunday afternoon. Prisoners were three of the boys, and Arnold had four reels of cotton, two balls of hemp, and a quantity of penny postage stamps in his hands. Arnold was winding the cotton on to half a clothes peg, and he had also some braid, like the garters produced, which he showed to witness's mother. The two smaller boys were winding spools of cotton on a stick. - John Russon, a boy of 12, residing in St. Paul's Street, deposed that on Sunday afternoon he was with the prisoners and other boys in St. Paul's Street. Prisoners were winding spools of cotton on to half a peg. They had also two balls of hemp, a pair of garters, and a spool of thread. They gave the garters, which were those produced, to witness's little cousin. Arnold gave witness the thread on the peg. and two balls of hemp, the others giving him the cotton. Arnold offered to sell him two penny stamps for a halfpenny. Afterwards the boys and girls in the street started to throw stones at the prisoners, who ran away and threw something over the railings by the Post Office. Each of the prisoners had a new leather belt on, and had some braid like the garters on a stick. - Elizabeth Hartill, machinist to the prosecutors, deposed that she made the garters on Saturday morning. They were not quite finished, and had been left near her worktable. There were over a gross there at the time, and most of them were still there. - Detective-officer Smith deposed that he arrested prisoners on Monday afternoon. He cautioned them and charged them with breaking into this warehouse and stealing a quantity of things. Arnold said it was not he who had the stamps. it was the two Watts's; while William Watts said that Arnold had some as well as they. - With the consent of the prosecutor, the charge was reduced to a simple charge of stealing articles value of 20s. The prisoners all pleaded guilty to this charge, and promised never to offend again. - The Chief Constable said that all the prisoners were already on bail on a charge of felony, and Arnold had been previously convicted for felony. - Arnold was sent to gaol for 21 days and to a reformatory school for four years, William Watts was sent to an industrial school until he was 16 years of age, and Joseph Watts was ordered to come up for judgment in October. The boys and their parents made a great scene in court, begging the Bench to alter this decision, but in the face of their characters the Bench declined to make any change. | |
| 6 November 1891 The Medical Officer reported: Eczema. Improving next day | |
| 27 February 1895 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Arnold was licensed to go out and work for Mr Barnsley, Pleck Road, Walsall | |
| 7 September 1895 Sentence expired whilst on licence, discharged from Saltley | |