Law & Order – Serious offence by boys at Upleatham

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 17/12/1874

SERIOUS OFFENCE BY BOYS
AT UPLEATHAM

            At the Langbaurgh East (North Riding) Police Court, on Tuesday (15/12), James Todd and Samuel Wise, age respectively nine and ten years, were summoned for having turned a railway switch at Upleatham, and thereby endangered the safety of persons travelling upon that railway on 17th November, 1874. The Upleatham ironstone mines are connected by a single line of railway with the North-Eastern system. Only one train of wagons enters the mine at once, and on return down the incline they are admitted by patent balance switches into a long siding, where the trucks are weighed. On the day in question, John Burton, driver of an ironstone train, when proceeding down the incline, noticed that the switches had been chocked open by means of a piece of iron. The engine passed safely over the chock, but two trucks of ironstone were overturned. No one was injured. Two boys had been noticed near the switches just before the accident, and after it occurred, a dog which had been with them persistently remained by an empty wagon near the place. In this wagon were found the boys, and after removal to Redcar both admitted having place the iron in the switch. The magistrates said that the children were too young to be sent to prison, and that as the parents were to blame they must pay the full penalty of £3 pounds each and costs.