THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: ‘Youthful politician’ and shawl thief jailed at police court

From the News Letter, October 21, 1879
Great Patrick Street in Belfast where a boy of 16 years of age, who the paper referred to in its headline as a “youthful politician” was arrested for being drunk and “making use of party expressions” in October 1879. Picture: GoogleGreat Patrick Street in Belfast where a boy of 16 years of age, who the paper referred to in its headline as a “youthful politician” was arrested for being drunk and “making use of party expressions” in October 1879. Picture: Google
Great Patrick Street in Belfast where a boy of 16 years of age, who the paper referred to in its headline as a “youthful politician” was arrested for being drunk and “making use of party expressions” in October 1879. Picture: Google

Monday, October 20, 1879 had proved to be a busy day at the Police Custody Court in Belfast which was presided over by resident magistrate C D Clifford Lloyd, William John Johnston and Arthur Hanna.

A boy of 16 years of age, who the paper referred to in its headline as a “youthful politician”, was charged by Sub-Constable Mulhern for being drunk in Great Patrick Street and “making use of party expressions” the previous Saturday.

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The evidence of the case was to the effect that the prisoner had been shouting his “abhorrence of Fenianism” and his intention of giving sympathisers of the Fenian cause “a good stoning”.

The bench ordered that he be sent to jail for seven days.

Meanwhile a middle-aged man named Peter Devlin was brought before the court by Sub-Constable Trimble charged with having stolen a shawl which had belonged to Mr Arthur Connolly.

The court heard that the shawl had been lying in a cradle in Mr Connolly’s house and when his wife went out of the room it was taken by Mr Devlin.

The prisoner was pursued after making his escape and was discovered to have the shawl in his possession.

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On being charged Mr Devlin stated that “he had never taken anything before” and later said that he had bought the shawl from a woman in North Queen Street.

The prisoner was sent to jail for one month by the bench.

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