Aris's Birmingham Gazette - Saturday 25 December 1869
A disgraceful father - At the West Bromwich police court yesterday, before Mr Sharp and Captain Williams, a girl named Jane Morgan, aged 11 years, the daughter of a man named Morgan who has a wooden leg, lives at Oldbury, and professes to get his living by hawking matches, was charged with attempting to rob a till at the Wagon and Horses, Spon Lane, kept by Alphonso Begy, on the previous Tuesday. Evidence was given showing that the girl was warned to keep put of the house, but she would persist on coming in; and she was found with her hands in the till of the bar. Though several shillings were missing they could not be found. Mr Sharp: I feel most strongly that children
would not steal if they were better taken care of.
Sergeant Hackney said the prisoner had been in the habit of taking his children about with him in public houses to beg. On one occasion he locked the prisoner up for begging, and the girl was with him.—Mr. Sharp to the prisoner’s father: I wish I could punish you. I would send your other leg to sleep very quickly-(laughter).
Sergeant Hackney said that a few weeks ago another daughter of the father was sent to a reformatory six years.—Mr. Sharp: Yes; that is the result of the training. It is just what I expected.-The prisoner’s father: It is no training of mine.—Mr. Sharp: I am afraid you are an old sinner. These poor little things are what they are made by example and precept.—As it was proposed to send the prisoner to a Reformatory, Mr. Hebbert (Magistrates’ Clerk) asked the father what religion he professed, when said "Protestant.’’—Mr. Sharp: If you said Nothingarian it would be much better.—Prisoner was sent to gaol for six weeks, at the expiration of which time she will be sent to a Reformatory five years, and the father will have a certain amount to pay tor her maintenance.—The prisoner is well known by the name of “The Oldbury Girl.”
This report matches the one previously mentioned in the thread, but interestingly reveals another daughter who had been taken to a reformatory.
