File:John Dowson, arrested for stealing from a gas meter (18119089675).jpg

English: Name: John Dowson

Arrested for: Larceny
Arrested at: North Shields Police Station
Arrested on: 7 February 1905
Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-65-John Dowson
For an image of his accomplice Edward Roberts see <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/19378323875/in/dateposted/">www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/19378323875/in/dateposted/</a>.
The Shields Daily News for 14 February 1905 reports:
"THEFT FROM PENNY-IN-THE-SLOT METERS
At North Shields Police Court to-day, before the Mayor and Mr J. Walton, Edward Roberts (19), messroom steward, Blyth and John Dowson (19), seaman, Wallsend, were charged with having stolen on the 30th ult. from an automatic gas meter at 33 Thrift Street the sum of 14s 8d, the moneys of the Tynemouth Gas Company.
Mrs Cowey said that on the 30th ult. she was removing into the house when the accused came and asked to be allowed to look through. She told them the house was not to be let. In passing through one of the rooms Dowson put his hand on the gas meter and remarked it was very handy. They went away and next day witness found that the gas meter had been broken into and the box and money taken away.
George Robson, a collector for the Gas Company said he had examined the meter and found that gas had been consumed to the value of 14s 8d. Sergt Hall said he arrested the accused in a lodging house on the 6th inst. He took them to the Bull Ring Police Station and charged them with the theft. They both replied: "Yes, that's right".
There was a second charge against the prisoners of stealing from a gas meter at 37 Blyth Street, Percy Main, the sum of 2s 4d, the moneys of the Tynemouth Gas Company, between February 3 and 4. Similar evidence was given in this case. The accused, having obtained permission, were shown over the house and subsequently the money in the meter was missed. The prisoners admitted the charge and said that if the magistrates would allow them to go they would refund the money. Chief Constable Huish said he had only preferred two charges against the accused, but there were six or eight others. The prisoners were committed to gaol for 14 days in the second division for each offence - one month in all.
The time spent in prison didn't deter Dowson and Roberts. Just over a month later The Shields Daily News for 18 March 1905 reported:
"FOUND ON ENCLOSED PREMISES AT NORTH SHIELDS. SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS SENT TO PRISON.
At the North Shields Police Court this morning before Mr Isaac Black (in the chair) and Mr G.H. Stansfield - John Dowson (19), Gateshead and Edward Roberts (19), 53 Beaumont Street, Cowpen Quay, were charged on remand with being found on the enclosed premises of 9 Seymour Street, for an unlawful purpose, at 5 pm on the 16th inst. Both of the accused had been previously convicted of breaking into unoccupied houses and stealing money from gas meters, and they came out of prison as recently as Monday last. Mr Isaac Black (the chairman) said they had soon commenced again and as their recent imprisonment seemed to have been no caution to them, they would each be committed for six weeks with hard labour".
These images are a selection from an album of photographs of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 in the collection of Tyne & Wear Archives (TWA ref DX1388/1).
This set contains mugshots of boys and girls under the age of 21. This reflects the fact that until 1970 that was the legal age of majority in the UK.

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