Court Cases

24 March 1913

Bothwellhaugh Stabbing Affray  At Hamilton Sheriff Court yesterday, a young Polish miner named Matthew Mitchell, otherwise Nattus Juistsnukis, was tried on a charge of having stabbed another Pole at the village of Bothwellhaugh on 24th March last. The circumstances, as reported at the time, were that late on Sunday night, 24th March, a quarrel took place between a number of Poles residing in the village, and later on the quarrel developed into a free fight. During the melee a Pole named Joe Savage was stabbed on the breast, and deep wound being inflicted. The accused, who was wanted on suspicion for the assault, disappeared immediately after the disturbance, but was apprehended last week. On hearing the evidence yesterday, Hon. Sheriff Stoddart convicted Mitchell, and, beside sentencing him to 60 days' imprisonment, recommended that he be deported at the expiry of that term. [Scotsman 2 September 1913]

14  May 1915
£50 in Betting Fines at Hamilton Francis McKenna, bookmaker, Waverley Place, Bothwell, and Kenneth McGinty, miner, Bothwellhaugh, were yesterday at Hamilton Sheriff Court charged with acting in concert in Bothwell for the purposes of betting and receiving bets, contrary to the Street Betting Act. McKenna, who had been previously convicted, was fined £20, and McGinty £10, the Alternate to fit in each case being 60 days' imprisonment. [Scotsman 15 May 1915]


24 December 1915
Attempting to Defraud the War Office  Yesterday in Hamilton Sheriff Court, John Semple, miner, 26 Roman Place, Bothwellhaugh, pleaded guilty to a charge of having attempted to defraud the War Office in connection with the allowance paid to him by his son, who is a private in the 8th Battalion Border Regiment. He represented that prior to enlistment he received 32 shillings per week from his son, and that his own earnings were only 15 shillings per week, whereas he was earning 34 shillings 9d, and his son did not pay him 32 shillings. In this way he attempted to induce the War Office to pay him an allowance of nine shillings per week. Sheriff Shennan imposed a fine of £2, with the option of 14 days' imprisonment. [Scotsman 25 December 1915]