An amusing story from the pages of the Salford City Reporter, December 1920 in which two chaps reason for being on enclosed premises was taken with a pinch of salt. Herbert, Henry Green and Thomas Costigan who both resided at Mottram Street, Salford appeared at the Quarter Sessions charged with breaking and entering, Wolf Halons, outfitters shop on Lower Broughton Road, Broughton. Police Constable Roberts told the Magistrate that he was on duty, when he heard the crash of glass from the rear of Mr Halons, outfitters shop, he went to investigate and found a pane of glass had been smashed. As he peered in to the shop, something was thrown at him, narrowly missing his head and hitting the window frame, he cautiously entered and found Green and Costigan hiding in the cellar. He asked if there were any more people with them, to which, Green replied, "We have pals outside and if your not careful, you'll be shot" Not the wisest of things to say even if in jest I would have thought. Mr McKeever for the Defence asked P.C. Roberts, " Was it not true there were a crowd of civilians outside the shop, and that these two men, did what you were afraid to do, and entered the shop?" This was denied by the P.C,. He was then further asked if that the two men inside the shop were pulling his leg when they said he would be shot. Again the less than amused P.C, denied these accusations. Henry Gilbert Green took the stand and gave his account of the night in question. "We were both a bit inebriated and we heard a smash of glass so we went to investigate, we went into the backyard of the shop and found the door open., so we decided to go in and look for the robbers. "The constables arrived and found us in there, we thought we were doing them a good turn looking for the robbers" The jury found them both guilty, Green was sent to prison for four months with hard labour, Costigan was said by the police to have been led into the affair by Green was bound over to keep the peace. Justice was served and no doubt Mr Green was able to reflect on his wicked ways and wicked quips in his cell at Strangeways prison.
