| No. in Admissions Register: | 631 |
| Age: | 10 |
| Whence received: | Stafford Prison |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | Pockmarked |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 10 November 1879 |
| Late residence: | Walsall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Walsall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | None |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing tobacco |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 8 October 1879; J N Bagnall and J I Bird; Shenstone Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | 3 days |
| For what: | Stealing a mustard pot |
| Father's name: | Thomas Day |
| Occupation: | Plater |
| Mother's name: | Eliza Day |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Honest, sober, health not good |
| Parents' wages: | No fixed sum - the father travels the country as a clock cleaner |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Fathert says that he cannot afford to pay anything. It is thought he is able to pay a shilling a week |
| Parents address: | 13 Proffit Street, Walsall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
17 May 1879 There is a report of his previous offence in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 17 May 1879 p.2 col.7: THEFT BY A BOY. - Arthur Day (aged 10) was charged with having, on the 14th inst., stolen from the shop of James Hawksley, Park Street, a metal mustard pot, value 7d. - The boy being a little lad whose head only was above the dock, the prosecutor asked the Bench to allow him to withdraw the charge. - Prisoner was therefore discharged, after being advised and cautioned by the Beach, and warned that a future appearance would lead to his having a sound whipping.
11 October 1879 The crime that sent him to Saltley is reported in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 11 October 1879 3 col.7: RUSHALL. STEALING TOBACCO. - At the Shenstone Petty Sessions, on Wednesday, before Colonel Bagnall. K. Corbett, Esq. and Captain Lightwood Birch, four boys, named William Wilkes, Henry Webster, William Randle, and Arthur Day, all of Walsall, varying from 9 to 14 years of age, were each charged with having stolen 6 oz. of tobacco, value 1s. 6d,. the property of James Bates, shopkeeper, Rushall, on Tuesday last. - Tamar Bates, wife of prosecutor, deposed that there was some twist tobacco on the counter. Wilkes came into the shop and asked how much the cigars were, and went out again, taking the tobacco with him. - Police-constable Woodcock produced the tobacco. - Mary Birkins deposed that she saw one of the prisoners go into Mrs Bates' shop, and afterwards. saw Day come out with a piece of tobacco, which he put under his coat. Day said to the others, "Come on. now: I have got it," and they then went away. - Prisoners were each sentenced to one calendar month's imprisonment, six stripes with a birch rod, and afterwards to be confined in a reformatory for five years - Colonel Bagnall remarking that they had no one to take care of them, and they would be sent to a place where they would be looked after and cared for. He expressed a sincere hope that, at the and of their term, they would be honest and industrious, and become respectable members of society.
18 June 1881 Arthur Day goes home this day to stay a while. He is very subject to fits and the doctor says he is not likely to live much longer. His mother's address is Mr Osborn, Crown Inn, Longden Street, Walsall
9 July 1881 A Day discharged by order of the Home Secretary
16 May 1882 Day's mother writes to say that her son is better, and at the present time is living with her at 60 Whithouse Street, Walsall
31 October 1882 There is a newspaper clipping attached to the Admissions Register from the Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 31 October 1882 p.6 col.4:A DESPERATE BOY.- At the Guildhall, Walsall, yesterday, Arthur James Day (13) was charged with stealing a pair of boots from the shop of Messrs. Jones, High Street. The evidence showed that on stealing the boots the prisoner took them to a beerhouse in Long Acre, kept by his grandmother, Mrs. Osbourne, and, representing that they were his own, borrowed some money upon them, and had a pint of beer. He then made his way to a wretched tenement at Ryecroft, kept by his sister as a home for himself and younger children, and telling his sister that he had stolen a pair of boots and that he wished himself dead, took up a knife and attempted to cut his throat. The attempt was foiled, and he was got off to bed, where soon after Sergeant Mercer found him "dead drunk.` - In the course of the case it transpired that the father of the family was living in London, and allowing 8s. per week towards the maintenance of the children and 5s. per week towards the maintenance of his wife, who was living with another man; that the prisoner never lost an opportunity of taking drink, and was frequently drunk; and that his sister, aged nine, was the most expert pickpocket that ever entered the Walssll market. -The prisoner was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour.
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