On Saturday 22nd May 1897 at the Burgh Police Court, fourteen year old Blantyre miner, Patrick O Brien stood in the dock, accused of being an “annoyance” to train drivers.
O’Brien pled guilty of standing in front of locomotives, a practice which was prevalent in Blantyre in the months preceding this. It was becoming a custom of these young lads to dangerously stand on the railway line until the last possible moment as locomotives approached, the lads betting on who could stay there the longest. A stupid, dangerous practice which was going to cost lives.
A driver gave witness, telling the court how he was considerably shocked and had slowed down even from a distance of 300 yards out from the boy, who he thought would have been run over. The Fiscal considered this an extremely dangerous practice and one which needed dealt with severely to serve as warning to others. Parents would be fined 5 shillings, and youths would be imprisoned for 3 days, to others doing this, the punishment commencing with Patrick himself.
