Shields Daily Gazette – Monday 28 February 1916
‘THE WRECK OF THE ROBERTSFOR. “Half the Ship Walks Away.” Since the wreck the Russian barque Robertsfor, at Hartlepool, wreckage and large quantities pit props have been floating about in the water and hundreds of people have been engaged in the work of salvage. Others, however, have taken timber away without permission and five of them appeared before local magistrates yesterday. The evidence showed that they were found carrying parts of the hull of the ship away. Mr Hogg, of Smith, Hogg and Company, who are acting as agents, said half the ship had walked away and so far they had only got four lifebelts, four flags, and a fog horn. People were removing copper bolts and argued that they had the right to so. Small fines were imposed, and the Mayor Intimated that further cases would he more severely dealt with.’