The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-18 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

A WIFE BEATER.—At the Police Court, 011 Wed-
nesday, before Messrs. W. Bassano and B. Hingley,
Joseph Brazier was charged with assaulting his
wife, Jane Brazier, on the 10th just. Complainant
said she did not wish to say much, hut she could
not live with defendant any longer. On the above
date he struck her on the head and rendered her
insensible. He had struck and ill used her before.
The Bench said defendant seemed to have a very
decent wife, and had behaved brutally towards her.
A whipping at a cart tail would be a very good
thing for all such men as defendant. The case
would be adjourned for a week to enable them to
come to somik arrangement, but if defendant was
brought up again for assaulting his wife, he would
be sentenced to six months imprisonment.
ASSAULT CASE.—Two boatmen named William
Hunt and James Hadley were charged with assault-
ing William Saddler on the 20th December, at
Rowley. Mr. Godley, of the firm of Messrs.
Wra.gge, Evans, Holiday, & Co., solicitors, Birming-
ham appeared to prosecute on behalf of the Bir-
mingham Canal Company. From the evidence of
complainant it appears he was a servant in the
employ of the Canal Company, on the 20th ult.
at the Rowley stop. The two defendants passed
through the stop and gave him the wrong number
of their boat. He called them back and they went
into the office and demanded the money back that
they had given him. As he refused to give them
the money and they both caught hold of him and
pushed him down into the grate, and on to a table
and rifled his pockets. They also threatened tip
kill him. Defendants were fined 20s and costs, in
default 28 days hard labour.
;CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.—Joseph Whitmore
landlord of the Five Ways Inn, was charged with
keeping his house open after eleven o'clock on the
night of the 4th inst. Mr. W. S. Hayes defended.
Police-constable Sylvestre said about ten minutes
to twelve o'clock on the night of the 4th inst., he
was on duty at the Five Ways in company with
Polies .constable Gaskin. His attention was called
to a cab that was standing at defendant's door.
The driver got off and Went into the house., and
the three men who were inside went round to
another door. Witness went into the house and
saw the cabman and two of the men there with
glasses containing ale iii. front of them, and the
third man was standing in' the passage. He knew
three of the mop. who lived close to his statior, and
were natives of Craclley Heath.—Miss Whitmore,
daughter of defendant, was called for the defence
and said she managed the house for her father. On
the nignt in question the cab stopped at the door
and the men came into the house, and called for
some ale. She refused to supply any, when they
said they weae travellers, and could demand it, and
if she did not fill for them they should fetch a
police-officer. On this threat being made, and the
representation that tho,y were travellers, she did
draw them some ale. The case was adjourned fcr
seven days.

EMBEZZLEMENI BY A. CO .IIM ERCIA.L
TRAVELLER AT KIDDERMINSTER.
William Perry, of Kidderminster, a commercial
traveller in the employ of Messrs. Wall and Co.,
malsters and hop merchant,, of Stourbridge, was
charged at the Police Court on 'Wednesday with
embezzling £5l 11s., the.moneys of his employers.
Mr. H. Saunders, jan., appeared for the prisoner.
—Mr. Thomas Hand, one of the partners in the firm
stated that the prisoner was engaged by him as com-
mercial traveller at the end of last April. He was
to se'l malt and hops on a commission of is per bag
tn malt and of Ss per bag on hops. He was to
rcnder a dai y statement of sales and receipts, and
to pay over the money to the credit of the firm at
the Stourbridge and Kidderminster Bank, or to take
it to Stourbridge, Witness produced the receipts
for the moneys which prisoner was charged with
embezzling. The first was dated November 29th,
1878, and was a receipt to Mr. John 'Webb, 1 ind-
lord of the Sports man Inn, Wood Street, for £2O
us. The sectnd was a receipt given to Mr. George
Pratt, of the Red Lion Inn, Mill Street, for £2l ;
aad the third was another to the same person for
£lO, both of which were given on the 31st of Decem-
ber, 1878. Prisoner had made no return whAtever
for those sums, neither had he paid the money to
other persons on account of 'the firm.—Mrs Maria
Pratt, wife of Mr. George Pratt, proved that she
paid prisoner £2l on the 31st December, and
another £lO on the same day for rent. Prisoner
gave her the receipts produced.—Mr. John Webb
proved that he paid prisoner £2O lie, on the 19th
November, and that Perry gave him the receipt.
produced.—lnspector Edbury stated that he appre-
hended the prisoner at his home on a warrant on
Monday evening. Prisoner, on hearing the warrant
read, said '•All right; I expected it. I am not
going to run away.' Prisoner, who pleaded guilty
was committed for six months' imnri,ionment.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT CRADLEY
HEATH,

On Wednesday afternoon Mr. E. Hooper, coroner,
opened, an enquiry at the Beehive Inn, Grainger'ii
Lane, Cradley Heath, into the circumstances attend-
ing the death of Frederick William Southall, aged
seven years, of No. 7, Cokeland Place, who died
after an illness of only a few hours, on the 10th
instant.

:John Southall, chainmaker, father of the deceased
said his son was taken ill on Thursday night, the
9th instant, and died on the following day.
Mr. Thomas Standish, surgeon, said he had made
a post mortem examination of the body, and was
unable to ascertain the cause of death. He found
indications of irritant poisoning in the stomach
and intestines, In accordance with the instruc-
tions from the coroner, he had forwarded the
stomach, with other portions of the body, to Dr.
Alfred Hill, borough analyst, Birmingham. He had
also handed to Dr. Hill a small portion of -tea, from
a packet of which the tea was made which deceased
drank the night before his death.
The Coroner said he did not propose to go farther
with the evidence on that occasion. The jury had
heard from Mr. Standish that some portion of the
body had been forwarded to the borough analyst
for examination. He deemed it necessary to take
that course on hearing from Mr, Standish that he
could not ascertain the cause of death, because he
considered it important fo: th.,3 whole of the neigh-
bourhood. As there were sy-mptous of irritant
poisoning, he thought they should know what the
real cause of death was. It would be more satis-
factory to adjourn the enquiry until they had the
evidence of the analyst.
The inquest was then adjourned for a month.

CRADLEY HEATH.

DINNER TO RAILWAY EMPLOYEEB.-011 rhuraday last
the employees of the Great Western Railway Company
held their annual dinner at the Vine aril Railway Hotel.
The Hostess, Mrs. Cartwright. provided hi her usual
style, the good old English fare, to which ample justice
was done. After dinner, Mr. Roach was unanimously
voted to the chair, and J. Beechen?, who has been longest
in the employ at the above station, was elected vice-
chairman. The health of tha "Queen and Royal Family,"
the "Great Western Railway Company," the " Trade of
the district," and the usual vote of thanks to the chair-
man, brought the evening to a close.