The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-16 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL.

DIWNKINNZBIL—At the Police Court, on Monday, be.
fore Messrs. H. Smith end L. Freer, Henry Roden was
fined 5s for being drunk on the 7th instant, at Brierley
Hill. Police-constable Mee proved the case.
A DISOLLDEIiILY PACPER.—thorge Evans, an inmate of
Btourbridge Union, was charged with disorderly conduct
at the Workhouse, on the 9th inst. Two inmates named
Challingworth and Ward proved the case, and defendant
was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment.

STEALIN“ HAT.—John Southall Man charged With
stealing • quantity of hay, the property of Jacob Pearson,
at The Delph, on the 10th inst. Mr. Addison defended.
Joseph Jewis said he lived at Talbot-street, Brierley
Hill. On Sunday night about ten minutes to seven, he
was in a field between the Delph Lane and Turner's
Lane. He saw the prisoner there. He had • bag in his
possession. He threw thn bag over the hedge out of Mr.
Pearson's field into Mrs. Cookery's. Witness did not
know what was in the bag. Cross-examined : I saw pri-
son,. He was getting over the stile I afterwards went
to prisoner's house with Mr. Pearson. Prisoner was
inside by the fire. When he came out lie had his shoes
on. Prosecutor accused him of stealing the hay, and he
said he had not been out of the house since six o'clock.
Will swear prisoner is the man I saw in the field.—Jacob
Pearson (prosecutor) mid he lived at The Delph, and in
consequence of a communication made to him by the last
witness he examined the rick of hay, and found that the
two corners of the rick had been pulled out. When he
saw the rick between live and six o'elock there was no-
thing the matter with it. There had been about 30 or
40 pounds taken away when he saw it again. Ile went to
prisoner's house about ten minutes pant seven and rapped
at the door, and asked for the master. Prisoner came to
the door and prosecutor said, 'How is it, Southall, you
cannot keep yourself honest ? " Prisoner said, " Why ? "
and Pearson said, " You have been robbing my rick."
Prisoner said he had not been out of the house. He had
got his boots on. Cross-examined I have got some
cows in the field. ',There are iron railings round the rick,
and no horse or cow could touch id—Elizabeth Pearson,
wife of prosecutor, said on the above date she saw the
prisoner going across the fields, with a bag under his
arm.—Police.constable Mee, stationed at Brierley Hill,
proved apprehending the prisoner, and charged him with
stealing a quantity of hay, the property of Jacob Pear-
son. He said he did not do it. Cross.exatuined : I
searched the premises, and found shout half a truss of
hay. It was in a loft.—Mr. Addison submitted there was
no cam against prisoner, and that he did not leave the
house all that night, except to get some water. He then
called Elizabeth Cartwright, who said she was in the
prisoner's house on the night in question,from a quarter
to six until half-past nine. During the time she was
there they were singing carols, and prisoner was sing-
ing with them. Prisoner's wife asked him to fetch two
buckets of water, and be did so. Be was away about six
minutes.—Police-constable Mee produced some hay
which he had fetched from the rick, and some ha had
fetched from the loft in prisoner's house.—After the Ma-
gistrates had compared the two luts of hay, they com-
mitted prisoner to take his trial at the next Stafford
Semions, bail being accepted in one surety of £lO, and
himself in £2O.

BURGLARY AT BRIERLEY HILL RAILWAY STATION.—
Thomas Hunt and Thomas Chambere, two respectable•
looking young men from Birmingham, were charged with
stealing cash from the booking office, at Brierley Hill,
on the 9th inst. Mr. Stokes appeared for prisoners.—
James Corfield deposed. 1 am station-master at Brierlev
Hill, on the Great Western Railway. On the above date
I had occasion to leave the station for a time. It was
about 5.30 p.m. Was away about three-quarters of an
hour. When I left the station the money wad in a till
inside the booking office. It was closed and locked.
‘Vlieu I came back it was wrenched open, and the money
was gone. The coin in the till was qold, silver, and
copper. lam not certain of the number of sovereigns.
I eau swear to one small coin. It was a fourpenny piece.
It was found in the station, but not on prisoners. There
was £7 12s in the till. The lock on the booking office
door had been opened. It was not forced. I saw the
prisoners there before I left the station. They were in-
side the station in the waiting room. One of them came
into the booking office door. It was Chambers. He
asked sue if lie could get to Birmingham before the train
at U 38. Prisoners came in from Dudley way by a train
at ten minutes past eight. They left the station before
I did. There was a man and a boy in the station when
I left. When I came into the station about 9.35 priso-
ners were there, and they were apprehended. I found a
carpenter's chisel on the counter inside the booking office.
Cross.examined : When they had got there they told me
they had got into the wrong train at Dailey, and wanted
to go back to Birmingham. The train they came by to
Brierley Hill did not stop between Dudley and Brierley
Hill. The ticket window was closed at the time the pri-
boners arrived at the station. I locked the booking office
door. The old man that was upsteirs was also brought
from Dudley by mistake, the same as prisoners. The
front door is left open so that any one can go to the
booking office door, and right through the station. I
ivet Chambers on the Steps, and I had the chisel in my
hand. I asked him if the chisel belonged to him, and if
he left it behind him. He said it did not belong to him,
and he did not use such things. The fourpenny piece
produced is a worn one, and something like the one I
-ft in the till. I sent forts policeman. I did not charge
them with stealing the moneys—Thomas Baker, a little
boy, residing at Round Oak Common, said I was at the
station on Saturday night for two hours, betweee eight
and ten I waited to ride back to Round Oak. Saw the
prisoners at the station. They were walking up and
&wen the steps, and on the platform, and they went into
tis waiting room. One of them had a carpet bag.
i!ross-exemined : Prisoners came back to the station just
before the train started.—Police-eonstable Breton de•
. posed ? lam stationed at Brierley Hill. From informa-
-1 tion received I apprehended the prisoners on Saturday
night last, about ten o'clock. They were in the tram. I
asked Chambers if that was his bag, and pointed to a
ilsg. Ha said it was. I told him I wanted to speak to
him outside. I told Hunt I wanted him also. Hunt
saivi Chambers was a stranger to him. I then appre-
hended them and charged them with stealing .C 7 odd,
belonging to Mr. James Corfield, station-master. Hunt
Was it in gold or silver ?" He also said he had
s 'me money about him. and should require a witness to
s.-e it counted. 1 searched Hunt, and found on him £7
19, in a purse, and in a bag in one of his pockets £5 5s
9141. Chembers had E 2 9s 1,1 in his possession. In his
hag I found some stockings, shirts, and wearing apparel:
' • ' . .

•a'd he had a small saw in his hat;ii.- There w"ara
11 ite in Hunt's purse. Cross.essmined : The money was
e milted in the presence of Superintendent Mills. The
prisoners are fruiterers I have been told that the saw
roduced would be used by them in their trdde.—Police-
e instable Goodfellow proved finding the fourpeuny pieco
produced on the step leading to the waiting room.—Su-
perintendent Mills asked for a remand for a week for
a remand for it week for further inquiries to be made.—
Mr. Stokes objected, and said there was not a tittle of
videuce against prisoners.—Prisoners were remanded
ir a week, bail being accepted in two sureties of fat.
dad themselves in one surety of £4O each.

NON•PAY3IENT OF STSEET 'APPoRTIONMENT.—Mr. Peter
tlarris was summoned for nonpayment of street appor-
timment in Talbot-street. Mr. Homfray appeared for
the Brierley Hill Local Board, and Mr. Clulow for Mr.
Harris. Mr. Clulow raised an objection to the sum-
mons, which Mr. Homfray said was "fatal," and the case
was dismissed.
UNJUST VirulonTS AND Measengs.—At the Petty Bea.
none, held on Thursday, before I. Spooner, Esq., Stipen-
diary, the following persons were summoned by Inspector
ideorge Border, for having unjust weights, scales, and
pleasures :—Thomas Beecham, grocer, residing at The
itclph, for having an unjust pair of scales in his posses-
sion, on the oth inst. Mr. Horde, proved the offence,
and said the scales were loz. against the buyer. Defend-
ant said lie bOLight the scales new from Mr. Avery, of
ffirmingham, six weeks since. Fined £5 and costs, £5
Ito 6d.—John Rawlins, chemist, Brierley Hill, for five
.fujust weights. Mr. Clnlow defended, and said that his
e dent was well known and respected, and he was not
aware the weights were light, and was extremely sorry.
Ir. Spooner said the very position of Mr. Rawlins should
have been an example to others, and he should fine him
E 5 and costs, the highest penalty he could fine him.—
John Bird, grocer and provision dealer, for a pair of
,":5" 6d.—.\\''alillir'amn
unjusthi e d od scales,
y oezd. against inasntdt
spul
%bitten tea dealer. Level-street, Brierley Hill. four unjust
weights in his p fssession. Defendant said he had not
bought (Sr sold anything in his shop for four years. Case
adjourned.—Henry Share, of Quarry Bank, meat seller,
a pair of unjust sealeS. The defence was that the penny
mentioned by Mr. Harder was put on the scales because
sp many came with a halfpenny and a penny short, and
the penny was pat on the scales to give them the proper
juatitity. Mr. Spooner said the defendant was worse than
the thi f who goes deliberately and picks 11 man's pocket,
and fined him d.:5 and costs, £5 I Is 6d.—John Price, but-
cher, Quarry Bank, for having seven unjust weights in
his possession, tined £5 and costs, 115 Its 6d.—Defend-
ait was further charged with having an unjust pair of
▪ -ales in his possession. For this .ffenCe he was fined
£2
and casts.—Martha Davis, bread seller, of Quarry
think, with having five unjust weights in her possession,
fined £5 and costs, £.5 Its 6d.—Henry Winwood, of
Quarry Bank, six unjust weights. lined £5 and costs, £5
11: 61—Jane Richards, of the Robin Hood, was sum-
moned for haying in her possession 13 unjust quart met-
sure, 13 pints, and 2 half-pints deficient. Mr. Spooner
said lie would willingly have made a difference if he
could, because the men had less ale, and they would not
0.4 drunk No soon ; bat he had no power, and he must
deal with her as he had done with the others, and fined
her £5 and costs.—Joaeph Holloway, butcher, of Brier-
ley Hill, with having on unjust pair of scales in his pos-
session. Mr. Murder said the scales were 6 drachms
against the purchaser. Fined ,f 5 and costs.—Simeon
Stokes, of The Three Furnaces. Level-street, three un-
just pints. Defendant said that the cups were on the
shelf, Mid that he took to them. Mr. Spooner remarked
that this was a very different case from the others, and
tined him Ins and costs, fl .664—Thomas Kynnersley,
of Quarry Bank, with having an unjust pair of scales,
be, against the purchaser. Fined 1:5 and costs, £5 Lis
01.—Major Baker, Quarry Bank, seven unjust weights in
his possession. Mr. Spooner remarked that this was a
very sad case. It looked as if they would have meshes
large and small h, catch the small and large buyers.
toed 1:5 and costs, £5 Its 01.—Several other persons
is-re summoned, but they did not appear, and warrants
ere issued against then,