The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-22 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A

TRADESMAN.

George Hill, farm bailiff, was charged with em-
bezzling the sum of £l, on the 23rd of Dacember,
tha monies of his master, Mr. Rowland Barnsley,
farmer and manufacturer, Haden Hill. Defendant
was further charged with embezlling .22 and £2 16s,
the monies of his master, in the month of Decem-
ber. Mr. Stokes appeared for Barnsley.
Mr. Stokes said in this case Mr. Barnsley wished
to withdraw the charge against prisoner. The man
had admitted his guilt to prosecutor, who now wished
to withdraw the case, as he did not want to proceed
against his servant.
Mr. Gem said they should like to go a little into
the case of embezzlement.

Mr. Barnsley said prisoner Hill was his servant.
In consequence of his suspicions having been
aroused, by prisoner receiving money and not ac-
counting for it, he spoke to prisoner, when he found
he had been selling goods and not accounting for
them. Witness could not get anything from prisoner
as to who were the persons to whom he had been
selling the goods. He offered to forgive prisoner if
he would turn evidence, and tell him who received
the goods. He did not promise prisoner that until
after the warrant was taken out.

The Bench allowed the charge of embezzlement
to be withdrawn.

George Hill, a farm bailiff, and William Green,
miller, Shutt Mill, Romsley, were charged with
stealing two bags of wheat and one bag of barley,.
the property of Rowland Barnsley, on the 3rd ins t '
and Green was further charged with receiving the
same, knowing them to be stolen.

Mr. Stokes appeared to prose Cute, and Mr. Parry,
of Birmingham, defended Green.
Mr. Stokes said in this ease he had an application
to make, and it Was an application that was fre-
quently made, and that was that the charge aga nst
Hill should be withdrawn, so that he could give vi-
dence as to the stealing and receiving of the goods.
Mi. Parry said he appeared in this case, on behalf
of prisoner Green. He had been in the profession
for a number of years, and he never heard such a
course taken as his friend (Mr. Stokes) had spoken
of. It was not for him now to go into the merits of
the case. He should do that at a proper time; but
he should like to know how it was that Mr. Greets
was selected from agiongst about twenty others, who
were alleged to havefeceived stolen grain from Hill.
He knew there were persons present in Court who
were summoned as witnesses to prove that they had
bought and paid the man Hill for grain sold by him.
He most certainly should object to the application
of Mr. Stokes being granted.
The Bench overruled the question of Mr. Stokes,
to allow Hill to give evidence, as they should not
believe him at all.

Prosecutor was then called, and said he lived at
Haden Hill, and was a farmer and rivet manufactu-
rer. He had seen the property produced, consisting
of three empty sacks and two sacks of wheat, and
he could not swear to it being his property. The
wheat was not his. He could not tell whether the
ground grain was his. He could not toll that the
bags were his property. The one bac, had " Joseph
Fellows" on, and they had been in the habit of hav-
ing possession of a similar ban.. He had never given
the prisoner Hill permission to sell grain, and to his
knowledge he had never sold any.

Mr. Gm: Is there anything else that can be pro-
duced that Mr. Barnsley can swear to?

Mr. Stokes: No sir, 'nothing at all.
Mr. Stokes again renewed his application.
Mr. Parry expressed his surprise at Mr. Stokes
making the application a second time, when he had
already been refused by the Bench.
Mr, Stokes said there was no one who could iden-
tifytrh. eGoeuesrasihdipthoefytshheopurlodpneo take property.
Hill's evidence.
Mr.
for anything at all.
Superintendent Kemp said: On the 7th met, about
five o'clock, from something that I was told, and
having received a warrant, went to prisoner Green's
premises at Shutt Mill, Romsley, in company with
Police-sergeant Chapman and Police-constable
Knowles. 1 saw the prisoner Green there, and said
to him, "Mr. Green; George Hill, Mr. Barnsley's
bailiff, is in custody at Halesowen, on a charge of
stealing two bags of wheat and one of barley, the
property of his master, on Monday night last, the
3rd of this month, and I have been informed that he
brought it to this mill, and that you received it from
him." In r;ply to that Green said, "He brought no
wheat or barley here. I know nothing about it." I
then said to prisoner, "I hold a warrant for your
apprehension, which charges you with receiving two
bags of wheat and one of barley, the property of Mr.
Barnsley, on Monday last. I then proceeded to
search the place, and prisoner, after a pause, said
"Hill did bring one bag of wheat. I ground it for
him. If he brought'more he must have brought it
himself." He pointed to a bag containing about 1i
bushel of kibbled wheat and barley, and said that
was part of it, and then pointed to a flour bin, which
contained a: quantity of wheat. There was about
one bushel. Prisoner said "That is the other." - I
searched the mill, and found three empty bags, one
of which had the name Joseph Fellows on it, and
another the name Jefferies. One of the bags con-
tained a few grains of barley, and the other con-
tained a few wheat seeds. I took possession of
them, and then took prisoner into custody, and as we
were leaving the mill a female said, "What is the
matter." Prisoner said it was something about re-
ceiving stolen wheat and barley that was brought
there to be ground. The female said of course it
would be entered in the book. I said to prisoner
"Do you think proper to show me your book?',
Prisoner said, "Oh no; it is not in the book." PH-'
sonar was brought to Halesowen. At the Police
Station he placed Hill and Green together. The
bags produced were on the office floor, and in the
presence of Mr. Barnsley I said to them, "You
will both be charged with stealing two bags of wheat
and one of barley, the property of Rowland Barns-
ley, on Monday night last, the third of this month,
and you, Green, will be further charged with receiv-
ing the same, well knowing it to be stolen." Priso-
ner Hill picked up the bags one by one, and appeared
to be examining them. Hill then made the following
statement in the presence of Green and Barnsley.
• These are the bags. At about half-past six o'clock
on Monday night Mr. Green came to the farm, and
asked me if I had got anything to grind. I said,
No.' Green said, You must have; show me your
wheat.' I showed him the wheat in the granary,
aiwl he said 'Bring me two bags of wheat and a bag
df barley, and I will give you 16s for it. I owe you
4s for doing my horse, and that will make 20s. I
will pay you some time during the week.' I consen-
' ted to that, and took the wheat and barley down the
same night to Shutt Mill. Mr. Green received it,
and carried it out of the ct.rt." Green did not make
any reply to Hill's statement. Mr. Barnsley did not
say anything to prisoners when they were brought
in.

Cross-examined: I do not think I ever saw priso-
ner Hill until I was called into this case. Ido not
know what his duties are, or what his authority was.
I have heard Hr. Barnsley swear in this Court that
Hill had no authority to sell grain, nor to his know-
ledge had he ever sold any. Police-constable Peter
Knowles went with me to Shutt Mill. I have ascer-
tained that Hill has sold grain belonging to Mr.
Barnsley. I have told Mr. Barnsley that. Ido not
know that Hill has sold a bag of grain to Police-
constable Knowles. Knowles has told me he has
bought one. Knowles is not going to be charged with
receiving the grain knowing it to be stolen, because
he gave 12s for it. It was tail wheat. I have been
told that Hill has sold grain to several rezpectable
people. Hill made the statement after Mr. Barns-
ley had promised to forgive him. I have known
Green for about three years. I know that there has
been a dispute between Barnsley and Green as to a
right of fishing.
Mr. Barnsley, re-called said the bag of barley
would be worth 21s, and the wheat worth 17s per
bag. Before Hill was apprehended I promised to
forgive him if he would tell me the names of the
people to whom he had sold the grain. That was