The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-13 00:00:00

BROMSGROVE.

Scitoor. BoAun.—At the meeting on Monday
there were preen,, the Rev. F. Pazet (chairman),
Mr, J. Green (vice-chairman), Revs. J. Kidd, and
J, W.C0,01-rt, and Messrs. Jefferies and Leadbetter,
—The rep.irts of the Finance, Genera, Purposes and
other committees were adopted. The
,Attendance
Committee reported that the attendance dining
the:past montn had hen fairly satisfactory consid-
ering the holiday's.—lt was agreed to increase the
salary of Mr. and Mr. Je.iss, master aul mistress
of Dadford School, by X; a plan... Miss Phoebe
Skidmore was appointed assistant mistress at Stour.
bridge Road Scnool at £3oa ye sr.—The Examiner's
reports were read, and were found to be satisfactory
with the exception of those for Sidemoore and
Lickey End B.)ys' Schools.—The grants were as
fellow ; z,itourbridge Road, £3BB 103. ;Catsiill, £2O
7s. id, ; Lickcy End, 1:141.3 Os. 10d. ; Bedford, £73
103. 4.1. ; Salemoor, £5 17s. 61.
NEGLECT TO REPORT.—At the Petty Se,sions On
Tuesday, bffore Messrs it Snallwood anl C, 1),
Lane, Robert Daly, alias Day, alies Clarke, Nvai
nharged with failing- t report himself to the pelice
he being dr a sentonce of two years' police.super-
vision. Prisoner against whom there was a large
number of previous convictions, was residing here
in April last and kept company %%WI some loose
characters. He was convicted a short time ago and
sentenced to a months hard lab iur for assault, Sup-
erintendent Jeffery proved that prisoner was con-
victed at Worcester in October, 1884,and sentenced
to six months imprisenment aul tw ) years police
supervision. He had not reported himself at Broms-
grove. Committed tor a mouth's hard labour.

THE COOK-FIGHTING NE R OLDBURY.

At the Old Hill Police
_Court, un Wednesday, be-
fore Me,srs. W. Beviano and O. Holm% Henry
Wilkinson, miner, Tat Bank, Oldbury; Midian
Evans, miner, Brades Vil:age ; Edward Wilkinson,
Tat Bank; and Septimus Siviter, Rowley, were
charged with cruelty to two cocks by causing them
to fight on the 25th ult. ; and William Wright and
William Barratt, Round's Green; Joseph Haulick,
Caketnore; Joseph Pull, Waterfall Lane; Henry
Preston; Levi 0 iver, Waterfall Lane; Jo,eph Ed-
ward Foley, Old Hill; Joseph Mathews, Oldbury;
Edward Wright, jam, Oldianry; and Gorge Night-
ingale, Oldbury, were summoned for aiding and
abetting., Mr. Waldron, of 131i:trie7 Hill, appalred
on behilf of the polic aud Mr. Smith Dorsett, Bir-
mingham (instructed by Mr. H. Jackson, of West-
brom wich), defenduci.
Mr. Waldron, in opening the case, explained that
Edward Wilkinson, .Septimus Siviter, Henry
Wilkinson, and Midian Evans were charged tie the
principals for torturing Iwo cocks by fighting them
and the other deferidants with aiding and abetting
them. On the 26th of May (Whit Monday), the
whole Of Alle defendants were taking part in a cock
tight; the four principals fought the cooks, and the
others were making bas and exchanging money on
the result of the fight. Thera were two divisions—
one Iron Oldbury, and the other from Waterfall
Lane, Old 11tH. The pirties repaired to a place
call,d New, England Colliery. Edward Wilkinson
and Sap*timud Siviter played or fought a main f
cocks. whtch lasted about twenty Minutes. Siviter
was stripped. and ali the other defendants were
-present.. After the fight was over, Henry Wilkin-
son a-id Midi in Evans fought two other cocks, this
battle lasting about ten minutes. The police, who
bad previously seen the parties going in the direc-
tion of the place where the fight took place, were
concealed at a distance of under 200 yards, and, by
aid of a strong field or opera glass, they obtained a
good view Of all that took place. When the fight
was over the defendants moved off, and were then
met by the police, There was a large, number of
persons present, and the officers not knowing them
all, they captured Williambriglit, William Barrett,

Henry Wilkinson, and Midian Evans. Wilkinson
had with Lim a bag containing one of the cocks
which had been engaged in the fiAlit. The cock
would speak for ii.self, as it was trimmed for the
purpose of being fought. The spurs had been cut
and were bleeding then, and it was also bleeding
from the head. He was instructed to ask for such
penalties as would act as a deterrent to others, as
cock-fighting was very prevalent in the Black
Country. In proof of this statement he might
men ion tt a Ihe was inform( d that one of the cocks
which fought on this occlusion, and whi.3ll was in
the possession of the police, was worth £2OO. That
thowed that these people who engaged in this sport
or pastime bestowed a great amount of trouble in
the breeding and trainin!, of the cocks.
Police-constable Winfield deposed that about four
o'clock p.m. on the day named he, in company with
Police constables Smith and Mountney, was watch-
ing the movements of tt.e defendants and a Nrge
number of other persons. They bad received in-
formation that a "naet" was arranged. They saw
the two contingents from Oldbury and Old Hill
Join on the bank of the New England Colliery. be-
tween Oldbury and Tividale. They distinctly saw
two cocks fighting. The cocks were fighting from
a quarter of an hour to twenty minutes, and the
detendants and a great number of other persons
were shouting hurrah and appeared very excited,
and appeared to be betting on .tho proceedings.
During one of the mains which was fought by Henry
Wilkinson and Midian Evans, he saw the former
take up one of the cocks, and put its beak to his
mouth as he (witness) thought for the purpose of
blowing so cc wind down its throat. When taken
in;o custody Henry Wilkin,on had one of the cocks
in his posstssion, and the heels of the bird were
bleeding badly, as though they had been recently
cut, and there was also a quantity of blood on the
bag in which the bird was. Ho arrested Henry
Wilkinson and Midian Evans because they refused
to give their names and addresses, and Wilkinson
tried to escape. _ _ .

In cross-examination by Mr. Thrsett, wines
sated that, in addition to defendants, aliout sixty
men came from -Rowley, They watched the pro-
ceedings through an opera glass, and identified the
defendants.

Police-constables Smith and Mountaey gave cor
roboi wive evidence.

Police-sergeant Salt stated that he vi4ted the
spot on the following day, and found a quantity of
feathers and string, and the place was trampled
don a,

Mrsett, i.e.' the defence, submitted—first,

that there was no case against the defendants
charge ,i with aiding and abetting, and c6ntenited
that it had been decided that in order to convict
any parson of aiding and abetting they must take.
spm! active part in the proceedings. Merely being
present was not sufficient to render them guilty or
amenable to the law. He also urged that it was
necessary to constitute an offence that the cc,cks
sllould be fought in a place kept f r that purpose;
and that cock-fighting was not an offence at com-
mon law. There was no evilence to show that
4eel spurs had been used in order t 9 inflict torture
upon the cocks.

Just as Mr. Dorsett was making one of the chief
points in his lengthy argument, and was remarking
that no steel spurs were used, the cock which had
been produced, and which was confined in a basket,
ere W.

Mr. Jackson: He endorses your remarks, Mr,
Dorsqt. (Laughter.)
Mr. Dorsei t : It appe irs so. (Renewel laughter.)
After a brief coasultatinn, the Bench fined the
four principals—Henry Wilkinson, Midian Evans,
Eiward Wilkins ,n. and Septimus Siviter-15 each
and costs, with the alternative of two months' im-
prisonment, and the other defendants £3 each, or
one month.

Mr. Dorsett asked the. magistrates to grant him
a case for appeal.
Mr. Bassauo said there was no point of law in-
volv 'd upon which they could grant a c Ise.
The Clerk said the defendants might issue a
mandamus.
Mr. Dorsett said he did not see why the magi.i-
trates then sitting at thc t court should constitute
t temselves a final court of appeal, and overrule all
the judges.
Mr. 13assano: Your case doss not apply.
Mr. Dorsett: 1 hope the Bench will not put us
to the trouble of issuing a mandamus.
Mr. Bassano : That is our deci4on. We fine the
defendants, and leave you to take your own
ciurse.
Mr. Dorsett; And you refuse to state a case ?
Mr, Bassano : Yes.

SPORTING NOTES,
t,By our Sportiny Correspondent )

Grand Prize of Parii, Ascot Stakes, Ilgyal Hunt
and Go]Ll Cups.—On Sunday several English horses
will have crossed the Channel to cent,st for that
handsome stake, the Grand Prize of Paris; and the
great tFret•eh horse, Xaintraitles, having:lamed
hiaiselt whilst running in the Epsom Derby he will
no, he sent to comptle in toe raLe. Esterling also
is amiss just now. St. Honorat similarly situated,
while Present Times, Lor i Charles, John Bright,
and Orchid ar3 not class enough, therefore, we must
expect to find the winner to spring from the 2000
guineas first, the second in that race, or the third
in the Epsom Derby; but what does beat
•
PARADOX
mustbe returned th 2 winner.—At Ascot, next week,
several good races at e sure to be contested for. and
on the opening day, Tuesday, the Ascot Stakes,
two miles, will be decided, for which I expect to
see