The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-21 00:00:00

defendant then struck him on the eye and throat.
.is throat was yet hal from the .z;ffects of the blow.
—Superintendent Woollaston proved a mi,,,ber of
previon, con :ictions against detendant. The Bench
iinpo,ed a fine of 10s and costs.—John Bray was
e:iarged with a-saulting Naomi Campi.m on the 9th
inst.—There was a cross.summona against Naomi
Campion for assaulting John B:ay on the same
date.—Naumi Campion s.Aiti she went to the defend-
ant's house about some money which he owed her.
de ordered her out of the house and she went. De-
fendant followed her on to a neighllour's premises
and struck her and made the blood fly out of her
ear.—Jane Brown said she was coming out of her
brewhouse when she saw the defenuant come out of
a side door. She heard the defendant accus com-
plainant of taking some clothes to pawn. Defendant
then struck her and made her ear bleed. —Defend-
ant said the last wi ness had sworn falsely and he
could brine, witnesses to prove it. All he could say
was that it untrue and had been "smuggled" to-
gether,—Sarah Grosvenor, for the defence, said the
complainant was trying to break the defendant'a
door open. Defendant came out and after some
words the complainant struck the dr fendant. She
(witness) got between them as defendant had a
child in his arms. The defendant struck over her
shoulder and hit the complainant. The Bench
considered that both parties were in fault and dis
missed both cases.

AN ADJOURNED CASE.—The case against Ben-
ja,min Perry for stealing potatoes was again called
on.—The case was adjourned , from last week in
order to call Mr. Canadine to prove an alibi.—
Richard Nokes repeated his evidence as reported
last week, and added he was sire prisoner was the
man.—P.C. Jeffry said from information he received
he arrested the prisoner at Stourbridge, on the Bth
inst. He tooa him to the Police Station and
charged him. In reply prisoner said "You are
mistaken; I did not le tve the Crispin from half.
past six till ten. I have not taken the weight of a
pin
since I lef Stafford.'—inomas Canadine, land-
lord of the Crispin [an, said on the 7th inst the
defendant was working for him from seven in the
mauling till abaut halt-past seven at night He
paid him his waaes then and he did not see him
again till after eight.—Mrs. Barratt, with whom
prisoner lodges, said prisouer came home at abut
halt-past seven at nigtt. lie cleaned nimseif and
went out again.—The servant from the Crispin lii
n
said defendant was in the house from quarter-pa
ei.ht till closing time —The Bench said they had
carefully considered the ease, but there appeared
to be some doubt whether Parry was realty the
right man. They shod d give the defendant the
benefit of the doubt and dismiss the case.
PUGILI33I IN AN ASHPIT.---Ihomas Wiggin was
charged with assaulting Richard Walker on the 4 h
test.—Gomptainant said he was at work for the
defendant on the night in question. The landlady
gave them a jug-of beer wnich he drank out of.
The defendant came soon after and asked where the
beer was and said if he would mind his work in-
stead of the beer he would get on better. Defend-
ant then got into a temper and said complainant
was drunk and ordered him out of the ashpit ;
and if he did not come out he would come and
throw him out. Complainant did not comply with
his request., so he got in and "set into him right and
left."—Aft-r hearing further evidence Mr. Firm-
stone said they had conic to the connusion, alter a
careful attention to the case, that an assault was
...ommitt?d, but they thought that there was fault ,
on both sides. They should only fine defendant
2s 6d and costs.
oTEALING AN OAK TREE.—ThernaS Wooldridge
was charged with stealing an oak tree, on the 4th
December, the property of the Earl of Dudley.—
Mr. Bellfield prosecuted and Mr. Waldro,i defended
—Clara Newton, living at ar the Mearoe Coppice,
said prisoner lived near to her. Last year an oak
tree was blown down by their house. She last saw
the tree on the 3rd December about 4 o'clock in the
afternooa. The tree was about 19 or 20 yards from
the garden. She saw the tree every time site went
to the back. The bark was off the tree and that
would enable her to recognise it. On the 4th De-
cember she saw prisoner take the tree by her house.
tie was about 15 yards away when she saw him
first. When she saw him she called Mrs. Webb's
attention to him. They stood and saw him take it
co his gate. She had known prisoner seven or eight
months. She could swear positively it wAs Wool-
dridge and thy-, it was the same tree. She went
and saw the place where the tree had been. She
saw prisollerion the 21st February and they hal a
uit of conversation about the tree. Prisoner asked
tier if she saw him take the tree and she said "Yes."
Cross-examined : She was married. The prisoner
was at her mother's house on the 21st February
Nobody Ise.tard the conversation besides her. She
was friends with the man and had no feeling of
naiice towards him. She did not exactly know
when rh tree wits blown dowo. She often went
close to the tree. She went to fetch her li'tle boy
from it. She saw the s-de of prisoner's face, not
Li a full face. It was something past eight; about
20 minutes past. `filen was very little fog that
morning. As prisoner went farther away be w ulil
have his back towards her The tree was 14 or 15
feet long. It was about one lot thick at the
bottom, and two or three i:iches at the iop. A man
named navel came t :11,r honse and asked her if
she had seen the tree an 1 she said "Y‘ s." She
told him she had sceii w.lo had t .lien the tree.
• F,avt-1 had not
.sai i th it if she di I not come and
, give evidence
.s,Ae weted be turned out.-Eliza
; Webb sail on The 4th December last her dau4hter
, called her to the door aid she saw the prisoner rake
the tree to his own gate. Sc could swear positively
that he w e tLC luau. On. 'he morning ia j,u stion
.ihe saw_the tree ab )ut a quarter to eight a-id irlieri
she went to the Lilacs, about nine o'clock the tree Am
gone, Cross-ex irniae,t : She: saw prisoner's
side face. She could rec,gnise him by the side of
his face. It was a nice niuroin;. She id tot
, speak t Mn. lii her judgement the tree was
about 2 cwt. She would swear solemnly th.t.
W,•oldridge v.as the man who had the tree

Einanu-21 -Flee ell said he was a woodm in in—the
employ of the Earl of Dudley. There Wa3 a tree
blown down in to Mearee Ceppice
latter part of last yea?. The tree was abut 15
feet long. It was about .12 or 13 iuches thick at
the bottom. The value of it would be Acne. 3s
Cross-examined : He went Li Wooldridge's house
abeut te:e 11th D3cvnber, but he would swear he
did not search his premises. He looked on the
peemises. He went to make enquiries. When he
w. nt to see Mrs Webb she told him who had taken
ir. The tree was not 5 or 6 cwt.—Mr. WAdron said
he was bound to admit that the evidence was string
a:ainst his client. He had asked his client to ad-
mit that he had taken the tree, but he said "No, I
have not taken the tree.'' Mr. Waldron then put
in some characters-of the prisoner, which stated
that prisoner bad been kuo en for twenty years and
always been found honest and upright. The night
Wore the 4th De, his client worked all night
and returned home about 9 o'clock in the morning
As regards the tree his client informed him that.
it was impossible for him to carry an oak tree 15It.
long. There was no evidence to show that the
man was in possession of the trea—The Bench re-
tired to consider their verdict and on returning into
Court, Mr, Firmstone said the Bench had given the
case a careful consideration and regretted that they
coual not give effect to the solicitor's able defence.
Teere was no doubt that prisoner did carry the tree
away. but they took into consideration the excAlent
character e hich he had received and should inflict
a fine only of 20s, or 14 days.
PRoskeuTlON UNDER THE FACTORY ACT.—At
the Police Court on Thursday, before N C. A
Neville, Esq. (Deputy Stipendiary), The Ketley
Brick Company, tile and brick manufacturers,King-
swittford, uere summoned by Mr. C. C. W. Hoare,
inspector of factories, for employing a "young
person" after two o'clock on Saturday afternoon,
February 21st. The charge was proved by Mr. A.
Pitt, assistant 'inspector, who found a bdy named
Neese at work at ten minutes past three, a member
of the firm being present at the time. Thfendants
who pleaded that the offence had arisen through an
oversight, were fined 40s and costs —William
Stringer, cnainuiaker, Quarry Bank, on a charge of
failing to produce the school attendance certiric Ito
of his son, Joseph Stringer (12), to the inspector on
the sth ult, was fined 13s 6d, including costs. The
assistant-inspector found the boy actively engeeed
in the operation or chainmaking.