The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-21 00:00:00

DUDLEY.

TIIE 0 FFIC ;it OF HEALTH'S ANNUAL REPORT. --•
From this rep et ; a peat, that the Mal number
of deaths from all diseases and causes during the
last year is 1,171, giving a death-rate of 23.8. The
b rths registered have been 1,886 in number, the
rate per 1,000 I (sing 40.77. Referring to small-pox,
Dr. Timmins says :—" Its prevalence in adjoining
lurishes during te past year caused considerable
tear that the di-ease would :similarly affect this
borough, hut although we have not escaped a visi-
tation, yet we may congratulate ourselves upon
having so opportunely prCwided and having in readi-
ness an Infexious Diseases Hospital for the recep-
tion of the case ,L as they appeared in the borough,
for to this wise and timely provision we may alto-
gether I,t,tribute the speedy termination of the con-
ta4ious disease." Only three deaths occurred,
whereas at the previous outbreak in 1883 the largo
number of 339 deaths toA place from small.pox,
and '.)O persons were report' d as suffering from
tlic dizease. The fatality of scarltt fever exceeded
that ef any other z, mottc disease during the year,
the number of deaths, viz., 134, exceeding any ye. r
since 1878, when the disease caused 170 cleat
The report clo•cs with a complaint of unjustifiable
delay in compelling a compliance with notices
,erved upon owners to provide a proper supply of ,
water to their houses, itt s me of which ce 2 s of
fever had appeared, caused by the drinking of im-
pure well or plitilp Watiir.
THE CHARGE OF BUNGLNILY.--AithE Police Court
on Wednescl .y, before CI Bagott and J. Bateman,
Esqi , Josoph Jewkes (30), wh-tesinith, Furnace-
row, The Dock, on remand, was charg: d on sus-
picion wi:h ',peaking into the warehouse of William
:Naylor, iron me chant, Tin_hbourneestreet, on the
IBte and 22nd of February, and stealing therefrom a
sum of money.—Mr. Shakesp,are defended.—
Police-sergeant Sansome, r called, admitted, in
reply toMr, Shakespeare, that the prisoner belonged

t) a very respectable family.—Clara Macdermott,
who keeps the keys of the schoolroom, said on the
22nd prisoner's si,ter fetched them, and did not
return them —Police-constable Biddle spoke to the
fact that on the night of the 22nd ult, he examined
the prosecutor's premises three times between mid-
night and two o'clock on the following morning.
On each occasion they were secure, but at midnight,
when he first examined them, he saw a light in the
s:lhoolroom adjoining. The door of the latter he
found unfasternd. and the keys on the table iwide.
Witness went all over the premises and into the
chapel yard, but found nothing.—llenry Hemmings,
carpenter, King Edmund-street, who was called
by the police, said he was of opinion that (me of
the tools produced, and which was found pri-
soner's house, did not make the impression visible
on the drawer, as it did not fit the indentation
made. One of the tools would probably make
another mark visible on the drawer, but there were
many other such tools.—The B.nch considered
that the evidence was not sufficient to send the ease
for trial, and discharged the prisoner. The charge !
against_hirn on suspicion of entering the premises
of Mr. 3. Finch, of Priory-street, was abandoned,
and he was formally discharged upon that also.
ALLEGED THEFT OF A WATCH.—Beuja.min Bed-
third (21), shoemaker, Waterloo-street, was charged
with breaking into the house of John Mills, carter,
Spring Gardens, and stealing a silver watch and
chain.—On Monday Mrs. Mids locked up her house
and went out, leaving the watch and chain hanging
on the kitchen mantelpiece. During her absence a
neighbour saw prisoner making his exit from the
house through the window, audit was subsequently
di.covered that the walch and chain had been re-
• moved from the mantelpiece to the window sill,
although neither that or anything else had been
actually taken.—The Magistrates Clerk (Mr. Barra.
dale) held that there was no evidence of felony, and
, the charge was amended to one of being found in
the housi for an unlawful purpose.—Prisoner, who
has been in a reformatory, and received much kind-
ness from time to time at the hands of Chief-su-
perintendent Burton, was sentenced to one month's
hard labour.