The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-05-11 00:00:00

*oat anb pistrict

UNLICENSED DOGS.—At a special sesssiono held
at the Police Court, on Saturday last, before
Colonel Fletcher and Mr. H. 0. Firmstone, the
following persons were summoned for keeping
dogs without licenses during the month of March
and were fined the mitigated penalty of 25s each.
—Joseph Cartwright, Laban _Hughes Packwood,
John Turner, Jemima Johns, William Fletcher,
William Lamb, Thomas Fletcher, James Porter,
Joseph Tolley, Richard .Aston, John Beddoes,
'Henry Turner, Williaw Clack, Charles Simpkiss,
William Wood, Joseph Freeman, Benjamin Green,
Samuel Spittle, David Perks, Edward Round,
James Wood, David Hill, Henry Hamblett
William Allport, Joeph Skelding, George Knight,
Eliza Rollinson, James Fredericks, Samuel
Jefferies, Frederick Harwood, John Kiudon,
Samuel Johnson, Jonathan L. Hobbs, William,
Tranter, Samuel Smith, Christopher Brunt,
Thomas Lambert, William James, George Unitt,
George Grant. James Jones, James Nunn, Thomas
Loyd, John Smith, Edward Davis, Thomas New-
man, and Charles Stander. In the case against
Unitt the Bench recommended a further reduc-
tion to 10s. Charges against Edward Millincnip,
Thomas Loyd, and John Stafford were dismissed.
STOURBRIDGE STOCK SALE.—Mr. H. King held
his usual fortnightly sale on Tuesday last. There
was a very large attendance of buyers from all
parts of the district. The stock consisted of 000
sheep, 50 head of cattle, and a large quantity of
pigs. Fat tegs realized 645; fat wethers, 745;
ewes and lambs, 948; lambs, 50s; calves, £7 2s
6d; bullocks, £3l cows, ..32 ss; heifers, £25.
The sale amounted to ..t2,600.
STOURBRIDGE CONSTITUTIONAL ASSOCIATION.—
A meeting of the committee of this associatior,
under the presidency of Mr. J. A. Smith, was
held on Monday evening last, when businesS of
importance was transacted.—lt was stated during
the evening that the success which has attended
the efforts of this association in organisation has
induced the committee to comply with the request
of applications from various districts desirous of
organising to visit them on an early date.—lt is
expected communications of an important nature
will be received in the course of a few days, when
a special committee will be called to give the mat-
ter consideration.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—The usual meeeting
of this Board was held yesterday, Mr. H.
Billingham in the chair. There were also present
Messrs. Raybould, Pargeter, Hingley, Burr, Wil-
liams, Gren, Thompson, Griffiths, Wood, Homer,
Giles, Mills, Fiddian, Lavender, Kelley,
Guest and Brooks. Admitted, 20; discharged 11;
born 0; dead, 0; remaining, 452; corresponding week
last year, 379. Out-door relief, Kingswinford
District, £26 is 10d.; Stourbridge District, £l9
4s 3d; Halesowen District, £l6 16s Oct ; non-resi-
dent paupers, 9s 4d; total, £63 2s sd; against
£54 lis 5d last year.
THE RINK.—It will be seen from an advertise-
ment on our first page, that the spirited proprietor
of the Rink, Mr. tiainge, is sparing no expense in
providing an abundance of ateusement for the in-
habitants of the town and. district. He has at a
great outlay engaged the celebrated Mons. Stirk,
the champion bicycle performer of the world, for
each evening next week, and alo on Saturday
afternoon. As nothing of this description (balance-
ing the bicycle on an aerial ladder) has ever been
presented before an audience in this town, we an-
ticipate seeing the rink crowded at each perform- ,
ance. It is the intention of Mr. Hainge to take
out the wall at the top end of the rink and con-
siderably lengthen the building, so as to render it
suitable for whatever purpose it may be required.
The rink still continues to be well patronized.
SUDDEN DEATH.—A married woman name Jane
Spencer, living in Birmingham Street, died very
suddenly on Tuesday night. She and her husband
were sitting together at night, when deceased
Must have been seized with a fit. Her husband
fell asleep, and when he awoke found his wife
was a corpse. Deceased was sixty-seven years old,
and the day on which she died was her birthday.
, An inquest was held on the body at All Hands To
' The Pump Inn, yesterday, before Mr. Docker,
coroner. William Spencer, husband of the
deceased, said that shortly after nine o'clock on
Tuesday night she complained of being poorly
and she asked witness to fetch her a drop of
whiskey. He bought threepenny worth and she
drank it and lay down on the sofa. She went to
sleep and snored a good deal after she had gone
quiet. At two o'clock she went to sleep as
witness thought and he drew himself up to the
fire between three and four o'clock to have a
warm. He went to her and found her dead and
he then went to fetch the next door neighbour.
At that time Police-sergeant Jones was passing
by and he came into the house and Dr. Bayley
was sent for.—Mrs. Squires gave corroborative
evidence.—Police-sergeant Jones said he was
passing by just before four o'clock and he was
called in by Spencer. He found the deceased
lying on the sofa dead, and he fetched Dr. Bayley
who came at once.—Dr. R. L. Bayley proved that
when he got to the house he found the deceased
dead. There were no marks of violence on the
body and he considered she died while in an
apopletic fit, and the jury found a verdict to that
effect.

THE RAILWAY CROSSINGS AT OLDSWINPORD.—
It may be remembered that at a vestry meeting
at •Oldswinford a short time ago,-Mr. W. Fiddian,
highway surveyor, was directed to write to the
secretary of the Great Western Railway Company
as to the'level crossings over the new branch
railway, and the • danger they would be to the
public. Mr. Fiddi,an, in his letter, pointed out
that there wonld be no ditlieulty in making a
tunnel through the etubank:•,elit answer the pur-
pose of:both paths, earrying be road to the station
on the north side of the new curve. A letter has
been received from Mr. F. G. Saunders, in reply,
to the following- effect :—"ln reference to your
letter drawing attention to the inconvenience
which the vestry of Upper Swinford anticipate
will be experienced by the public using certain
footpaths at Stonibridge, after the opening of the
line, I hay.e to inform you that it is not expected
that the traffic for some time after the opening of
the line will be considerable, and as the precise
mode of junction of the branch with the main
line is not yet settled, qlr, Tie3tion of erecting a
bridge in lieu of, the lev,l crossing is one that
does. not seem, to press at the present moment."
Further representations will probably be made to
the company on the subject.
We have great pleasare in stating that Mr. T.
F. Bland, F.C.S., of this town, has just been
elected a member of the Society of Arts of which
the Prince of Wales is president.
DRUNKENNESS.-At the Police Court, on Wed-
nesday, before Mr. J. Holcroft, Mary Love, re-
siding at Wollaston, was charged -with being
drunk and disorderly, on the 7th inst.—Police-
constable Smith proved the case and said defend-
ant was so drunk that he had to get a handcart
to take her to the police-station and he paid the
man a shilling.—Defendant said she only had half
a drop of porter.—Defendant was fined 10s and
costs.

- -
ACCIDENT.—An accident occurred on Thursday
evening to a little girl, aged four years, daughter
of 'Thomas Malpass, bill-poster. It appears that
a wagon load of straw was being unloaded and as
the girl was passing under the straw a quantity
fell upon her, knocked her down and broke
her thigh. The unfortunate child was at once
taken home and medical assistance was called in.
DRUNKENNESS.—At the Police Court, yesterday,

before Mr. C. Cochrane, Thomas Jones was
charged with being drunk, at Clent, on the 28th
April.—Police-constable Wallace proved the case
and .iluf --,dant who pleaded guilty was fined 2s 6d
I

, Or 7 dais.—Matflew -Viddle was sum-
or being drunl n the highway, on the
:dt, in the parish of ..,lent.---Police-constable
3 ,ne proved the case .d defendant was fined 2s
cd and costs; in default 7 days.

CHARGE OF ASSAULT.—Before Messrs. J. E.
Swindell and C. Cochrane, Joseph Hill, butcher,
residing at Kidderminster, was charged with
assaulting Richard Jasper, also .a butcher, residing
at Kidderminster, on the 29th ult.—Mr. Corbet,
of Kidderminster, appeared for the complainant.;
and Mr. Saunders, of Kidderminster, defended.—
From the evidence adduced it appears that both
partics are rival butchers and they attended
Hagley Stock Sale on the above date when com-
plainant went up to Hill and asked him for a
cigar. Defendant told him he had not got one.
Some chaff afterwards ensued and defendant
struck complainant a back handed blow qn the
mouth.—The Beach considered an assault had
, been committed but of a trifling nattrce, and firtecl
' ddeuclout 1s and mtg.