The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-22 00:00:00

11118

ThE STOUTTPTPCI"

sad in'e!list.7.l4e w; broken to him by Mr. A number of workmen were got together, so
SWIIII, of Ilagley. they gathered the body up, put it onto a ladder,
The two children, Elizabeth Wooldridge and lind carried it to hi father's bone at the Lye.
G. W. Meredith, who were killed at the LVe Th.. sad event has cast a gloom over the Lye,
Stal ion last Friday Wt rm cmmitimm t til!2 ;i deceased Was very useful to his father, being
decesaed. the eldest son.

THF: INQUEST.

An inquest was held on the body at Mr. B.
Williams's, the Unicorn Inn, Dark Lane, Lye,
before R. Docker, Esq., Coroner, on Friday af-
ternoon. The first witness called was
Jesson Green, who deposed: I am a grocer,
and live at the Lye. I have seen the body the
jury have just viewed, and it is the body of
George Wooldridge. He lived with me at my
house, and was 21 years of age. He was a
clerk in his father's manufactory. The last time
1 saw him was about seven o'clock on Wedues•
day night. He did not return home.
Charles Leake, post-boy at the Talbot Hotel,
Stourbridge, deposed: I last saw deceased on
Wednesday about half-past eleven o'clock. A
messenger was sent to the Talbot Hotel fur a
car to be taken to Messrs. Nickols and Perks'
liquor vaults, Coventry-street. I went there,
and after waiting about 20 minutes the deceased
got in, and I drove to the Seven Stars Inn, Lye.
I remaided there with him about ten minutes.
He said, "If 1 give you Is, that will settle it."
I said it would, and thanked him. I then was
proceeding to drive him home, and when be'
tween 20 and 30 yards from the Seven Stars he
got out, and ran down the street, and turned to
the road going in the direction of the railway.
In my opinion he was not sober. I did not see
anything of him afterwards.
Isaac Hickman said: I am yardsraan in the
employ of the Great Western Railway Company
at Cradley Station. It was about 4.15 on the
Thursday morning, when I picked np a piece of
paper on which was written," There was a man
killed by John Stone's box. Set some one to
remove him at Once." From inquiries I have
since niado it was thrown out by the guard of
the Swansea mineral train, which did not stop
at Cradle' Station. It was about a mile from
Cradle)' Station, where I found him. When I i
was going I met several men who were going at I
the same time. I found the body just above the
place indicated by the piece of paper left by the i
guard. It was near the Glue Works. It lay in
the six-foot. It was cold and still. I did not I
know the body at the time. The head lay in I
the six-foot, and was dreadfully mangled. The
scalp lay in the six-foot. The right leg hung I
over the outside of the six-foot. The body lay l
long ways. We removed it at once to his own
home. The last passenger train that would go
that way would be the 11.10 from Birminghaiu,
and the last goods would be the Bordesley
goods about 12.30, which the deceased might
probably have been killed by. The trains were
lying about in all directions. I have not heard
whether anything was found on the driving.
wheels or engine of the Bordesloy train.
Mary Ann Brooks said: I live at the Seven
Stara, Lye, and knew deceased. I saw him on
Wednesday night about 11.30. I cannot say
whether he was sober or not, as he was in the
ear. I supplied him with a glass of whisky, and
one to the carman. I cannot say whether he
drank it or not, as I went into the house about
some change. When he was leaving he put out
his hand and wished me good-bye. I asked him
if he was going to America, and he said -'No,"
and added something else, which I could not
hear. Ile did not seem distressed, and seemed
about the same as usual. He did not intimate
to use that he was going to do anything with
himself.

Mr. A. Freer, surgeon, Stourbridge, said: I
saw decused about eight o'clock ou Thursday
morning. The head and face were very much
smashed; almost into a mass, and very much
disfigured. The right leg was cut off, with the
exception of a little bit of skin, and it was will
in his stocking and boot. The hands were cold,
and the right hand had sonic blood on it. Death
would be produced by the engine.
In reply to the Coroner, Mr. tiCht3oll Green
said, Nothing was missing from deceased's
pockets."
The Coroner said it appeared from the evi-
dence that deceased was last seen at half-past
eleven o'clock, going in the direction of the
railway, and it was very probable he went on to
the line, and was killed.

jury returned a verdict of" Found dead.

A r v3IPT TO MObiTO I. - t-. ; 111 „.
Assizes, on Monday, before Mr. Justace Lueh,
Rjc,j,„,„ (97) wa.; ii,licted for
attempting to discharge a loaded gun at Sarah
Hill, and Job Adams, on the 31st May, in Cov-
entry Street, Stourbridge, with intent to murder
them. Mr. Pritchard prosecuted, and Mr. Grif. -
tits defended.—lt appeared from the evidence
that on the day in question the prisoner was
walking about his back yard, with a loaded gun,
threatening to shoot, and pointing it at Sarah
Hill and Job Adams. He told his wife he would
die for two that night; he also said he would
blow Simeons Dunn's brains out. Thy gun was
ultimately taken from the prisoner, the police
sent for, and he was taken into custody, when he
denied the offence.—The jury returned a ver-
dict of not guilty. Prisoner was indicted on
Tuesday for attempting to kill Job Adams oil
the same occasion, the 31st of May.—Mr. Prit-
chard prosecuted, and Mr. Griflits defended.--
The evidence was similar to that given on the
previous day.—The jury were locked up, and
after an hours deliberation they returned a ver-
dict of guilty. -Sentenced to five years penal
servitude.

CRUELTY TO • PIGEON.-At the Police Court,
yesterday, before Major Fletcher, Charles Mills
and Bryan Micklewright were charged with
cruelly illtreatiug a pigeon, on the 12th just, at
Wollaston. Mr. John Wood, Longlands, proved
the case, and defendants were fined Ws and
costs. _ . _

ILLEGALLY TAKING FlSH.—Richard Mills was
charged by William Kettle with illegally taking
fish at Clout, in a pool belonging to Lord Lyt-
telton. Kettle proved the case Defendant
pleaded guilty, and was Sued is and costs.
FRIENDLY SOCIETY CASE.—John Davies and
Samuel Ruthin stewards to a friendly society
called the Prince Albert Independent lodge of
Oddfellows, were summoned to answer a charge
for illegally expelling John Gordon from the or-
der. Mr. Addison appeared for complainant,
and Mr. Perry for defendants. After hearing
the evidence on both sides, the Bench did not
consider there was any reasonable cause for
turning complainant out of the club, and ordered
him to be re-instated, and defendants to pay the
costs.

MISCELLANEOUS CASES.—Charles Harris was
charged with damaging parsnips the property of
George Dyer, at Wollaston. The case was dis-
inissed.—Henry Evans was fined 5s and mists,
or assaulting Janelliugh to, at the Lye.

..laW than tn t ri
41114 lives taken.
The jury returned a verdict of'' An .4