The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-14 00:00:00

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COUNTY COURT.

AN ADMINISTRATION ORDER IZEFU.?.I3D —At the
County Court on Tuesday, before Mr. J. Atriphh-tt
Deputy-Judge, Mr. Hinds Appeared on bet.alf of
Eli Pearson, a bricklayer, to apply for :.11 adioinis-
tratioa order. Mr. Waldron appear.3d t oppase on
behalf of one of the creditors.—The app joint said
he was a kricklayer and had eight ehiltlr n. lie re-
ce ved 27s per week for his wages. 110 had to pay
Li for rent since Christmas. 11•. owed £.:7 15s,
an offered 2s 6d in the pound.—Eximined by Mr
W..llron : Ile thought 2s 6.1 in the ouiol was a
fair sum. His furniture was not wern 4:100. He
paid 3s per week for rent. It was sot his own
house, but he built it and it would be worth £l5O.
It was mortgaged for that amount —.Mr. Waldron
, aid his Honour had n, t p over to make an order
u:i(!er ciam,e 31 —His Hon,ur refued the order.
A JUDGMENT SCMMONB.—FuIieO Brown, a clerk,
fla 1 y, was summoned by Meosrs. Fletcher and
Ti ‘ mas, tuvistrates, of Stourbii oge, for a sum of
mouey about £6.—lr appears that some time ago
t e d&eiidant wan toonmote I and ordered to Di.),
ss. p r we: k. The defendant then appealed against
the or ler in a higher omit and the case was dis-
mis,ed and the defeodant ordered to pay the costs.
The d C.:llkm; wt.s now summonet for the money
art of three instalments —Mr. Firmst one King
appeared on behalf of the magistrates.—Felice
Brown said he was a clerk in the employ of his
father, lie had his board and lodgings and 103
per week found him for his wages. His father paid
for his season ticket from Birmingham to Stour—
bridge. He had to pay 5s per week under an order
by the magistrates.—He was committed for 21 days,
lin default of payment.
IMPORTANT TO Pt:MUER& —Benjamin Geary,
puddler, brouglit an action against Henry Hall.for
.t 7 7s.—Mr. W. Waldron appeared fir the plaintiff
and Mr. Holberton defended.—Mr. Waldron in
opening the ease, said t; e plaintiff was a puddler at
the Low Level Furnaces, Brierley Hill, engaged by
Mr. Hell. The plaintiff was at work on Thursday
the 27th of November, 1884, when the bridge jamb
fell down and he was unable to go on with his work.
On the Saturday following plaintiff sent a boy to
fetch his money. The boy was told that the
pin ntiff was not to go to work again becaese he
had not built his furnace up. The plaintiff pre-
sented himself at the works for two weeks and he
was nit allowed to work.—Benjamin Geary was
call.al and said that he was a puddler in the employ
of Mr. Hall. On the 27th of November last, whilst
he was at avoik the bridge jamb which is some
brickwork, just inside the furnace, fell down and
he could not go on with his work and he had to
play for the following two days. On the Saturday
, he sent for his wages and a message was sent back.
Ou the Monday morning he went to work, but was
stoppld by he manager, Mr. Webb, who told him
he could not because he had not mended his
furnace. Witness told Mr. Webb that it was the
bricklayers place and not his to mend the furnace
and that when he commenced to work there he
agreed to give or take 14 days notice. The agree—
ment about the 14 days was posted in the works.
He did no: leave the work through having notice.—
Cross-examined by Mr. Holberton :—He had
worked at Mr. Hall's since last Whitsuntide. He
did not try to leave work that night. ihe puddlers
did not have to mend their fur .aces. The watch-
man told him it could be done in five-minute, but
witness knew it could not. The watchman and
the manager had been puddler& It was nothing
to do with him to fetch clay to mend the furnace.
The watchman said that witness had knocked the
jamb down. He told the watchman it was not his
place to put the jamb up The watchman loosed
the furnace out and pulled the damper up,—Re-
examined—The watchman loosed the furnace out.

_
Tlie paper produced he. had out of Mr. Hall's office
and he had one every week. His Honour said the
only thing in his mind was whe,her the plaintiff
was jtstified in putting the jamb up again on the
spur of the, moment. —Thomas Cox. undethand
puddler, said he was at work with Geary. The
watchman loosed the furnace oat. It was not his
or his master's duty to put the jamb up He had
been a puddler for 30 years and had never know.)
puddlers to put the jamb up.—Cross-examined :
He had never known a puddler put the jamb up
when a breakage occurred.—Mr. Holberton -ad-
dressed his Honour and said that this case was
most important to masters at the present time. It
was always the custom to get tome clay and stop
up the place where the jamb had split from where
such small breakages occurred The watchman
mate an entry in his book to the effect that Greay
stopped work after thrne heats and complained
aLout the slack and knocked the jamb down.
There was a counterclaim against the plaintiff for
damage caused through leaving work without
not.ce.—William Walker, night watchman, said
that on the 27th November last, he was at work.
The plaintiff made complaints to him about the
slack which he said was very fine. Soon after the
atvterhand came to him and told him the jamb was
n Witness told plaintiff he had knocked it
"own and that he (witness) could put it up in five
mi. utes. H had the damper up when he went to
nif,intif and witness said it was a shame to loose
• le- furnace oat for a breakage like that. Witness
lift repAred such places three times worse than
the pr,s. at one.—Cross-examined :—All puddlers
in wortc h :(1 rt-pt.ired jambs in the furnaces.—His
Honour ,sl;e4 witness to give any one name of
men repaired the janits The witness
Said lot- of nvn had doneit.—lle was asked several
tin es an 1 eave the same answer. and his Honour
sai he s:i n'd put t that he would not answer.—
, \Vita ,ss (:o :tinnieg said the jamb looked like as if
it had !wen kno7kea (loan. The slack was good if
p'aint'lr had wanted to work. -In answer to his
Honou • witness said the plaintiff had not made
.ny co nolaints about the jamb previous to the
Sa. urd IX.—Thomas Webb, manager, said he was a
puddler for about 30 years. He was not there on
the night of the 27th. but it was the duty of the
' paddler if any small breakage occurred during the
night. to go and get some clay and mend the
funny e up. Cross-examined : Plaintiff could
' heat the fur, ace whist the jamb was down. The
tl!er could keep heat in tho furnace whilst the
jam was down —On being asked the question
at.aH It- admitted the heat could not be kept in the
furaace. It wuld be the duty of the watchman to
fe‘eb . lay to try nd the furutec —Plaintiff had n ver
3p,) ti him tot the pre%iot“ S turtlay about the
jam.). Wi ne,s 1i It ot prctni-e to k,tive the jamb
seen to before. Wi• Loss distnis,ed plan if when
he kto k the jamb to vn lie w old it t swear
P'•co';if kuo-k. dth jamb down, lie disaA,sed
..nt if 0, the tiattr-ay at the otre.e. Ha di.l not
see .! i'till't,u ti, 7th November. He did tell
plat ,ifteUn erhir.d th.tt tie w tulti not be required
an,: not—. Toe plaintiff and his man came t work
on •v M e.day an] for II days af;er. PotAttiii
I;.t t,.11 w:tnt,l.9 that ida agreetu.nt was to giv.: or
talc.. ii laya notice. Wituess told him that it was
tiro gh his leaving off on hi-. own a.ecount and
tlo,t he was not to work ant more —Josiah Deel

bricklayer, sill he saw the furnace on the Fci.lny
440,11,nif. Taere we only three or four bricks out.
Plaiat ii could have put it ri;lit in five minutes if
h bad .vanted to work —His Honour said it wa
no, wht,tter it could he (lone in five minut4 s, but

wh ihtr it was the puldler's place to do so.—
Wit n-ss said peddlers alw4yB h.-lped him to repair
the jaml.s, Cross-examined : lie had never
kn wa peddlers to repair jambb when he was there.
—His Honour paid he should give against Mr.
Holberton for 3s. and costs on the amount
claimed.

LEc :URE BY MR. BOTTOMLEY.—There was a fair
tteLdance at tie Corn Exchange on Saturday night
:0 h ar a I,ct ore from Mr. J. H. Bott ntley, of Old-
:am.—Mr. 11. T. Hickman, LP., presided. The
übjoet of the lecture was " Why am I a Conser-
t.ative." He gave an exceedingly able exposition
I Co.istivative principles, and was frequently
beered. There we, e also occasional Radical inter-
ruptions, whieh were ably and promptly dealt with
Y the lecturer.—At the close dissentients were in-
. ited to go on to the platform to express their views,
bu, n , one availed himself of the privilea,e, and
, otes of thanks to the lecturer and the chairman
brought a succPssful mreting to a close.
PEOPLE'S CONCERT SOCIETY.—There was a very
large audience on Monday night, at the Cord Ex-
chttig,, at the fifth concert thii season of the above
;ociety. An especially attractive programme had
been announced, the first part being devoted to the
rHmkting of Steredale Bennett's pastoral of the
May Queen." With a chorus of 140 voices, and
principals in Mrs. Parker, Miss Malvina Field, Miss
Hudson, Mr. C. W. Cooper, and Mr. C. Perks, there
was good material for an efficient peiformance.
The late Mr. S. Simms was to have taken part in
the present performance, and his place was filled by
his son Mr S. tsimms, who acted as accompanist
with Air. Hedley Satchell as conductor. The per-
formance was an unequivocal success, and owing to
the number who could not obtain admission it is to
be repeated. The miscellaneous selection in the
second part was also well received.
TuE LATE MR. S Stxrds.—The following com-
mittee has been formed with a view of raising a
fund for the benefit of the family of the late Mr. S.
Simms. Chairman, Rev. H. Sherrard , treasurers,
NfeFsrs. Billingham and Blunsom ; hon. sec., 2dr. F.
L. Saunders • Messrs. Bates, Bottomley, Broomhall,
Hardwick, Jackson, King, Rossiter, Satchel], B.
Saunders, Watson Smith; Thomas, and Wilcock.
CONSERVATI22I.—The following letters have been
received from the Marquess of Salisbury and Sir.
:Staff :IA Nortt.cote by Mr. G Button, the secretary
of the Conservative Association:—"Sir-1 all)
direett dfb theThlarquess of Salisbuly oacknowl •
the receipt et yew: letter of the 6th tut., and to
say thLt we is much obliged for the kind expos-