The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-27 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

NEGLECT or WORM—At the Police Court on
Wednesday, before Messrs. F. D. L. Smith and H.
A. Wig tan, ad Dr. 11 Walker, Thomas Castry, a
roller, was charged with neglecting his work.
From the evidence of George Williams, manager
for Mes,rs. Noah Hingley and Sons, who claimed
£5 for damages, it appeared that on the Bth inst.,
d fendant went to the works the worse for drink
He commenced his work, that of rolling, but none
of the iron which he rolled was of the size re-
quired. Defendant also went to his werk on the
fbilowing day the worso for beer and again rolled
iron, which was not right. Defendant fell upon
the rolls, endangering his own life, and the
machinery. He then had the iron taken out of the
furnace end sent defendant home, and the mill
played for the whole of the week. The aclual
damage would be over £5O. The manager thought
if the Bends would make an rder for him to pay de-
tain £3 14s Od, which was due to the defendant
anti the defendant to pay the costs, it would meet
the case. The Bench made an order accordingly,
te iin defendant he had escaped very luckily.—
Roland rroman4, an apprentice, was summoned by
Vi ham R itty, 13‘;ot manufacturer, Cradley Heath,
for neglect of work. £2 was claimed in respect of
damag s, and an order was a, plied for to compel
def. ndant to fulfil his term of epprenliceship.
:linit. Dorsett, b.rrister, who appeared for the
defence, aLer louking a. the deed of appr_nticeeh'p,
,bjeet d o it on the ground that it wa not sealed.
Tti - summo:is wa. dismissed.

rauca PROSEC UTIO J .—Joseph Jatnes Westwood,
chain manufactw er and publican, of Cradley
Lleath, was summoned by tharles
sectetary to the Nailmakers' Association, with
hat he on the 23rd of September, then being the
employer of Charles Wellings, an artificer, employed
in the manufacture of chain, did unlawfully pay
him certain wages in respect of such emeloyment,
otherwise than in the current coin of the realm, to
wit, in beer.—Mr. Hooper (Messrs. Stokes and
!deeper, Dudley). appeared to prosecute, and Mr.
flolhei ten to detend.—Mr. Hooper said the prose-
cution was commenced under the Truck Act. It
was nunecessary for him to read the piovisions ef
the Act, which no doubt was well known to the
Bench. There were two offences under the Act,
but the one whiei was brought for the consideration
of the Court was a case that was constituted by
paying wages other than the coin of the realm.
It was under section 3of the Act. The prosecution
was commenced by Mr. Williams, who was secre-
tary to the Nailmakersl Association that the person..
upon which the evidence would iely was a Jas.
Wellings.— Jas. Wellings, chainmaker, Ctadley
tleath, said that he had worked for the defendant.
Previous to his leaving defendant's employ, which
would be about two months ago. he had worked
for him eighteen months'. He had reckonings
with the defendant, sometimes every week, and
sometimes every three weeks or a month. Defend-
ant keeps a publicehouse and sometimes he
(witness), received his wages in the house and
sometimes in a shop in the yard. He had been in
the habit of having beer from defendant on "tick."
There was a very remarkable room in the house,
which had only very lately had a window put into
it. There were chalk marks about the room ;on
the doors and walls, which made it rather te mark-
able. The defendant had told him what his wages
e ere and then stopped what he had bad in beer.
He remembered last Rowley Wake week, which was
held in the month of September. He had a reckon-
ing with defendant on the S iturday night in the
wake-wetk. Defendant paid him his wages all
but a pint of ale that he had had which would be
2-id. He heel several reckonings after that and
fendant stopped money out of his wages for
drink.—There was a second charge against the de-
fndto t of pa)ing Weltings wages, on the 16th
September, other wise than in the coin of the realm,
to wit clothes.—Mr. Hooper said that this ease was
brought under part of a eection of the Truck Act.
Teey said that defendant supplied Wellings with a
suit of clothes on the understanding that Wellings
was to work out the value of them in leboar. They
aier not say that defendant actually paid the
clethes for toe wages whi h was due, but when he
(Wellings) had the suit of clothes it was upon the
understanding or contract thet it shond be worked
out in labour. That was an offence under the Act,
as Sec ion one said "any act in which the whole
or any part of the wages should be made payable
otherwise than in the current coin of the realm : It
was net necessary that Wellings should have
worked at all so long as the contract was made to
do it. There was no necessity that he should go
on and work, but directly defendant made the con-
tract or understanding, the offence was constituted
under the act. The question was, what is a con-
tract without the meaning of the act.—Wellings
was then called and said that on Saturday before
the Rowley wake Sunday he had a suit of clothes
off the defendant, for which he was to run errands
and do other work for.—Mr. Holberton pointed
on: that the witness was the defendant's grandson
and for some time,the defendant had kept him. The
defendant gave the suit of clothes to the witness
for service he had rendered in running errands.
tie contended that it was not a case under the act.
—The Bench were of opinion that this was not a
case under the act and dismissed it.—Mr, Holbertou,
with reference to the first cue, asked for dismissal
of the summons on the substantial grounds that
the case had not been completely put before the
Court.—The Bench considered this case proved
and fined the defendant .£5 and costs.

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f -:;VP

['Tinted anci Piulis dby t gale Proprietor, Mr
FL ',IAD. at lig o,ll'-g, 92 Hign-strees, Stood-
County of Wore
.;.,tec sad • ixioa pLdoe a 1
et4ore and other co,a.ullaicationa tiat.be addressed.
laturday January 27th, ldr3.