The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-02-05 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

CHARM! OP OBSTRUCTION.-At the Police Court, On
Wednesday, before Messrs. N. Hingley and W. Bassano,
Henry Slater, James Slater, Henry James, William
Parkes, Joseph Griffith,, Anthony Willetts, and Alfred
Rhodes, 7 boys, were charged with obstructing the free
passage of a footpath in Pig Lane, Old Hill, on the 30th
ult. Police-constable Kettle proved seeing the whole of
the defendants on the footpath in Pig Lane on the above
date. Persons going to chapel had to leave the footpath
in order to pass defendants who were shouting and
making a noise with a tin pot. Complaints had been
made to the police lately of mobs of men and boys
assembling on the footpaths, especially on a Sunday.
Defendants were fined 6d and costs, in default 14 days
each.

NEGLECT OF Worm—Edward Harris was summoned
by Messrs.lHolmes and Willetts for neglecting his work
Mr. Holmes proved the case and defendant was ordered
to pay 9s and costs and return to work for 14 days.
APPLICATION lON EJECTMENT.—John Hill applied for
an ejectment order against Benjamin Timmins. Thomas
Patenll, clerk to Mr S. Leonard, amtioneer, Cradley
Heath, served the notice to quit on defendant on the
23rd of Jane last, and the applicant John Hill proved
serving the notice of ejectment on the 22nd ult. Hill
stated that defendant had left the house and gone into
lodgings bid retained possession of the key of the house.
An order was made for defendant to give rip poeseeetea of
the house in 21 days.
Tuarsesams.—The following transfers took place :
The Round of Beef, Cradley Heath, from Joseph Barley
to David Burley; the Cock Inn, Rowley, from Lucy
Darby to Benjamin Darby; the boathouse license of
Richard Green to Thomas Darby. Au interim authority
was granted to John Frost, of the Cross Inn, Old Hill.
STEALING MONET.—Thomus Burton, a farm labourer
was charged with feloniously stealing Is 9d, the monies
of John Hadley, farmer, at the Ram Rod Hall Farm, on
the 26th ult. Prosecutor said prisoner was a hired
servant of his and on the above date he sent him to
Oldbury to purchase lib of biscuits and Ilb of grapes,
and gave him 25 6d. Prisoner came back about 9 o'clock
and bought the biscuits, but not the grapes. He said he
had paid 1s for the biscuits but could not gat any grapes.
Witness had since made inquiries and found that prisoner
had only paid 9d for the biscuits and that there were
plenty of grapes to be obtained in Oldbury. Prisoner
did not give witness any change. He was asked what he
had done with the money and he said he had spent it.
The next morning he absconded before any one was up.
In answer to the charge prisoner said prosecutor starved
him for a month on bread and chute and he had speat
the money to purchase food and drink. This statement
was strongly denied by prosecutor, who asked the Magis-
trates to look at prisoner and then say if they thought
he looked as if he was starred. Prisoner was sentensed
to 28 days' hard labour.
BREACII OF TIE Prues.—Joseph Hackett, Enoch
Hackett, and William Stone were charged with com-
mitting a breach of the peace by fighting on the 29th ult.
at Old Hill.—Police-constable Sylvester proved seeing all
of the defendants fighting together. Defendant Joseph
Hackett said' I am not going to tell any stories, Muter
Hingley. Truth needs no study. We were all righting."
Defendants were bound over in one surety each to keep
the peace for 3 months.
CHARGE OP THNEATINING.—EIiza and Elizabeth
Willetts were charged with using threatening language
towards Sophia Banner, on the 10th ult. After hearing
the evidence the Bench dismissed the case. Mr. A.idison
defended.

CHARGB or CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.—Henry Thomas
broker, 59, Elbow-street, Old Hill was summoned by
Inapector Frederick Woodhouse, of the South Stafford-
shire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
for having on the 20th ult., unlawfully, wilfully and
maliciously illtreated. a certain horse by neglecting to
provide it with sufficient • food.—Mr. Maunder, of
Birmingham, appeared to prosecute, and Mr. Addison
defended.—lnspector Woodhouse said en the 20th of
last month he visited defendant's premises and saw a mare'
standing 'up in an open entry. The doors of the 'entry'
were open. The animal was in a most wretched and
appalling state. He examined the mare and found a hole
in the leg which was discharging blood and matter, and
in both nostril-s there was a thick mucus.
He noticed that there was not the slightest
vestige of anything on the ground to lie upon and the
poor animal was merely a bag of bones. Defeadant
brought it some cut chaff and it oat it all. There was a
palshe-house table propped against the horse and defeat!.
Cat said he had been told to prep it up. In the
pr Of Pollce-eonstahle Sylvester witlesss toll
dii eel-
sat he should charge him with keeping the animal in
that state in an open plaee for the ewe of a mouth
Defendant said it had been in the stable %Vitae.'
asked where the stable was when defendant said it was
so use; he could not deny it. The horde had been there
the whole of the time. Witness then ordered him
.to
take the horse to a stable at the Cross Inn, Old
Vim animal lay down there aud could not get up and It
had to be kill,al tiler.. Defendant sent a note to wl.siess
saying that the horse had been bitten by a dog. Witu.-ss
made every enquiry he possibly could and he fond that
,uch had been the case. Cross-examined: I know there
vr.• a summons When oat against a man named Priest
for his dog biting the horse. There was a piece of e:oila
tied on the I.g. I went to the place first in receipt of
the letter from defendant, in which he stated that the
horse had been bitten by a dog in the field. The tale
was by the side of the horse.—Police-constable Sylveater
said he lwAs stational at 011 Hill He visited defend-
avt's premises on the 20th of last month mid saw the
horse. It appeared to be in a very low state. Defendant
said the horse had been in that condition for a month
and he afterwards sAid it had b.en in the passage fur a
month. Witness tiw the horse again on the Sunday
afternoon. It was then lying on its back in the gutter
in the stable at the Cress Inn. Defendant was asked to
give the horse some fool auil he fetehed it some chaff
which the horse eat immediately and it teemed as though
he would have "eaten the basket as well."—Pulice-con-
stable Kettle and a Mrs Stevens al.o gave evidence forth*
prosecution.—Mr. Addison, in defence, contended that
the injury to the leg was caused by as dog biting it whist
in a held, and that every precaution had been taken to
we're the recovery of the horse. The animal was in
such a state from the injuries it received that it was
unable to lie down and therefore defendant had to prop
it up, and during the time the horse was in the entry is
had proper food and every attention paid it. Several
witnesses were called for the defence, whose evidence
bore out Mr. Addison's statement. There was a charge
preferred by Henry Thomas, the defendant in the pre-
ceding case agaiest Thomas Priest for cruelly illtiamting
as horse by allowing a dog to bite it. Mier hearing the
eviden:e in the two cases the Bench decided to dismiss
both eases, at the seine time Mr. Hingley said Inspector
Woodhouse was quite right in bringing the cue before
the Bench.