biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

WORDSLEY.

CHARGE OF STEALING WHEAT.—At the Petty Sessions,
on Monday last, before B. St. John Matthews and H.
Smith, Esqra., George Crook and Benjamin Scott were
charged with stealing a quantity of wheat, on the 4th
hist, the property of John Wilson Stalworth, of Worces-
ter. Prosecutor said he was a general carrier. and on the
above date sent some wheat to Messrs. W. and E. Webb,
of Wordaley. The wheat was put into 117 sacks, bear-
ing the name of Messrs. Webb, and each bag weighed
12 score and 12111 s. Benjamin Scott WOO the captain of
the boat. stud the wheat was given in clivrge to (-rook,
wit ,i took it to %Void :ley. A Ulan husu.rl Goodwin proved
that tin weighed lou ..s ....ue were 1011bs.
short. Thirtyoiss. %Ail.' bags u.ote weighed. but there
were none but the LU deficient. Tile value at the wheat
stolen was 284. Defendants pleaded guilty, and were den.
tenced to ti.ree mouths' hard labour.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

FATHER IGNATIUS.

rusicl

In London, on Friday night, Store-street Ivs. -
was filled by a hostile audience, who had assembled to
oppose the Rev. Father Ignatius in his reply to a lec-
ture by the Rev. J. Geikie, of Islington. 'lhe lecturer
had stated that the Reformation in England did not
owe its origin to Henry VIII. ; that the Reformation
was a blessing; that the monks were the curse of the
land. All these statements Father Ignatius undertook
to controvert. 1161 appearance on the platform, in his
monastic attire, was the 854051 for a storm it hisses,
which lasted for several minutes. Having wita great
difficulty obtained silence, he begged, for the sake of
fair play, that they would accord to him the same
attention they had given to his adversary. He then
commenced, but on saying he would show them the Re-
formation was a curse, the storms of dissent were so
deafening that he had to stop and seat himself. He
proceeded, but on arriving at the second point, loud
cries were raised, "Prove the first r You and
your historians have made a mistake !" &c. He said
a brilliant idea had just struck him; a certain
number among his audience were Baptists, who
had been taught to act like children, but he
would prefer on the present occasion to see
them imitating the simplicity and silence of children.
Having arrived at the third point, considerable uproar
was created outside the doors of the hall by those who
had been unable to gain admittance. The confusion
among the audience was thereby increased tenfold, and
cries of "There's plenty of room on the platform?"
were raised. To this the lecturer replied that he had
paid over £7 for the use of the hall, and he always
reserved the platform for himself. The rev, lecturer
Soiling it impossible to conclude, said he had come to
reply to the lecture of the Rev. J. Geikie ; they had
promised him attention, but they had not given it, and
it would be a loss of physical enemy and a waste of
time did he stay longer. He then wished them good
night, and left the platform amid cries of "No, no,"
"Come back," &c. A few minutes after leaving the
platform the rev, father sent one of his monks to
announce that the reason of his not continuing the
lecture was on account of physical weakness. While
separating hearty cheers were given for "the glorious
Reformation," the Rev. Father Ignatius, and the Rev.
J. Geikie.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

Toni anb. Tlistrict Wictus. k .

STOURBRIDGE AND KIDDERMINSTER

BANKING COMPANY.

The thirty-fifth annual general meeting of the
shareholders of this bank was held at Stour- '
bridge on Monday afternoon, Mr. .J. Pitman in
the chair. The report of the directors was re-
ceived and approved, and a dividend of 10s per
share, and a bonus of 2s 60 per share, for the
half-year ending June 30, being at the rate of
121 per cent, per annum, was declared, payable
on and after the 2ah inst. A sum of .f 111,160
is 34 was carried to the reserve fund, raising
that fund to t 37,000; anti a balance of 0.137
us 21 was carried forward to the next account.
A vote of thanks was passed to the directors for
their attention to the interests of the bank dur-
ing the past year ; and the thanks of the pro-
prietors were also given to Mr. J. D. Thomas,
the general manager, for his successful adminis-
tration of the business of the bank ; and to the
branch managers, for the care and zeal with
which they had discharged their duties.—On the
report of the scrutineers, Mr. 1. Walker and Mr.
John Corbett were declared to be re-elected as
directors of the company.

WORKMEN'S TREAT.—On Friday, the 13th
just, about 130 glassmakers in the employ of
Messrs. Walker, cf the Heath Glass Works,
Stourbridge, at down to a most sumptuous din-
ner, provided by Mr. Thompkins, Prince of
Wales Inn, Hagley, through the kind liberality
of Mr. Phillip Walker; Hod to celebrate the oc-
casion of his recent marriage. The profuse lib-
crudity which marked the provision, even to the
minutest details, is seldom witnessed, and the
attention bestowed by the host merits the high-
est encomium. Atnple justice being done to the
excellent things provided, Mr. P. W. occupied
the chair, and Mr. R. Jukes the vier-chair. The
' nowt loyal to tsts having been proposed and res-
p cited to, :',lr. J. Woolley, iii ti very approori•
ate mahher, proistsed the lieslth of Me. awl Mrs.
Plumup Walltrr which was drunk with musical
tioiwurs. Mr. Tilui.nits Wind next propesed the
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

REWARDS FOR BRAVERY.

On Tuesday, at a meeting of the Royal Humane
Society, in London, the (moiety's silver medallion was
unanimously voted to Lieutenant R. C. Hart, an
officer in the Royal Engineers, for saving Louis Cousin,
a Frenchman, at Boulmne.
Mr. Baker, late of the 60th Regiment, was awarded
the bronze medallion of the society for assisting in the

rescue.
On the recommendation of the Lords of the Admir-
alty the silver medallhai was also presented to Mr.
Berry Norris West, R.N., navigating sub-lieutenant of 1
her Majesty's gunboat Bustard, for saving John Arthur
Kitt, assistant-engineer, who attempted suicide at
, Takan, China, on a dark night in November last.
l The bronze medallion was given to William ii. Rowe
for saving ten persons, whose boat was upset by a
steamship in Plymouth Sound on the 28th ultimo ; to
Captain H. C. Whitlock for saving two men who were
carried out while bathing at Cleveleys, Fleetwood,
Lancashire, on the 10th ultimo; to Patrick Doyle, for
saving William Walsh, who fell into 14 feet of water
at Lavitt's Quay, Ccrk, on the 17th ult.; to Henry
Laird Jones and William Buckley, for saving four
persons who wihno
anwe were overcome copmu
me apiiindgre,lialtre4)
fet insensibleie;,,bzt
Liverpool, on the 15th ult.; to Lieutenant C. Lapriman-
daye, R.N., of her Majesty's shin Lord Warden, who,
with the assistance of Ed. in Rider (who received the
thanks of the society, inscribed on vellum), saved
William Keast, who fell overboard in Malta Harbour;
to William Dow. an able seaman of her Majesty's ship
Pendope, for saving William Way, who fell into eight
fathoms of water at Harwich, on the 2nd instant ; to
George Midland, a boy 14 years of age, for saving Frank
Smerdon, whose boat was capsized in the sea at Sema-
phore, South Australia on the 24th of June last year;
and to Oliver Davey, for saving the life of Mr. Nicholas
Lobb, who was carried'out to sea while bathing at Bode
harbour in from 15 to 20 feet of water, on the 21st ult.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

ROWLEY REGIS.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England have
granted the perpetual annuity of E*M. as an endowment
for the new clitireli.and district Of St. l'aul. Promoters
of church building in Birmingham and the district should
be stimulated to increased zeal when they learn that
there seems a prospect of obtaining endowments for new
churches and districts when eligible.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

THE WHEAT CROP.

Mr. Mechi again writing to The Times, on "Thin

Sowing," Says:—
Thin sowing has enabled me to come to a conclusion am to
the cause of Lute root falling or stem.rotting of wheat, and
consequent blighted ears, which will probably inflict a loss
on the country of at least a million quarters of wheat and
other grain.
Where I sowed one peck of wheat per acre every stem Is
hard, glassy, and erect, the heals and kernels perfect,
while on the very next stetches on each side, within 12 inches
of the thin sown, the four pecks per acre of wheat is par-
tially root falleo, or atom rotten, and the grain inferior. The
same remark applies in degree to the two pecks per acre of
wheat as compared with the four pecks adjoining, the for-
mer bearing a much stiffer glassy stuhble than the other
The cause is obvious Among the thin sown the sun and air
had free access to the soil, an-I thus dried it, while In the
thickly sown and denser foliage there was insufficient
aeration and evaporation.
The very heavy rainfall of May I believe, six Inches, or
600 toils per acre., followed by frosts and a low tempera-
ture, a sunless, cold June, and north-easterly winds, caused
the land to continue unusually wet ; while the exception-
ally mild winter had encouraged a rank, dense, early ve-
getation.
All this was exactly opposite to the floe wheat season of
1060, which was erzetationally bright, hot, anti dry.
The condition of the crops must, I fear, be lamentable on
undrained clays and wet soils, where two or three bushels of
wheat, four of barley, and five or six of oats have been sown
, per acre. Chalks and dry soils have, sonic of them, escaped
much injury, while In Scotland a drought of live months
' has. lam told, prevailed.
My thin-sown wheats, barley, and oats, are the best on the
farm.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

NATIONALITY" FIGHT.

The Brighton Daily News reports a severe fight
between Belgian and English workmen near th It town,
There are a large number of foreigners, principally
Belgians, employed in building the new nunnery at
Ditclaling Coleman, and a feud seems to have existed
between them and the Englkh workmen in the neigh-
bourhood, but there has never been an actual outbreak
until now.
There haying been a dub day among the members
of a Court tif Forestera held at an inn last week, a large
party of the foreign mechanics came over in the even-
ing, but it was not thought proper to allow them to
go upstairs into the clubroom, and this seems to have
led to a disturbance the foreigneradrawing their knives
and making an indiscriminate attack on the company;
and a young man, a blacksmith, not being aware of
what was going on, on coming down stake was severely
wounded, his bead being laid open by a thrust with a
knife. The aggressors were soon bundled out of
doors, when, meeting with a reinforcement, they made
an attack on a cart belonging to a man named Donovan,
and, arming themselves with some sticks he had, again
forced their way into the house and attacked the
party. By this time the blood of the English was
thoroughly aroused, and a terrific hand-tiohand fight
between the club men and the Belgians took place, the
former being supplied by a man named Welder with
his "three-a-penny " sticks, which they found very
handy cudgels, the foreigners brandishing and freely
using their knives and sticks. Poor Walder came in
for a tremendous blow on the head from one of the
Belgians, who stood six feet four inches high, which
completely stunned him.
While the fightwaa furiously raging, police-constable
Dives stepped in, and siding with his countrymen,
coolly drew his truncheon, and before the invading
party, who made a furious onslaught on him, could say
"Jack Robinson," gave them some gentle reminders,
laying six or seven prostrate in half as many minutes.
The Belgians now numbered between thirty and forty,
and fought savagely, but their opponents were too
nimble, and used their fists and sticks too skilfully for
them, and, not caring to give guider, drove them
before them, until every one was rainy cleared off the
common. This occurred between eleven and twelve
o'clock at night, and it seems that on their road home
the foreigners met a young man named Joynes, whom
they shamefully assaulted and ill-treated.
The police are in possession of the names of several of
the ringleaders, but although the lady superior of the
nunnery treated them with marked politeness, and
pretended to give every information in her power, they
are studiously kept out of sight, and it is reported that
sixteen have been sent home to Belgium. Three of the
wounded are confined to their beds.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

CLENT.

IVARRIME FERTIVITIE6.—• This village presented, on
Wednesiley. a scene of the gayest description, hang the
occasioe of the marriage of John Ampniett Esti , the
owner of the principal part of the parish. to Mies liayli•,
the ouly child or E. IL Baylis, Esq., elsn of the same
place. Bannerol and Sags mere Ilium along the road for
nearly a mile, and at several places arches were erected.
with appropriate emblems, the one near the residence of
Tliomoa Ampillett. Eaq uncle of the bridegroom. being
specially noteworthy. The principal decorations, how-
ever, were made teem the bride's house to the church.
Oil the road ia 4 genial and master's hnuse. which was
built and endowed by the Ainnillett family, and from the
porch of the selinolmie-ter'e }loose across the road to the
grounds of Mr. H. N. Baylis. was erected a twist beesti-
ful Gothic etch. some twenty feet high. covered with
evergreens banners, Ac. The road from the selinolhouse
to the church, was profusely decorated, and from the
church tower iloattil a large redovhite-and blue gag.
The church wan very full during the ceremony, which
was performed by the Has'. G. Watte. vicar, assisted by
the lien. H. Sherrard, vicar of St. Thomae's, Stourbridge.
sumptuoua dinher was given in the afternoon at the
Clent, to rt large comber of Mr. Radio's work-
men. In the ere:tine the wives and sweethearts of the
workmen. kn,i all the:coitagers cute liberally entweined.
The school childr.n were also &applied with limo, cake,
Imes. tc ,end a large number of toys were altlii given
sway. The hriltl'a preseets were extremely numerous,
amongst them being an elegantly bound faintly Bible.
and elegant edition of Ilartleet's Jerusalem Visited, both
of which were most elaborately illumieated, by Mr. Jew
of Stotirliridge, indicating there Asa humble
testimeny of the high esteem nod affection felt by the
workmen in her father's employ.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

BREACH OF PROMISE.

At the assizes held at Liverpool, the cause of " Speight v.
Hewitt" has been tried, and in which the plaintiff. lane
Speight, thirty-four years of age, the daughter of Mr. Peter
Speight, a brush manufacturer at Lancaster„ sought to re-
cover damages for breach of promise of marriage from Mr.
Laurence llewitt, who holds the position of postmaster in
that town.
The case, with the consent of both parties, was tried
by five jurymen, there being only that number in
court when the case wan called on. Another peen.
liarity of the trial was that, under the new Act, the
plaintiff herself gave evidence.
From the statement of Mr. Tory, who appeared for
the plaintiff, it appeared that about three years ago
the defendant was left a widower with three children.
He and the plaintiff's family were next door neighbours
and the intimacy which naturally existed between
them, in time induced the defendant to declare himself
am the plaintiffs lover. In the year 1866, when the
defendant became very marked in his attentions to
plaintiff, she went on a visit to some of her friends who
resided near Windermere Lake. While she was there
Mr. Hewett went to see her, and he also wrote her a
number of love letters. In one of these letters he
addressed her a. "My dear Miss Speight ; he said
alga that he had been looking forward with very great
pleasure to his next visit to her, but he was afraid he
would not be able to stay all night. He should not,
however, have hesitated for a moment, and he would
pray for a tine day. Another of the defendant's let-
ters was couched in the following laconic terms:
.• Mies Jane Speight,
All', right.—L. Li."
In a longer communication Mr. Hewitt said :
" Yesterday I went to church, and had the turtle doves
before me. Laughter.) In the afternoon I had tea with
Nancy and her father the sister and father of the plaintiff
Subsequently the defendant wrote to the plaintiff,
expressing the hope that when he called to see her he
would Mad her quite well, and prepared for a good
ramble. The jury would, no doubt, know, said the
learned counsel, what a good ramble would mean in
the Lake district During that ramble, or at all
events, immediately afterwards, the defendant pro-
posed to the plaintiff, and on being subsequently naked
by her what he really meant, he wrote to her as
follows :
"My dearest Jane—l was Indeed glad to hear that yon had
arrived all s de among so many felt-ode It would, I am sure,
be a great pleasure to you to meet those which you did not ex-
pect. Well, Ido hope and pray that you will thoroughly
enjoy yourself. And now for the revelation I made to you on
Thursday. I was really in earnest, and what I meant was
this—Can you give me any hope of being my wife? Oh, could
you hay* looked In may taw whom at the boat-house, you
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21

HALESOWEN.

THE STRIKE AND THE Itxwom Scfmor..—The poverty
and distress existing among the !milers of this town and
immediate district has called forth the benevolence of
Mrs. Trewolla mid Mrs. W. H. Rose, who, on Monday
afternoon, provided a bountiful tea for about 120 scholars
attending the Ilirmingliam Street Ragged School. The
children were nearly all those of nailer% on strike.
Among those who assisted in carrying out the arrange-
ments were Mrs. H. !lollies, Mrs. Grove, Mrs. White,
Mrs. It. Johnson, Mr. It. Trewolla, hon. sec. cf the school
and Mr. W. H. Rose.

OF Ills: REV. C. IL PRANCE. --The mar-
riage of the Rev. C. 11. Prance, I do curate of Hodesowert,
to Miss Sophia Trindoor, was solemnised on Tueolsay, as
Paddington, London. The rev, gentleman, who hat
gained some notoriety by his journeys to Palestine, wooi
a great favourite among the poor of the town through his
benevolence to them for a period extending over four
years. The bells of the parrish church rang out merry
peals during the day, and in the evening u number of old
people were entertained to a subsiantial supper at the
infant school room. The church choir, the male teacoi-
ers of the Sunday schools, wad a few others also par-
took of supper.