biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

STRANGE PROCEEDING in a CHURCH.

At the parish church of Stanton Fitzwarren, Swin-
don, North Wilts, on Sunday last, the incumbent, the
Rev. F. M. Rowden (an extreme Low Churchman), in
place of a sermon delivered a long address commenting
upon a letter he had received from the churchwardens.
It appears that the churchwardens were dissatisfied
with the way in which the service was conducted, and
addressed a private letter to Mr. Rowden, calling his
attention to several points on which it seemed to them
that he did not act with becoming reverence, and
others in which he deviated from the rubric. Mr.
Rowden, on the following Sunday, announced his in-
tention of reading the letter in church. A crowded
congregation was the result.
The service was conducted in the usual way until
after the communion, when he took off his surplice and
mounted the pulpit in a black gown. Its then pro-
ceeded to comment upon the principal points of the
letter, stigmatizing the churchwardens as tyrannical
and the letter as oppressive, but confessing that he had
not been so carets! as he should have been upon one
point mentioned—the disposition of the consecrated ele-
ments left unconsumed after communion. Mr Rowden
said he had continually given way to the wish of one of
the churchwardens who played the organ, and allowed
music, which was against his convictions, out of a
desire for peace; but having received this letter, in
future no music would be permitted except the Nunc
Dimittis, Ps Deum, Jubilate, and two hymns in the
morning; and the Magniticat, None Dimittis, and two
hymns in the evening.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

THE DRINK AGAIN!

An inquest has been held at Newington Butte, Lon-
don, on the body of Mr, Brisco Price, aged 53, a
retired surgeon. The deceased who resided with his
nephew and neice, at Crampton-street, was found
about 6 o'clock on Saturday morning lying upon the
floor of his bedroom surrounded by a large pool of
blood, which had flowed from an extensive wound in
his throat, and had saturated the carpet. Dr. Williams
was immediately called in, but deceased expired
shortly after from exhaustion. It was impossible
to restore him he having completely severed the
larynx and all the arteries with a very sharp
instrument found by his side, which is known
as a mappel, is used in dissection, and formed
part of a case of surgical instruments belonging to
deceased. He bad left no writing accounting for the
rash act, nor had he previously expressed any intention
of destroying himself, but he had for many years given
way to habits of intemperance, in the Indulgence of
which, with the exception of a small portion he paid for
his board and lodging, he expended an income of £212 a
year, which he received quarterly, ands° rapidlythat the
whole was generally spent in less than three week after
receipt; indeed, within a few days he spent no lees than
Si in a day upon brandy. Latterly he seemed inclined to
delirium tremens, was attacked with a fit, and became
imbued with delusions that men were following him
about for debts, although he owed nothing, paying
for everything honourably. He was a remarkably
fine-looking man, well known in the locality for his
amiable and gentlemanly demeanour. The jury re-
turned a verdict of "Temporary insanity, brought on
by excessive drinking of ardent spirits."

FRAUDULENT BANKRUPTCY.
Robert Todd Hubbard, aged 42, described as a respectable.
looking man, was indicted at Kingston assizes. before Mr.
Hawkins, QC., for misdemeanour, under one cf the clauses
of the Bankruptcy Act, for having unlawfully removed cer-
tain property sixty days previous to his bankruptcy, with in-
tent to defraud his creditors, and prevent the due adminis-
tration of his estate. Serjeant Robinson was specially re-
tained to conduct the pr, secution, with Mr Straight on be-
half of the Court of Bankruptcy. Mr. Bibton was counsel
for the defendant.

It appeared that the defendant wll.ll formerly the lend.
lord of the "Royal Arms" Tavern at Farnham, and that
he took possession of that house in the year 1868. At
this time he borrowed i'loo from a person named Collins,
who was employed as a clerk by Messrs. Taun-
ton, the brewers, of Farnham. After the defendant
had taken possession of the house, the business did not
seem to have been very prosperous; and Collins, who
lived near the defendant, and had an opportunity of
seeing what was going on, became anxious about his
money, and repeatedly sp he to the defendant upon
the subject, and pressed him for payment. The deten-
dant pot him off with various excuses, but at length,
upon Mr. Collins insisting upon payment, he said some.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

SHIPPING NEWS.

Plymouth, April Ist.
The Cinib,ia, from New York, with United
States mails, arrived at 8 a.m. to-day.

GENERAL, NEWS.

Press Association Telegrams.

April Ist.

A great Protestant Conference will be held at
New York, in the ensuing Autumn, and a meet-
ing will shortly he held in London, for the pur-
pose of making arrangements for the Confer-
ence more widely known. An English commit-
tee has been organised, for which Lord Alfred
Churchill is chairman. General Alexander is
Vice-chairman.

The execution of convict Rutterford, under
sentence of death, for the murder of Maharajah
Duleep Singh's gamekeeper, at Eriswell, fixed
to take place at Bury St. Edmunds gaol, next
Monday week, but doubts are entertained as to
the possibility of strangling hint on account of
his neck. Representations have been made to
the Home Secretary, to this effect.
At the Leeds Assizes, to-day, Milliam Naylor
Bobbin, turner, Bradford, was tried for the mur-
der of his grandchild. He was found guilty,
but being held not accountable for his actions,
on the ground of insanity, was ordered to be de-
tained during her Majesty's pleasure.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

CRADLEY HEATH.

Naanow ESCAPE.—On Tuesday last an accident hap.
peued at the Cornsreaves Ire is Works which might have
pr veci fatal. but which, fortunately, ended not so seri-
ously. The manager of the blast furnaces, Mr. C. Hod.
gems, rout the under-manager, Mr. Hall. were standing
near one of the furnace, with a keeper named Stanton
v. lien a tayere burst. In a manient hot ciuders and dust
were full in their faces. Stanton's were completely
Moped up, his face was cat. and he looked a woeful
s p,..etacle black and bloody. Mr. Hodgetts also, received
injury to his fore, but was not so badly burnt as Stanton.
Hall had, fortunately, Mot turned his Lack on the fur.
once, and 60 escaped with a alight burn on the shoulder.
Mr Blunt. from Dr. Malin.% was soon in attendance,
and Stanton and Mr. Hodgetts will shortly, it is hoped.
become convalescent. The nature of the accident was
exactly the same as that which happened at the Levt-I
Furnaces some time ago, but the effects were, providen•
tinily, not tai serious.
CHARITY SERMONS.—On Sunday last the anneal school
sermons were preached in the Primitive Methodist
Chapel: in the mottling and evening by the Rev. T.
(lottery. of Wolverhampton ; and in the afternoon by
Miss Greenfield, of Woodsioe. Large congregations
were present during the day, end the collections tiniOnn
ted to the noble sum id about £3-1. Pieces were recited
by the children, and the choir (under the leadership of
Mr. O. Head) rendered some pieces of music in a plea..
lug mouser.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

NEWARK ELECTION.

Newark, 3 p.m.
BRISTOW'S RETURN.
Bristow, 734.
Sleigh, 575.
Sir. George Grey retiied from the contest at
11 o'clock.

WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET THIS DAY.
Supplies of wheat moderate, and a steady de-
mand for dry qualities at last Friday's rates.
Barley, oates, and beans, without alteration.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-02

thing to him to the effect that there was nothing to pre-
vent him selling off everything that he had and leaving the
country, and at the same time making a sort of threat
that he would do so if Mr. Collins did not give him
time to pay the debt. Upon this it appeared that Mr.
Collins commenced legal proceedings to recover his
money, and the defendant was served with a writ.
Very shortly after this it appeared that the defendant
removed every article of property that was in the
house, and a van was brought into the back part of the
premises in which the defendant's property was packed
and it was sent to an auctioneer at Reading, to whom
it appeared it was disposed of for £75, and shortly
after this the defendant was adjudicated a bankrupt.
The principal evidence in support of the charge was
the statement made by the defendant himself when ha ,
was under examination in the Court of Bankruptcy, and
it appeared that he then admitted that he had sent all
the property in his house to Beading to be disposed of,
and that he sold it for the sum above-mentioned, whereas
it was admitted that when it was re-sold it fetched £175,
and was worth £3OO, and it appeared that the whole
amount of the defendant's debts at the time of his bank-
ruptcy was not more than 4:300, so that if his estate
had been fairly administered it would have paid
nearly the whole amount of the liabilities of the de-
fendant. In the course of the proceedings it appeared
that the defendant was arrested upon an affidavit made
by Mr. Collins that he believed he intended to leave
the country, and while he was on his way to Horse-
monger-lane Gaol he made use of an observation to the
effect that if he had known what Mr. Collins intended
to do the officer would never have had him.
Mr. Ribton, in his address to the jury for the defen-
dant, said it was impossible for him to deny that the
defendant had removed his goods in the way stated;
but he urged that it was equally clear from the open
manner in which it was done that the defendant was
ignorant of the law, and that he had no intention to
defraud any one. He also urged in favour of the
defendant the small amount of his liabilities at the
time he was declared a bankrupt, and said that the
defendant would in all probability never have done
what he did but for the severe manner in which he
had been pressed by his creditor Mr. Collins.
Sir. Hawkins, having summed up, the jury, after
deliberating for some time, returned a verdict of
gnilty, but at the same time recommended the defen-
dant to mercy.
The learned gentleman, in passing sentence, said
that the defendant bad clearly broken the law, and by
disposing of his property in the manner he had done
he had certainly defrauded his creditors of the amount
to which they were legally entitled. He regarded
this as a very serious offence, and but for the recom-
mendation of the jury he should have passed a much
more severe sentence than the one he was about to in-
flict. Ile then sentenced the defendant to be impri.
Boned and kept to hard labour for six months.