The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-02 00:00:00

KIN VER.

CRARGE or STEALING AND RECEIVING STR lW.—At the
Wordsley Police Court, on Monday, before H. Smith and
Freer, Esqrs.. John Hayward and Edward Rowland.
two respectable-looking men. were charged—the former
with stealing a quantity of 'draw, the property of William
Orme Foster. Esq , at Kinver Hill Farm. and the latter
with receiving the same, knowing it to hive been stolen.
Mr. Maltby defended.—Police-eergeant Baldwin said on
the above date he saw a waggon stop at the prisoner
Wirvland's house. The waggoner got into the waggon
and threw three bundles of straw into the garden, and
he took them from him, and put them into the hovel.
\Vent up tn Rowland and asked him whose waggon it W.,
and he said it same from Runner Hill. Went on the fol-
lowing day to the Hill. and gave information to Mr.
Hardy, manager to Mr. Foster, and lie went to Rowland
and asked hint for the straw. Rowland gave it up, and
Raid, "I did not tell him tn bring it.'' Cross-examined:
Halve not searched either house. Neither told me that
they were going to fetch a load of wheat, nor that the
straw was brought to keep the hay dry.—John Hardy
said he was manager for Mr. Foster, at Kinver Hill Farm.
The prisoner Hayward is head waggoner there. Never
gave him permission to take any straw. Identified that
produced by the peculiar bands. Prisoners came to me
on the 2ard, and said they honed I should forgive them.
The value of the straw would he Is ltd. Cross-examined :
The wa,noner has no right to have any straw without
permiiision. The waggoner was going for a load of coal.
Clenerally let them hava some hay for the horses. Rave
never had to complain against him.—Mr, Maltby said the
prisoner Hayward was going for a load of COY), and took
some hay in the waggon for the horses to eat, and the
straw was taken for the purpose of covering up the hay
and heaping it dry, as it was raining at the time, and the
straw being wet as he came hack he threw it out of the
waggon. The Bench senteneed prisoners to one :sleuth's
hard labour.

()HAND CoNOP.II7. An entertainment consisting of
readings, glees, and songs, took place on Monday even.
inq last, in the Grammar School. The first piece In the
well selected programme was the Overture to " Tancredi,"
arranged as a dust for the pianoforte, and was well per.
formed by Miss Osborne and Mr. B. Williams. The
glees were sung by the Kinver Musical Society, under the
able conductorship of Mr. B. Williams. "Hark, 'tie the
Indian Drum," received a well.deserved encore. All the
pieces in the programme were well performed: but esp.
chilly worthy of commendation was" Martha Maynert's,"
which was read in an admirable manner by Mr. IT
Spencer; as was also a selectitn from the "Adventures
of Midshipman Easy," which the R.:v. W. H. Bolton gave
s ith great effect. Mr. T. Spencer was warmly applauded
in the song from " Rock to Rock," which he snug in a
masterly style. Mr. W. Parkes was also encored in Rue.
oelle song, " Snnsiiine lifter Rain." At the close of the
entertainment Mr. B. Williams. in the name of the Com-
mittee of the Kinver Musical Society, proposed a vote of
thanks to the Rev. W. H. Bolton, for the use of the
room, and also in taking the place of chairman in the
absence, through illness, of the Vicar. Votes of thsnks
were also passed to Messrs. F. and H. Spencer, for their
valuahle a.sistance, and to Mr. Osborne, who kindly
came forward at a minute's notice to read in the place of
the Vicar. The concert was well attended, the room
being filled with the elite of the town and neighbourhood,
and altogether it has been a great success.

DARIN 6 ESCAPE OF A PRI;ONE11. On Wednesday
morning last, thrs e poachers were iaught on the farm of
Mr. Archer Whittington, at Whittington, and locked Ma
barn, which was guarded by some of Mr. Whittington's
iiien whilst the police were being sent for. On the arri-
val of Police•sergeaut Baldwin, one of them named John
taittings, who has been employed at the Hyde Works, was
given into his custody, and taken towards the Police
Station. On proceeding across Smithfield, Gifting:
jumped over a gate. and told the Sergeant if he wanted
him he must catch him, and ran down a field in the direc-
tion of the Stour, through which he swam. nntwithstaild-
Mg that he had handcuffs on, aud ran over another field,
swimming across the canal, and makio4 his way up some
fields on the other side, where he was lost sight of by
the Sergeant.