The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-07-20 00:00:00

ocat aab gistrict geivs.
A GUARDIAN'S FATHER IN THE
IVOEKHOU.-_.4E.

The following corre9polld6nee settles an iiu
partout siut, aucl Qk Additional imerent, pox
_ .

haps, flo it relates to a pauper named Williams'
who is an inmate of the Stourbridge Workhouse,
and whose son. (residing at Halesowen) is a Guar-
dian of the Poor:—

" Load Government Board, Whitehall, S.W.,
July 13, 1878.

_
" am directed by the Local Government
Board to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 6th instant, With its enclosures, respecting the
case of Th.omas Williams, an inmate of the Stour-
bridge Urdon Workhouse, for whose maintenance
therein the son has entered into an agreement
with the Guardians, and to forward to you for
your information the enclosed copy of a letter
which the Board have this day addressed to the
Guardians on the subject. With regard to your
inquiry whether by entering into the agreement in
question the son, who is a Guardian of the Union,
has not become liable to the penalties mentioned
in the 4th and sth William IV., cap. 76, secs. 8,
51, and 77, I am directed to state that the agree-
ment is simply an undertaking to pay for his
father's maintenance, and not a contract for
profit, and that its observances would not expose
the son to any penalty or disqualify him from
acting as a Guardian.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant,

(Signed) "HUGH OATEN, Jun.,
Assistant Secretary.
"To G. W. Prescott, Esq., solicitor,
Stourbridge."

"Local Government Board, Whitehall, S.W.,
13th July, 1878.

"Sir,—l am directed by the Local Government
Board to state that they have had under their con-
sideration the observations of the Guardians of
the Stourbridge Union forwarded with your letter
of the 21st ultimo, respecting the case of Thomas
Williams, an inmate of the Wcrkhouse, and also
the agreement entered into with the Guardians
by his son in 1876 for his maintenance therein.
"The Board direct me to observe that, inde-
pendently of certain technical defects in the docu-
ment, the agreement entered into by the Guar-
dians in this case was not a legitimate exercise of
their powers as a Board of Guardians. They are
bound to afford relief in all cases of actual desti-
tution, and they may take proceedings to obtain
an order of maintenance upon the relations of
any persons in receipt of relief who may be liable
and competent to maintain such person, but it is
not within their provinc3 to board and lodge in
the Workhouse persons whose relations may be
desirous of sending them thither under an agree-
ment to pay for their support. The Board trust
that the Guardians will not enter into any similar
rrlagemmt in future.
It does not appear, moreover, that the son
pays the whole cost in connection with the main-
tenance of his father in the Workhouse, or that
Lle is unwilling or unable to provide for him out
of the Workhouse, and the Board suggest that
under the circumstances it would , mole
desirable that out-relief should be given in the
case, and that an order of maintenance should be
obtained upon the son.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant,

(Signed) "'Juan 0 WEN, Jun.
Assistant Secretary.
"To G. Holloway, Esq., Clerk to the
Guardians of the Stourbridge
Union, Stourbridge."

BOARD OF GITARDIANS.—The weekly meeting of
this board was held yesterday Mr. H. Billingham
in the chair. There were also present Messrs.
Raybould, Haskew, Pargeter, flingley, Thompson,
Griffiths, Rollinson, Wood, Giles, Mills, Baker,
Fiddian, Lavender, Kelley, Guest, Brooks, Wright,
Foley, Eveson. J. Billingham, and Mills. Admit-
ted 17; discharged 12 ; born(); dead 1; refl. ain-
ing, 415; corresponding week last year 393. Out-
door relief KingsWinford district -t25 Bs. Gd ;
Stourbridge district ..U8 lOs Od ; Halesowen dis-
trict _-tl5 9s 84; non-resident Os 4d; total £6O
7s 6d, against £55 us 11-A last year. For the
office cf relieving officer for Stourbrid,ge district,
there were eleven applications, four of which were
put in nomination, and the result of the voting
was John Mills, 16; T. D. Rollinson, ;E. Evans,
3; R. Rhodes, 2. J. Mills was elected. A resolu-
tion was passed ordering the discharge of an in-
mate named Williams, who is to have out-door
relief.

CHARGE OF DRUNKENNESS.—At the Police
Court, yesterday, before Colonel Fletcher, Lord
Lyttelton, and Air. R. L. Freer, John Boles was
charged by Superintend.Ent Wheeler, with being
drunk, on the 13th inst.—The case was proved
and defendant was fined 2s Gd and costs; in de-
fault 7 days.
CHARGE OF STEALING MONEY.—Mary Ann
Bryant was charged with stealing on the 16th inst,
a quantity of silver and copper money from
Thomas Rowland, drover, of Kidderminster.—
Prosecutor said he was at John Hall's on the
above date when prisoner came in and spoke to
him. He knew the prisoner but he had not seen
her for three years. Prisoner came up to him,
put her hand into his pocket and took 6s 6d out
of it.—Police-constable Williams said that he was
on duty on the night in question and he saw the
prisoner and prosecutor near each other. Row-
land said the prisoner had robbed him of Gs Gd
when prisoner handed him the money produced
which amounted to 3s Bd.—Prosecutor was re-
called and said that when he went into Hall's
house he had lOs and spent 2s Gd in paying for
five quarts of ale between five of them.—Prisoner
denied stealing the money and said that prosecu-
tor gave it to her.—Sentenced to 7 days' hard
labour.

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A SERVANT.—Martha
Potts, a domestic servant in the employ of Mr.
William Roberts, of Ferndale, Pedmore, was
charged with stealing a quantity of sugar, flour,
bread, dripping, and other things, the property of
Mr. William Roberts, of Pedmore, and Sarah
Crane was charged with receiving the goods well
knowing them to have been stolen.—Mr. J. J.
Corbet, of Kidderminster, defended Potts.—Crane
was also charged with stealing a quantity of cake,
flour, a jar, bread, sugar, and other things, on
the 16th inst, the property of Mr. William
Roberts.—Police-sergeant Jones said that about
half-past two o'clock in the afternoon he met the
prisoner Crane with a basket on her head. He
asked her what she had got in the basket and she
said rags and bones. He told her he should
examine the basket and he found bread. sugar,
cake, dripping, and potatoes. He asked her
where she had them from and she told him to find
that out. He took her into. custody and she
stated that she had bought them off the cook who
lives at a large red brick house on the right hand
side of the road above the Foley Arms. In
searching the rags he • found the name of E.
Roberts on a portion who lives at the red brick
house as stated by Crane and said she gave 2s 4d
for the articles.—Mr. William Roberts said that
Police-sergeant Jones came to his house one
evening and from information received he charged
Martha Pottsiwith stealing the articles produced.
He could swear to the cake as being his property
and the other articles were identical with his.—
Joseph Cox, under gardener, said that about one
o'clock be saw the prisoner Crane go into the
house and and called the cook. He told her there
was a woman waiting to see her. The cook came
out and asked Crane what she wanted and Crane
asked if she had got any rags for sale. She told
ber she had a few rags for sale and the cook re-
ceived some money for the rags, hut he could not
say how much it was.—The Bench did not con-
sider there was sufficient evidence against Potts
to send her for trial and discharged her.—The
defence of Crane was that she bought all the
goods produced off the cook and paid her 2s 4d,
and that she had been in the habit of dealing
with her for the last five months. It would be
impossible for her to get into the house without
the knowledge of the cook. All the goods were
the property of Mr. Roberts.—Prisoner was re-
manded for a week, and was bailed out in her
own recognizance.
CHARGE Or CRUELTY TO A flonsr.--William
Dailey was charged with cruelty to a horse, by
working on the 15th inst.,while in an unfit state.
William Smith proved the case, and Mr. F. Blake-
way, Veterinary Surgeon, also proved that he ex-
amined the pony. He had sevetal wounds on the
body, and was in an unfit state ta work.
Inspector Doorbar corroborated the last witness.
The defence was that he did not see the wounds
until pointed out by Doorbar, and should not use
it again until quite well. Fined is and costs, £l.
Os 6d; in default, 7 days.
OBSCENE LANGUAGE.—EIijah Dowler was charged
with using obscene language on the 15th inst.
Superintendant Wheeler proved the case. De-
fendant pleaded guilty,. and was ordered to pay
costs on promising not to offend again.