The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-10-21 00:00:00

LYE. '

THE CIIARGE OF WOUNDING. —At the Police Court, at
Stonrbridge, yesterday, before Lord Lyttelton, Colonel
Fletcher, and Colonel Barrows, Charles Southall was
brought up on remand, charged with unlawfully wound.
jug Richmond Wooltridge, on the Ist inst.—Mr. Addison
appeared to prosecute, and Mr. Perry defended.—Com-
plainant, who was accommodated with a chair, said he
was a horsenail maker and lived at the Lye. On the
night of the let just, between eleven and twelve o'clock
when near Hickman's brick works he met the prisoner
with William Norris, Jewkes, Eli Wild and others.
He walked up the road about a hundred yards towards
the Lye road and prisoner stopped him and threw a
stone at him saying "Take that you —." The stone
struck him on the forehead and he became in-
sensible. Jewkes was by him and Norris and Wild were
present when the stone was thrown. Jewkes led him
towards his home. Complainant told those present they
might as well have kicked him out of the road. He then
walked towards the Lye with Norris, who left
him at the cross roads and he walked home by himself.
The next morning he went to Dr. Kerr and he had to
have a car to take him home as he was so ill. He did
not give any provocation. Cross-examined: A man
named White did play the policeman. He chd not have
a knife. He did not threaten to put it at the first
that came near him. Prisoner did not tell him to put
up his knife. He did not have one in his hand. 'Prisoner
threw something at him and wounded him over the eye,
—William Norris, manager at the Wollaston Spade
Works, said he recollected the Ist inst, and was with
Jewkes, Wild, and Wooldridge. They were walking on
the road by Hickman,s when two men came across the
road and said they were policemen and ordered them off
the road. Jenkins said Now you go on ; we know you
are not policemen and we don't want any bother." They
began to whistle and some other men came up. South-
all came up and pointing to Wooldridge said, " That is
the man who has challenged ;me." Prisoner picked up
a stone, threw it, and struck Wooldridge on the forehead,
and he fell down insensible. Witness did not see prose-
cutor with a knife in his hand, nor did he see anyone
with a knife that night.—Thomas Jewkes, moulder, of
Wordsley, gave corroborative evidence as to the injuries
received, but could not swear who threw the stone that
caused the injures.—Eli Wild gave similar evidence to
the last witneso.—Susan Lucas residing at Ha) Green,
said she heard &noise about twelve o'clock, she got up
to the window and heard Southall say that he had thrown
a stone and caught a man on the heat, and was afraid
it had done some injury.—Ralph Eddowes, assistant to
Dr. Kerr, said that the prosecutor came to the surgery
about 9 o'clock; found a wound on the left frontal bone 1
inch in depth and length, and three parts of an inch
across ; extracted several pieces of brick from the
lulled, dressed the wound, and still attend him. He is
not yet out of danger. Policc-lonstable Paynter proved
apprehending prisoner. Mr. Perry addressed the Bench
in defence. He admitted that a stone had been thrown
by prisoner and resulted in serious injuries to the pro-
secutor, but previous to that the prosecutor had a knife
in his hand threatening those around him when the
atone was thrown, Col Fletcher said the Bench was of
opinion that aprinuzfi.Ce case had been made out, and
the offence was a serious one. They should send the
case for trial by jury. Mr. Perry said in that case he
should reserve his defence, and ask for bail. Prisoner
was thea committed to take his trial at the next Assizes,
bail being accepted himself in £lOO, and two sureties of