The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-28 00:00:00

OPENING OF A COFFEE PUBLIC•HOUSE

AT BROMSGROVE.

On Monday afternoon the coffee public-house
established by the Bromsgrove Coffee Public. house
Company, Limited, in High Street, was opened in
the presence of a large company. Lord Lyttelton
presided, and there were also present the Rev. G-. W.
Murray, Rev. J. R. Lawrence, Rev. A. St. John
Mildmay and Mrs: Mildmay, Rev. J. H. Baiubrigge
and Mrs. Banbrigge, Rev. M. Moore. Mrs. A. Ryland,
Mrs. Baker, Mr. and Mrs. W. Holyoake, Dr. and
Mrs. Moore, Misses Dixon; Messrs. Say well
Laughton, Giles Humphreys, and others. The
cGmpany proceeded to the upper room, which was
speedily crowded.—Letters of apology for non-attend-
ance were read from Mr. J. Corbett. M.P., Mr. R.
Smallwood. Mr. H Millington' Mr. T. Salt, and it
was stated that Lieut.-colonel Baker, was the pi in-
cipal originator of the movement.
Lord Lyttelton expressed his pleasure in being
present In opening that coffee-house there were
two considerations. One was that it was done
entirely by local effort and private persons. There
was nothing like doing a thing for themselves, and
at Bromsgrove they were probably satisfied that
Parliament had done all they can do and all they
will do to diminish drunkenness. When the Legis-
lature framed the Education Act and the Act for.
improving the dwellings of the working classes, it
appeared they had done all they could do in the
cause :of temperance. He thought the Licensing
Acts had done no good at all in that direction.
The number ef convictions for drunkenness had
increased, but he thought it impossible to say
whether drunkenness had increased or not. Under
the Licensing Act the magistrates had not the pawer
of dealing with the publicans they formerly had,
and those who were inclined to complain of the
magistrates should remember that however sparse
the population of a place may have become the
magistrates could not diminish the number of publii
houses, however loud and genural the cry might be
for them to do so; they could only take away a
license under certain restrictions when the
holder had been guilty of flagrant misconduct.
He thought the present movement was extremely
creditable to Bromsgrove, which was not a
rich town, but had come forward and set a good
example to other small towns. From his experi-
ence as a magistrate of the police courts, the gaols,
the lunatic a sylum, aid similar institutions, he
could say they were all rendered necessary. to a
very large extent, by the baneful curse and crime
of intemperance. He conclnded by declaring the
coffee-house to he open, and hoped it would prove
a great success, and would set an example, which
would be followed by other places.
The Rev. G. W. Murray, Mr. G. Giles, a work-
ing man, Rev. J.R. Lawrence, Mr. James Laughton,
Mr. T. Saywell, and the Rev.:A. St. John Mildmay
also addressed the company.
On the proposition of Mr. W. Holyoake, seconded
by Mr. L. Humphrey, a vote of thanks was passsed
to Lord Lyttelton. who responded. The sale of
tea, coffee, &c., then commenced and was carried
on briskly.

SERIOUS CHARGE OF CUTTING AND
WOUNDING AT BROMSGROVE.

At the Bromsgrove Petty Sessions on Tuesday,
Josiah W:ldron was brought from the Worceste
Prison under a writ habeas corpus, charged with
unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm upon
John Hobbiss of NortlitiAd, metal roller, on the 2n,1
of September lust. The prisoner was convicted at
the last Worcester Quarter Sessions for cutting and
wounding James Morris at the same time and place
Prosecutor desposed that on the 2nd of September
last he was at the Plough Inn on the evening of
Chadwick Races. Prisoner was there with three
other men, one of whom accused prosecutor of tread-
ing on his toe. Prisoner used some threats towards
prosecutor, and when he left the house he waited
outside untill the prosecutor went out. He then
put himrelf in a stooping position, and struck round
at proseolltor, and prosecutor felt something go into
his thigh He cried out that he was stabbed, and
another man knocked him down, and he was kicked
when down. A youth noised Davis picked him up,
and he was conveyed home and had been under the
doctor's hands ever since.—Mr. Hollinshead, of Selly
Oak, surgeon, deposed that he saw prosecutor on the
3rd September, and found him suffering from a
puncture wound on the front of the lett thigh,
about five inches from the groin, and about a
quarter of an inch in diameter. The wound penetrated
through the muscles to the artery and vein. Bleeding
had not ceased from the time of the injury. Pro-
secutor had been in imminent danger, and as near
death's door as it was possible for a man to be. It
was doubtful if he would ever have the proper use
of the limb.—Prisouer had nothing to say, and vas
I ougswittsd to Sin

EPPs's Cocos.—Christain World says—"lf I am to
take cocoa,' said I, "I must see and judge for myself
what are the ingredients of whien it is composed; with
this view I made my way to the cocoa manufactory of
James Epps & Co., in the Euston Road."
Epps's Coooe.—Cassell's Household Guide says—" We
will now give an account of the process adopted by
Messrs. James Epps and Co., homceopathie chemists and
manufacturers of dietetic articles, at their works in the
Huston-road, London."
EPPs's Cocoa.—Morning Advertiser says—" Nearly
two centuries after, in 1832, the duties, which had hither.
to been almost prohibitive, were greatly reduced, and
one of the first to take advantage of re-establishing the
popularity of cocoa was Messrs. Eppe and Co., the
kigiliapopatizie 01300111,1,'