The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-08-19 00:00:00

AN UNFOUNDED CHARGE OF

STEALING £lO.

At the Police Court, on Monday, before 11. 0. Firm.
stone aud L. Freer, Emirs., Herbert Bent, an exciseman
liing,wintord, was charged with etealing £I9 on th,
9tlo Imo., the monies of Jacob Carter, at Tansey tireen.
Mr. klolberton appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
Stoke. Mended.

Mary Carter, wife of Jacob Carter, said sbe lived at
Oreen. On the above date about ten minutes
past eleven, she put nine sovereigns and two half-cove.
reigns into a little measure inside a till. She put it in-
side a cash drawer in the bar of the publie.house. She
locked the drawer, and put the key on top of the shelf
against some jugs. The shelf was not very high. She
Left the bar to go and fetch a pint of ale for is man in the
kitchen, and when she came hock again defendaiit was iii
the bar. It Was his duty to conic for a brewing paper t,
make an entry on it. He was standing in the bar. She
'vent into the tap-room with the ale, leaving Mr. Bent in
,be bar, and she went out of the fiont door into her
laughter's house, which is next door, and then came ii.
tgain at the hack door. She went to fetch the brewing
paper. Mr. Bent was there about ten minutes, and after
se bail completed the entry on the brewing paper he left
xt ten minutes to twelve she missed the money. She
,40t the key from the top of the shelf where she left it
iViieu she opened the drawer thh measure was on oLi•
ride and the money was gone, and she had not area it
:Lee.

Crows examined: I charge Mr. lient with stealing the
money. My husband is not here this morning. He was
in the tap-room on the above date. My husband did not
direct tins prosecution to be taken. lie desired me t.,
retch a summons against Mr. Bent. He was is the house
:he whole of the morning the money was taken. Mr.
Bent stayed in the house about teu minutes. Did not
nave occasion to look for the money until ten minutes t.•
twelve. I have a daughter, Mrs. Hale. She resides
next door to me. She was not in the house before the
defendant came in. She •was nut in whin I put the
money into the drawer. She came in whilst I was out.
She comes in several times a day. She is married, and
her husband is a labourer for Mr. Cochrane. They are
in humble circumstances. I never left the bar after the
defendant went out. My husbend was still in the tap.
00Th, and he was shelling burins for dinner. He likes a
drop of ale. I did not in the presence of the police ask
lay husband if he bad got the money. Did not ask him
if he hail bad the money, nor anything to that effect
My daughter did not suggest to me that the exciseman
lied taken the money. I did not then send for the police-
uou. I did not ask my daughter if she had got it. N
one had entered the bar. There was only one man in the
tap•room, end he had left. Mrs. Hale was not in the bar
when Mr. Bent came in. I did not hear my daughter
say, "Mr. Bent, I saw you standing against the drawer
with the key of the black bag. There was a washerwo-
inau in the brewhouse. I told the policeman that the
right key of the drawer was lost, and Iliad to get another
one. The right key has been lost six months. I lost it
at Dudley. We afterwards went for Mr. Bent, and he
came tip immediately. The two policemen were there
gsrenn!emcya mme.
money
ands id ,
he
rri.d IS:
..e n‘th„
ahw:eitl l:st;,g:leoytp?lye..ausi:
said, "My money out of the drawer; nine soiereigns
and two half ones." and he said,
money." Prisoner pulled out his key, and the key of the
black bag. The policemen tried them all in the lock,
and not er, of them would open it. The policemen thee
Joinder' them to me sod I tried them, but could not find
one to ill. Mr. Bent rupwsted the policeman to accom-
pany him to his lodgings. I went with them and no did
iny daughter. My husband was present when we started
awns. I did not want Mr. ...lent Ii be given in custody.
I 1.1!1 not ark the policem, a tot ha him into custody. I
salted the ollicera to keep e. •i ;here. The policemen
-earcried defendsnt's black i, ri..l his apartments, and
did not find any money.
Elizabeth Hale, wife oi :.1 :Isle, labourer, said
she lived at Tansey Oreen. On the morning of the 9th
inst she went to her mother's house. Her mother woo
not there when she went in. She saw Mr. Bent the, e
Hews. close against the monoy drawer in the bar where
her mother kept her money. He had his arm on the