The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

THE PENSNETT LIBEL CASE.

This case which has caused a great deal of excitement
in rensnett and the neighbourhood, was by consent re•
moved to Wolverhampton to be heard, and came on for
hearing before I. Spooner, Esq., Stipendiary, on Wed..
nesday last. Great numbers from Pensnett attended,
and great excitement is manifested as to the result.
The ease was called on at one o'clock, and was not ad-
journed until a quarter past three. The court was
crowded to excess Miring the whole time.
Mr. Motteramand Mr. Underhill, instructed by Messrr.
Horufray and Holberton, appeared to prosecute, and Mr.
Young, instructed by Mr. Uulow, defended.
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Mr. Mutterato, in °penman the proceedings, said that
he was instructed, on behalf of the Rev. Charles York
Atherton, vicar of St. Marks, Penmen, to prefer a charge
against John Talbot, stocktaker, of Pemnett, a charge
of " unlawfully and maliciously publishing a certa:n defa-
matory libel of and colicerning " that gentleman. Mr.
Talbot wan called upon to answer the 15110111101.10, and he
bad appeared. The learned coupsel said there was also
a summons against Mr. 'falba at the instance of Mr.
Benjamin Wood, who was the churchwarden of St.
Mark's. Probably the Court would oder that this mat-
ter hod created very considerable est:ammot in the
pariah of Penauett, from the fact that no large • number
of the population of that place had come to NVolverhaeop.
lon to hear this case. As far as he should think it hts
duty to go into them, the facts were very short. The
libr arose out of circumstances of a somewhat painful
character. Certain charges were made against Mr. At her-
too ; and the Bishop of the Diocese, under the terms el
the Church Discipline Act, appointed a COUlLluiliioll to
inquire into the charges. After they had men investi-
gated, the Bishop acquitted Mr. Atherton. Mr. ether.
ton, desirous of restoring peace to the parish, voluntarily
absented himself from his duties for several months.
He had hoped that when he returned all unpleasant
matter would be forgotten, and that they would no
longer be a source of annoyance to himself or any other
person in the parish. Mr. Atherton, who he came hack,
was prepared to resume all the duties that devolved up..
Mai as vicar of St. Mark's. Brous some cause or other,
however, and by some prison or other, about as disgust-
in. a libel, or libels rather—for they hod circulated more
than one—as ever were issued, w re circulated through-
, out the parish. The bills were in all probability printed
at a private and movable press, by some persons in the
parisn. There was no doubt that Talbet had circulated
the lthels in the parish of Penanett. The prosecution
would be very glad indeed if Talbot could excuse himself
by giving such Information as would lead to the detection
! of tte persom who actually composed these libels and
then punted them. Whether these preceediugs would
have that t (feet he did not know; but lie hoped the re-
sult would be to deter Mr. 'lading from publishing these
libels for the future. And it might be that other per-
sons who were doposed them would likewise be deterred
from doing tlmt which was so detrimental to BA peace
of mind of Mr. Atherton. The libellous publicatiou
whiat he had in his hand assumed to be written by Mr.
Athertou Liaison, for it was signed " The \river of St.
Mark's,- and profetaed to be a sort of pastoral from gen-
tleman to his parishioners. The document ran
thus:—