The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-05-25 00:00:00

HALESOWEN.

Com. STEALING.—At the Police Court, on Tuesday,.
before s,lessrs. Phillips and Gibbons. Charles Shilvock
Day:a Webb, James Paikes, and Samuel James,:fou
buys, were charged with stealing a quantity of coal, th
prorrty of the New British Iron CompAny.—The cas-
was not pressed and defendants were discharged on pay-
ment of 5s 6d each, the coats, and they were severely
repTimanded.
• KILLING A PlGEON.—George Selly, of Holly Green,
was charged with unlawfully killing a pigeon, n., the
12th just, the property of William Adams.—lr. Vs'. S.
Hayes defended.—Benjamin Dingley said he saw a
pigeon belonging to complainant and it lied up in the
air and then round and round. He saw the defendant
shoot the pigeon and he told prosecutor what he saw.—
Benjamin Hadley proved that he let the pigeon up
He heard a shot fired and saw the pigeon fall.—Mr.
Hayes, for the defence' said that fortunately lie should
, be in a position to prove that it Was not the defendant
1 who shot the pigeon as he was more than two hundred
yards away, but the pigeon flew in the direction where
the defendant stood. He called Joseph Hinton, who
said he stood within forty yards of the defendant. De-
fendant did not shoot because he had no gun in his
posses-ion. He heard the shot fired but it was in a
different direction to where the defendant stood. A lot
of roughs came up to him and charged him with shoot-
ing the pigeon and abused him very much. 11e was
continually annoyed by persons flying pigeons, on a
Sunday. He would swear defendant never shot or had
a gun.—Elijah Willetts gave corroborative evidence and
the Bench said it was quite clear that one side or the
other had committed gross perjury and they should
distuis the cas , complainant paying 8s costs.
CHARGE or GAMRLING.—John Bate and Thomas
Palmer, miners, Blackheath, were charged with playing
at cards on the highway, on the 12th inst.—Charles
Smart proved that he saw the defendants playing at
cards As soon as they saw him they ran away and
left the cards and there was about a dozan present.—
The defence was that they only stood by and did not
Iplay and there was eight of them altogether.—James
Smart, tailor, gave corroborative evidence and said per-
sons were in the habit of playing at cards on Sundays.

—The Bench considered the case proved and said that
Bate had seven previous convictions vglinst
one was for card playing. and the sh,uid line him 2, 6
and costs; Palmer was fined is an': costs.
CHARGE OF DOG STEALING.—JOhn White, of Hales-
owen, was charged with stealing a dog, on the 19th ult,
the property of Charles William Bloxham, surgeon.—
Prosecutor said be missed the dog on the above date
and saw it again on the following Sunday night. The
dog was worth £5. Defendant sold the dog to a man
named Haines, the Crown Inn.—David Moseley said he
found the dog and took it home but his father would
not let him keep it. He had seen the dog before with
Mr. Bloxham, jun.—James Haines, landlord of the
Crown Inn, said the defendant came into his house on
Good Friday evening and he offered the dog for sale.
He gave him a shilling and a half gallon of al3 for the
dog and the last witness was with White. From what
'Moseley said he believed the dog belonged to him.—
The Bench considered that complainant had not brought
4lp the right man and dismissed the can.