The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-08 00:00:00

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1884

he had nothing to do with.—Fined 2s 6d and costs;
in default 14 days.
CAUTION TO CATTLE DEALERS.—Joseph White-
house was charged with removing a cow throngh an
infected area without a license, on the 21st ult , und
John Whitehouse was charged with causing a cow
to be removed. P.C. Hand proved the case. Fined
£1 and coats each.

THEFT.—lsaac Tromans was charged with steal-
ing two pigs feet the property of Benjamin Darby,
on the 27th ult.—Prosecutor said he saw the pig
which was hanging at his door, safe. He was
called up the yard, and while there, he came and
asked him if he bad cut the feet off because if he
had not someone else had. He saw prisoner up the
r, ad, so he followed him and found the feet in his
possession. He was drunk at the time.—Fined I
including costs.
PERMITTING DRUNKENNESS. Joseph Aston,
landlord of the Swan Inn, Cradley Heath. was
charged with permitting drunkenness in his house,
on the 23rd ult. Mr. Shakespeare defended.—
P.C. Tytlurly said he visited defendant's house
and found a man there drunk He called the atten-
tion of the landlord to the man and he said he did
not know the manwas there. The landlord then
asked who filled the ale and a woman sitting by
said that she fetched it.—The case was dismissed.
REFUSING TO Quir.—Ambrose Homer, Elisha
Holt and Thomas Fellow were charged with refm-
ing to quit the premises of John Walters, landlord
of the Queen's Head, Cradley, on the 23rd ult.—
Each fined 5s and costs; in d, fault 14 days.
DRUNKENNESS.—James Unwin was fined is and
and costs for being drunk on the 25th ult. P.C.
Wickstsad proved the case.—Mary Ann Perry was
for a similar ffence on the Ist lust tined is and
costs.—Benjamin Tibbets was on the evidence of
P,C. Bradbury fined 5s and costs for being drunk
and disorderly on the 2nd inst.—Joseph Hill was
fined 2s 6d and costs for being drunk and disorderly
on the 28th ult. P.C. Styles proved the case.
SCHOOL BOARD PROSECUTIONS.-4 number of
persons were summoned for not sending their
children to school and fines of 2s 64 and 5s were
inflicted,

FRAUDULENT BAILER.".-Oliver o=lll was
charged with stealing on the 20th ult, 31 cwt., of
anchor forgings, the value of 265. Mr. T. Cooksey
defended.—Edward Hale, engineer, said he sent a
quintity of iron to the defendant to be made into
anchors. On the the 28th ult he went to the de-
fendant's house and atled him where the forgings
were and he s tid he had sold them. He then with
P.O. Dunn went to Quarry Bank to where prisoner
had sold some of the iron. 'I hey also found some
more at the Lye. The iron produced was his.
—Simeon Payne said that he brought the forgings
of prisoner. He bought 4 pieces, for one he gave
Is and 23 6d for the other three.—William
Grosvenor said he gave prisoner 2s 6d per cwt for
several pieces of :iron.—P.C. Dunn sail when he
charged prisoner he said, "I did it to buy bread,
but would hay.! got it back if I had been allowed
time". The same day he went to the Lye and re-
ceived two palms amt one shank like the one pro-
duced.—Prisoner was fined 40s including costs; in
default 1 month.

ROBBING AN OLD MAN.—James Powell. John
Knight, Willie= Powell, and Joseph Steventon
were charged with stealing £35, the property of
Johe Pritcbett, of Goaty Hill.—Prosecutor said
that on the 27th Dec, mber he was in possession of
£35. It Wa3 in his pocket and was in gold and
silver. 1 e welt into a loft to sleep and during
the night lii was awakened by someone fumbling
about his thigh. They cut his pocket straight out.
When he sc:eamed someone struck him on; both
sides of the head. James Powell had previously
told him he should have the money. Witness had
always been in the habit of cart ying the monsy with
him,—Joseph Smith, landlord of the Navigation
Inn, said he stw prisoners in his house on the
27th Dec. They went out of the house about 11
o'clock and went in the direction of Mr, Wright's
Larn.—David Tremens said that on the morning of
the 28th Dec, he met James Powell in a field, at
about 9 o'clock in the morning. He asked witness
to go to Dudley with him. He replied i" No, I'm
going t ) work." Prisoner said "Come and go and
I'll spend a sovereign with you." He asked
prisoner where he had got one from. He said he
would lend him one if he would go with him. He
then put his hand in his waistcoat pocket and
pulled out some sovereigns. When they got to the
field they parted, but he did not have any money off
prisoner—Louisa Smith said her husband kept the
Dolphin Inn. Dudley and on the 28th Dec she ssw
Knight in the how) at about dinner-time. At
night :prisoner asked witness to keep some
money .for him which he had won on a race
because he was afraid of having it stolen. He gave
her £l3 in gold and gave her one shilling to keep
the money. The money was wrapped up in a dirty
old rag. Prisoner spent about £2 and also had
another £2 out of the £l3, and was treating every-
body that went in the house. Next morning she
gave prisoner the money that was left. —George
Williams said that on the 28 Dec.he went into the
Dolphin Thu and saw Knight there. Knight asked
him not to go to work ae he would treat him.
Witness remaiuel with him till 11 o'clock at night.
He met Knight again on Sit urdsy morning
and Mrs. Smith gave him £9. On Saturday night
prisoner bought two pieces of meat for him which
came to about 43 2d.—P.C. Rowlands said that he
arrested James Powell and charged him with steal-
ing £35 in gold and silver, at Blackheath on the
28th Dec. last, the monies of John Pritchett. In
reply to the charge he said "I know nothing
about it. He afterwards arrested Stevens and in
the presence of Knight charged him with stealing
£35 Knight said lam here to prove it."eStevens
remarked" You (meaning Knight) said if I lee you
come into our house and share the money, I should
have part of it. Knight then said "I never said
such a thing out of nay mouth," On the 4th inst
at the station, witness heard William Powell say
that they were tall four drirking together on the
27th and afterwards went to Wright's barn. Knight
took the money off the old man and James Powell
helped him. Then they all went to Knight's house
and divided the money.—Sergeant Hand said he
arrested Knight on the 27th Feb., at Old Hill and
charged him with stealing some money on the 28th
Dec. In reply he said " Allright. I know nothing
about it." tie also arrested William Powell on the
same date and charged him with the same offence.
He replied " A Ilright, I know nothing about it. I
was not with them that did it." Witness re.
plied you are not charged with being with them
that did it," He charged them on the sth inst and
Knight replied "I've nothing to say against that
for 1 know we did William Powell replied " I
have ;nothing ;to [say against it. The other
two preemers said "Nor me."—lnspector Walters
said that on the 3rd lust Knight said I want to
tell you all about it. On the night the robbery
was committed, James, William Po wog and
Steventon came to our house and asked me if I
would allow them to have some monsy. They
said they had been to Wright's barn, and robbed
an old fellow. The money was put on the table
in four parts and each gave him £4 10s. Next
morning I found £8 10e in an old bag under my
table." In the presence of e.c. Wickstead, Wil-
liam Powell said "We were all four at Smith's
drinking, and we after ever% went to John Wright's
barn, John Knight took the money off the old
man, whilst James Poe ell held him. We after-
wards went to Knight's house and divided the
money. Knight burnt the bag the money was in."
In the presence of P.C. 'Rowlands, at about 6
o'clock last night he had the prisoners one after
the ot,er and told theta William Powell had made
a statement, and he read it over o him, William
Powell said 'He know's its the truth." James
Powell said "He's a b— liar and ab
moukey." John Knight and Steventon said to
James Po.vell 'Ts the truth and he knows it."
William Powell said after the statem .nt the old
man must draw through his maeter for being
robbed of his money. If we four hid been ruled
by Mr. Wright he would have hart his int met taken
three weeks before Chri tinae.--Mr. Cooksey said
he had been instructed by Mr. Wright to watch
the case on his behalf.--Inspector Walters said Mr.
Wright had given the fuLeet particulars from the
beginning of the case. Committed to the sessions.
A CERTIFicATan MANAGER FINED. Thomas
Baker, the certificated manager at the Yew Tree
Colliery, Rowley was summoned by Mr. Scott, Her
M ijesty's Inspector' of Coal Mines, for neglecting
te observe the Ist section of the Coal Mines, Regu-
ation Act, which provides teat an adequate
quantity of shall be providsd U dilute and
render hernee s nexio s ga-es t . such an extent
ilea, the working. slia I be in a fit state ror working
and p tssing therein Decedent was further
charge I with violieine the 7th section by permitt-
iug naked light. 3 to be used in a place where there is
likely to be an aecuinaletion of explosive gas. Mr
T. Walker, of Wolverhampton, prosecti el, and Mr.
Shakesp .a e, of Oldbury, defended —Mr. Walker
stated that the defendant was the certificated
.nana ser at the Yew Tree Colliery, which belonged
tu Me srs. Cochrane and Co., and in consequence
of his not providing adequate ventilation, and also
of permitting the miners to use naked lights on
January 250, an explosion took place which re-
sulted in five men being seriously burnt. He
should be able to prove that if the defendant had
observed the requirements of the law no explo eon
could have occurred. Previous to the day cf the
xplosion gas was found in the workings, and his
nitiuctions wsre that on January 25th a "el p"
bolt place which caused a large quantity of earth
to fall and a quantity of gas to escape. The gas
2aule iiu contact with the naked lights which
were being used by the men.
,n(.l an t•xplosion followed. Had the culr.lat of air
becu good he believed he should be correct in sayins
the gas would have been diluted to such an extent
as to render it harmless.--Edward Perkes, miner,
corroborated the fads of the opening statement.—

By Mr. Shakespeare: The explosion was entirely
caused through the "slip," which no human power
could hive preveutud .L.very precaution possible
hid Le a tak;.m i.y the defendant fur the safety of
tie suict when the working
was Lx.vin!,e,.: 0,1 le ouy of the explosion no gas
was found.—Mr. W. 3. Scott, the inspector of
Mines for the South Staffordshire district, s il he
visited the colliery on tee 26th of January. He
found the ventilation very feeble, and utterly inade-
quate to render harmless the inthintable gas. He
considered that the men should have Den with-
drawn from the workings, except those employed
to improve and repair the workings. —By Mr.
Shakespeare: He had heard that there was a tire
at the colliery, He had not had occasion to com-
plain of defendant's management previous to the
day of the explosion.—Mr. Shakespeare said his
client admitted that the Act of Parliament had
been violated, but contended that it was through
no fault of his, as he had done everything possible
to carry out the law.—The Bench stated that as the
ventilation was not good the defendant should have
ordered the miners to be withdrawn from the work-
ings, and imposed a fine of .£5 and costs in each
case, making In all Xl4 14s,