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

THE EXTENSIVE RAILWAY ROBBERY
AT HALESOWEN.

At the Halesowen Police Cou,t on Tuesday.
before Messrs. F. D. L. Smith, Edward Gem, U. T
Hickman, and H. Howard (magistrates), Henry
Field (29), landlord of the Nelson Inn, Hagley
Road ; Benjamin Robinson (29), drayinan ; Henry
Withers (37), foreman potter ; Joseph Paynter (35)
drayman ; David Hall (26), porter ; and Giles
Bloomer (27), porter, were charged on remand
with stealing fifty-three bun&a of best Swedish
charcoal iron, the property of the Great Western
Railway Company. Field was further charged
with feloniously receiving the iron. Mr. J. B.
bhepiterd, of Stourbridge, prosecuted; Mr. Shake-
speare defended Fielu and Withers, and Mr.
Waldron the remainder of the prisoners.
Mr. Shepherd said he had considered the evi-
dence which would be offered from a legal point of
view and also as a matter of law, and he had coma
to the conclusion that he should not be able to get
a conviction against Paynter, Bloomer, and Hall,
and he therefore applied for their discharge. The
other prisoners would, he had been informed, plead
guilty, and he would ask the magistrates to deal
with them summarily.
Mr. Smith, after consulting with his colleagues
for some time, said the magistrates would discharge.
Punter, Bloomer, and Hall, and would deal with
the other prisoners summarily.
Formal evideace was afterwards given, which was
to the effect that on Febivary 20th 800 bundles of
Swedish charcoal iron were dispatched from the
Fyne Docks to Messrs. Guest and Co., nail and
chain mauufacturers, Halesowen. When the iron
was delivered it was noticed th it a good number of
the bundles were missing. Information was given
to the police, and P.S. Raybould visited Field's
premises and found a large number of inis,ing
bundles. He took Field into custody and charged
him with stealing fifty-two bundles of iron, to
which he replied, "All right." The officer after-
wards went te the Great Western Railway and
arrested Robinson. At the police station he put
both prisoners together, both of whom volunte:Ted
to make statements, and aftor being cautioned the
men confesstd their guilt.
In reply t') Mr. Willtron, Rvhould stated
that Robinson had hithero borne a good chara ;ter,
and had a wife and six children to maintain.
Mr. Shakespeare stated that Withers had been
sixteen years in the employ of the South-Western
Railway Coinpzuy, and had always borne an irre-
..reaehal,le character.

In reply to the -11a-4istrates Mr. E. B 111 stal the
value of the irol Eto'on w.is upwards of tll, or 55.
6.1 per bundTe.
Mr. Shakespe ire and iNIr. WAldr at a 'dressed the
Bench on behalf of their respective clients.
Mr. Smith said a more painful case had n !ver
been brought un ler his notice during the th:rty
years he had hem a magistrate. The whole of the
facts connected with the case had been well Can-
sidered by the magistrates, and as Itbinson ha i in
a measure assisted the prosecution, he would only
be sentenced to three months' iniprisonment with
hard labour. Field and Withers w .uld each ba
sentenced to six in mthi' imp is 'um mit with hard
labour,

OLD HILL
EXCISE Paoszeuriow.—At the Police Court on
Wedt.es lay before H. T. Hick nan, F. D. L. Smith,
and H. Sini:n. Esqrs., ELza Cartwright was run-
mom d tor in4l,ing an untrue entry in hr niLli
book,'lr. James B. Davies appeared for the In-
land Retenue and Mr. Holbertou defended.— -li.
W. H. S.evensou, officer of the Inland novenae
said Mrs. Cartwr ght was a licensed brewer and :!0.
brewery was situated at Gosty Hill. There wa.,fl
entry in her malt book en the lqh
Noveaiber. The entry was made 4 bushels He
visit, (1 the brewery and waited till the wort was
draine.d and then guaged the grains. He found 6
bus'aels and 1 quarter which was 56 per cent more
than the law will take. lie found the wort cn.
sistent with 6 bushels and inconsistent with
bust.eli. It was not alleged at the time that A
mistake was made, but some time after Mrs. Cact-
wright t aid t I.cr son had made a mistake and put
wrong put f the Lag of malt in the tub. Had
not witness visitid the brewery difendant wouA
have been charged 12i 61 whereas she wo. 11 have

h:eu charged iSs9l on the 6 bushels. Thus thc
Leland R2veuue lost Os 31.—Arthur Asbn. gate
:orroborative Ilolbert,n, for the
.lefenee, urged that the son, who is now dead,
neaslred the malt by c indle light, and aside a
nistakc in the part of the hag.—The Bench sai
hey consider the case proved and Ein.:d defendant
410 and c ,sts.

.2. Si,tULT CASE.—David Heath was charged with
ssaul ing William Albert Lane, on the 29th ult.
—Complainant said the defendant came and struck
hica on the neck and face, about some iron whinti