The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-12-18 00:00:00

CHARGE rNDER THE TRUCK ACT.

At the Petty Sessions. before E. Moore and E. Gem,
Esqrs., Thomas Moore. nnilrnanter, residing at The
Qum% Hasburr, was charged with unlawfully paving
:Fiume Butterfii-14 in good+, to wit, butter, cheese, 2 or.
bacon, &e., otherwise than in lawful money, for werk
done on the 20th of November Mr. Homfray appeared
to prosecute, and Mr. Shakespeare for the defence.
Mr. Homfray, in opening, said the complainant had
beea working for the defendaiit ass nailer. On the 20th
of November when he went VI receive his money, which
was fl lie 91. defendant's wife gave him goods In the
amount of fl di. an that he had only rn,eiveil 2a 91
Defembint had also been in the habit of paying complain
ant in lid per bundle for work of a certain kind, instead
of flo 61. A worse case of truck system he had never
known. _

Complainant deposed : I am a ?miler, and Wll,l re..ently
emPl.)nd bv the iiefen.Mnt for two years and four
months. On the 20ili oiliiino I wan at work at Is 11.1 per
bundle. At the end of the week I had el Gs 91
to me for mine and my none wolc. On the Sian...lay
night I received 24 91. The remainder was in sugar,
batter, tobacco. awl other things, amounting to fl 4s,
which were received by my wife. Since I hal,' tak-n
net the amnions, the &fen/tint and Policerconstable
Smith I, ve becii and se ...died my house.
Cross-examined : I c.0.-lied two veers end four months.
"Lye not fin:wren:4 with It in. Have Isft his employ
hecanse lie would not psy nil in money. Did not eon—t-
en bun. H•tve never received my wages in cash. Do
not receive a note, but the amount is put down on a
note. My wife goes to the 8114.11. I reckon up tint, and
det-ndant tell, me to send my wife.

Emma Hasten field, wife of-complainant. deposed: y
husband did work tc.r MIDOFP. Tile week's money came
to £1 Gs 91 on the t!Oth of November, but I only received
2+ 91 in mom The other was in g:todi. befendst,t
Rave a note to his wife, and hilt t•rtre me the good 4. For
the whole time .I have reeeived inetent of looney.
_

eros..ez mined : I will swim; I did not pick up ihe
whole .4 the money, only 2s 9L and :hat I spent in the
bowie b..fore I rune away. Have had nothing hu, Awe
food for the whole of the time. Could not eat the bread
at lima.

This being the evidence,
Mr. Shakespeare addressed the Bench for the defence,
and said the defendant wan nnfortunate in keening a
shop, which he hoped he would give up. But the fact
of him keeping is shop did not make him liable warier
the Truck Art. If the evidence wror true. he Wan liah'e
under ilre Truck Art ; hut be wan informed the evidence
W:l9 not true. It was true that the tar:or:lain int Isal
gnoit to the amount of twents.two or three shillings,
but lie was always paid in money. Mrs. Moore keeps e
shop, and kindly let the workmen have some goods when
they had no money; and on the 20th of Noveurber the
defendant paid complainant 1 tis 01. Mr. Moore will
swear that he paid tar money in silver, and that be left
hit place when paid. If that evidence WAS true, there
win or, offence under the Truck Act. Ile should call a
number of workmen emplwyed by the defendant, and
they w meld say they trace never compelled to take goods.
but always received money, hot that 111 some instances
Crev had hart credit of Mrs. Moore.

_ .
Thomas Moore deposed: I am a nal manufsetarer at
II ilesowen. Compleinant wwiillmy employ, and heal:wen
for (oar years. There is • shop on mv peemisee. bat it
i. left to the in Lierte.niont of niy wile. Do not know
whit veep Ethel at my shop. They are at liberty to deal
whore they like. Complainant ha I corniest him an the
90. h November. £1 6, 91. The wife CAtlie for the in roe,.
Asked her bow much it 'von? She iiai4 £1 6191. She
then pieked up the while of the money. Si, walked
may. I paid the money in silver. My wife takes the
whole mitnacement of the shop, and has done no for
yenta. I never (6,4. tiokete. I employ about 49 men.
Cross cosmic, : Complainant made Sf elc iron Into
mills. Do not know what I paid him. It to in the Look
Ido nal know the proper pi ise was 1. 91. Do nit sei,
those male at clot isaila. XV wife has kept the traek
shoo far some years. Mr wife doe, ant keep hooks.
mint any there is pen end ink in the flange, Anson, or
se) thing else. I did take Pobetesotiatehle Smith to the
thinplaitiant'e bawd.. I did not put a piece of steel li,
ray pocket and tsko it to colopleiiistire Louse, ii•id there
drop It. Coutpleieent wail brought before the Magi'.
trete. on the choke of taiony,ansi liselorrgrd•

Complainaih. silted !fit MOT!) iron tis
wok up I refaced to let him have it, and tie pointed to
me and said, " mark you. HMV wined g4.C.1 taallr
artiolea fr on the shop such 44 holes. hammers, ,be I
suspeehd him. I had gOl of sliver in the Isos, but there
WU gold in the b,ng besides. I kept the change to sure
Tanning shout.
Ann Moore, wife of defendant. deposed : Tbers is •
shop kept on the premises. a itch is kept by me, and I
receive the money from the workmen. My hutOoind baa
nothing to do with the shop. My husband buys the
goods in Birmingham, and I pay kin fir them. I lcsiep
the profit for niyaelf. I rec•illect Mrs Butterfield com•
ing to the shop. Bly hnslosiol pars the workmen, and
they pay me. Do not keep 3 t.0.,k. but put it down on a
slate, and on Svturday tub it off, when paid. I have
trusted, and lost money.
Cross.examined : Du not know Henry Rake. Did
not any it would only cost me £lO, and I did hot care e
rap fir it, us my husband lid plenty of money. I said
I was very sorry if I hail done wrong. I charge lod per
pound for Lawn. Am not in the habit of putting cheese
into hatter to make it weight.
\Valiant Matthews deposed. I work for Moore, the
defendant, sometimes. Do nut deal at the defendant's
shop. Have nei, r dealt there. Have seen men paid
Never saw any one's money deducted. I have always
been paid in looney. Have never spent my money in the
defendant's house.

Ann Cutler deposed: I work for the defendant. I
have bought flour at the shop, but with my own freewill.
Defendant has never stopped money off me. Have had
flour 41 cheaper at defendant's shop than elseu here.
Joseph Hardwicke deposed: I live at Hashury, and
work at the defendant's works. My wife deals at the
defendant's shop. I hove nay nloney paid down, and I
give it to my wife, and if ale owes any money to the
defendant she pays it. Am not compelled to deal there.
Defendant always paid my immey in full.
Cross-examined : I rec,ive the fall price for my work
Do not receive notes. There are books kept. I ha,
never heard the men complain they could not get all the
money.
0.. .

There were two other charges against the defendant of
a similar nature:l.th brought by James Basterfield : on.
on the 27th of Novembor, the wages amounting to
us 3d, complainant only receiving 4,; cud the other on
the 4th of December, when the wages amounted to fl
Ile Id, for which lie receiv,sl no money. As the evi-
dence was similar in each case to the first, Mr. Shake-
speare said he should not occury the time of the Court,
but was willing for them to be decided by the first.
The Bench then retired far a short ti-ne. On return•
ng into Court, the Bench fined defendant 1:5 in each
ease, and costs.