The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-12 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

NEGLECT OF WORE.—At the Police Court, on Wed-
nesday, before Messrs. It L. Freer end B. Hingley.
Emmanuel Siddaway was summoned by Eli Stringer.
for neglecting his work and claimed £1 16s 61 for
money drawn,—Mr. Waldron defended.—Complainant
said that he agreed with the defendant to work for him
as a chainmaker, and an agreement Was drawn up and
signed in November last. He advanced theidefendant
4A add he was to ha paid back at is per week. The de-
fendant has neglected his work and he now claimed
16s 61, the balance due and 5s for neglect of work.—
defence was that in May lastcomplainant wanted to drop
the defendant's wages at the rate of 4f per cwt. for half
inch chain, the price being 23 9d per cwt.. and defendant
put in a counter claim of 30s for two weeks wages in
lieu of notice, and thus leaving a balance of Gs 61 due.
The Bench considered the damage had not been proved
and they ordered defendant to pay the £1 163 61 and
costs.
1 83AOLT CASE.—Ellen Barker was charged with
assaulting Eleanor Hadley, on the sth inst.—Mr. Hayes
appeared for the coraplainant.—Frorn the evidence of
complainant it appears they are neighbours and there is
a party wall. Complainant went to the well for water,
which she had a right to when the defendant put a mop
in her face and threw a bucket of water over her. Louise
Adams corroborated. Defendant was fined is and
costs.

BREACH OF THE PEACE.—Walter Watts and John
Westwood were charged with committing a breach of the
peaca by fighting. Defendants pleaded guilty and the
case was withdrawn by paying costs aad promising no
to offend again.
Asseuvr CASE.—Wiliiam Skitt was charged with
assaulting Emma Hadley, on the 2nd inst. The parties
are neighbours and on the day in question the defendant
began to pull up a lot of growing vegetables and she re-
monstrated wilh him when defendant struck her several
times, knocked her down, and kicked her while down.
TwO witnesses were called to corroborate. Defendant
denied that he struck complainant and said the com.
plainant came out of the shop to strike him with a ham
mer, and that he took it off her and pushed her an
she fell down. Complainant called Selina Poole who
bald the defendant did not strike her but gently pushed
he, away. Fined Is and costs.
WILFULLY DAIIiGING A iVar..r, —William Cuttler, John
I:ownshend, and John Powell were charged with wil-
fully damaging a stone wall, an the 23th tilt, the pro-
perty in the Earl of Dudley. Mr. Owen, who appeared
to prosecute, said the offence was a very serious one and
4ume time ago the wall was built at a cost of £2OO and
the wall has been seriously damaged by some persons,
and on the day in queation in open day light the defend-
ants seriously damaged the wall and he asiced the Bench
to seua them to prison as an example to others
George Gardener in the employ of Earl Dudley. He
proved the case and said there was a cart load of atone
anocked off the wall as they were walking along
Townsliend was the worst. Robert Ormond proved that
the damage done, which he said to put the wall in the
same order as before: it would cost 255. Defend:tnts
pleaded gulag and said they had been having a drop of
beer. Defendants were fined 5s each and cists, awl 5s
each damage.

CHARGE— OF INDECENT ASSALILT.—SIISS Sheldon, a
paddler, was charged with committing an indecent
assault upon two little girls named Mary Ann Durrant
and Hannah Hallmark, on the 7th inst. Mr. Hayes I
appeared to prosecute, and Mr. Waldron defended.—
Several witnesses were called to prove the case The
Bench described the defendant as a dirty filthy fellow
and they very much regretted they co sld not give him
the punishment he deserved. Defendant was then sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment in each case, and
an additional mouth in default of paying costs.
OVERSEERS OF ROWLEY v. LIQUIDATORS OF THE
OAKHAII COLLIERY COMPANY.—At the Old Hill Police
Court, on Wednesday, the case, which had been adourned
from a previous court, came up for hearing. The Over-
seers of the parish of Rowley Regis claimed 1:125. for
poor rates from the liquidators of the Oakham Colliery
Compeny.—Mr. Owen, Dudley, defended, and explained
to the Bench that the charge was against the liquidators
of the former Oakham Colliery Company, who where
not now in possession of the colliery, as a new company
had been formed under the Act of Parliament George
11e. 27rh. He believed the Overseers had power to
apportion the rate, between the outgoing and the incom-
ing tenant. He had already intimated to Mr. Parkes,
the Assistant Overseer, that when such apportionment
Was made the rate would no doubt be paid.—Mr. Parkes
had no other alternative bat to let the. present case fall.
and metre an apportionment such as he had suggested,—
Mr. Parkes ltimately consented to the adoption of this
course, and it was understood that the case would come
before the court in a fortnight in another form.
Tua MINEi DR.SiNAGE RATE IN THE OLD HILL DIS-
TRICT.-31essrs. George Morley Dowdeswell, Q,C , and
etionaaa Hawkealey, CE.. two of the arbitrators ap-
peiutest under the South Staffordshire Mines Drainage
Act, 1873, held a public meeting on Tuesday last, at
the Offices of the Commissioners, Darlington Street,
Wolverhampton, to hear appeals against a draft award
for the Old Hill district for the levying of a GLinel drain-
age rate of 3d per ton of fire clay and limestoe e and 6
per ton on ironstone, coal, stack, and other minerals.
there were also present Messrs. H. Underhill and H.
Fow:er, the law clerks; Mr. W. B. Collie, the engineer;
and Mr. H. Smith, the secretary to the Commissioners.
Mr, W. Jefferies, the mining agent to the Earl of
Dudley, made an application for his lordship's Saltwells
Colliery to be exempted from rating on the ground that
it was unaffected by the Commissioners pumping opera-
tions or the flooding of adjoining collieries. The appii-
calor' was granted. The arbitrators granted a similar
application made by Mr. J: B. Cochrane, in respect to
iota firma Yew Tree Colliery at Cradley Heath. Mr.
Waldroe, eohcitor of Brierley Hill, applied on :behalf
of Mn, B. Ha delow, the ownet of ti:e Fox 04k Colliery,
fur a graduetiou of the rate, on the ground
that their mechruery pumped all tae water oat of the
pit. The decision of the arbitrators was reserved. Mr.
iYaldrou also made an application for a remiesion of the
rate to be granted to the executors of the late Mr.
Edward Waldron, of the Riddiug's Colliery. In support
of the application he stated that they not only lifed all
the water from their colliery, bat relieved several of the
adjorunig pits of water. The arbitrators also reserved
their decision in this case. Messrs. Skidmore, Webster,
and Company, of the Eagle Colliery, Old Hill, applied
for a remission of the rate, Mr. Waldron, who made the
application, said that water was being pumped out of
the Lion Colliery adjoining in order te relieve their own
colliery, and that by so doing Messrs. Skidmore were
benefiting the mine swners in the neighbourhood.
This water Tould not find its way to the Old Hill
Pump Mr. Collis admitted that the Commissioners'
pump was not able to keep the water down in the
deepest part of the applicants' pit. The decision was
reserved, with the understanding that a portion of the
rate would be remitted. Messrs. John Stevens and
Co.'s Hawse Hill Colliery, Old Hill, was exempted from
the rate. The owners were not represented, but Mr.
Co:lia stated that as the colliery was exempted from the
last rat, justice would be done if it were exempted agate
as the circumstances were the same as ;those of Messrs.
Coehrane.