The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-12-04 00:00:00

The case against Chance was dien.lased,

ANOTHER CHARGE OF ASSAULT. '
Joseph Ward was then charged by Peter
Chance with assaulting him, on the 13th ultimo.
Mr. Stokes appeared for complainant.
Mr. Chance said: I saw the defendant and
three others, as 1 was coming out of the Corn
Exchange on the above date, and the de-
fendant began to hoot me, and call after me,
"Papa, Papa ;" and told me to go and wash my
dirty linen. I then asked him what he meant by
following me about. Defendant continued to
hoot at me, and told me to get my dirty linen
washed. I then get away , and the defendant
continued to follow me, shouting, " Who made a
pauper of his father, and has now made one of
his wife?" Mr. Bird, basket maker and parish-
constable, also shoutod after me, and I ad to
seek the protection -f the police, and was telling
him;of the defendant's conduct and painting him
out to the policeman, when the defendant
snatched at my thumb and bic it. lat once told
the police man of it, who said be did not see the
defendant bite at me. Defendant continued to
push me about, and used filthy language.
Cross-examined: You have annoyed me for
the last two years. I did not offer to fight you
for a sovereign, but said I would rather fight you
and settle the matter, than be continually bad-
gered in the way you have badgered Inc ; and I
say so now in public court, if I was not bound I

. ...iy so .. . -
Mr. Dorricutt reported that he had visited would give you a good thrashing.
several workshops in Summer-street, Angel- Re-enamined: My thumb dil not bleed, nor
street, and Birmingham-street, under the new hurt me much. It was merely a snap.
regulations, and found them in accordance with William Pountnev, baker, said he saw defend.
the Act,
ant pushing M. anima, and shouting out to
The Clerk reported that Cecil-street was chan- him, .. Papa, papa ;" ‘, Who made his father a
'wiled and levelled, and could now be declared pauper, and now his wife ?" He told Mr. Chance
as a highway.
to go home. He went away, and came back
The Chairman said it had been suggested that again. He saw defendant push complainant by
eirih Commissioner should have a copy of the M;-. Platt's shop, and heard him shout out about
-- Town Act, but from what he had heard he his dirty shirt.
thought that every Commissioner who wanted a This being the case,
On Tuesday evening a meeting of miners was copy should pay for it himself, and they would
Ward said in his defence that as he was leaving
held at the Britannia Inn, Owen-street, Tipton. cost about 705.
the Corn Exchange complainant called him a
After hearing several addresses, a similar reso- Mr. Hughes considered the present price very
'Mimi to the one passed at Dudley in the morn- high, amlthat it was on account of its being a 1-- scamp, and threatened to break Itisb--
'
hag was unanimously adopted,
monopoly of the Queen's printer. Ile thought skull open, and denied making use of th e inn.
On Wednesday morning a mass meeting of it desirable that each member of the Beard luoadgiee as stahtoedsabiyd choomittriohtiionaa,ivitc,
haanodoecaolldeJoaust.
miner h s was lie-id in the open space on Potter's should be well acquainted with the various Acts.
Fields, Dudley. About two hundred men and No motion was made. of thewsC, owrn Exchange, and heard him use
threatening language towards defendant.
boys (principally thin-coalcolliers) were present. Mr. Hughes said there was one very import-
After a chairman had been selected, Mr. Break- ant thing he wanted to bring before the Board. Cross-examined: Did not follow Chance down
well addressed the meeting. He declared that Some time ago a butcher brought into time town the street. Was with the defendant. Did not
the meeting would never have been called if the some Realm of some kind to sell for meat. It was hear him call complainant names. Did not see
men lind been in a proper state of organisation, considered by the Clerk necessary to take certain him bite complainant's thumb, or push against
because they could then have ruled the labour steps in the matter. He did so. Since that h;lii•
market to their equal advantage, inasmuch as time sonic proceedings had been taken against Henry Richards and John Pulley also gave
the masters were able to pay the sixpenny ad- some of them for damages. The chairman, similar evidence.
vance, but they refused to do so. There were cleric, and some medical gentlemen had been Police-constable Morris was called, and said
many employers in the district who had said, if served with notices of action. He thought it he was on duty at 11.20 a.m. Another officer
it could be pointed out to them that other em- was their duty to throw every shield they could was with him M. Chance complained to him
ployers were giving the sixpence advance instead around their officers —(hear, hear)—and he of men insulting him, and said he could not go
iof the threepenny advance, they would pay th , ' li-s•e• .1 to propose the following resolution : home. Witness told him if he liked to go home
larger sum. Tins they suit in answer to ,!.., , h..i Ii case of proceedings at, law now threat- iii• would I.ee. .ee crowd Karl:. ii I:, Mr Chance
men's statements that some masters had given cited being continued, oar eh rk be instructed, said he had more right to waik about Lie street
the full price wine others had not. In his an. ! and is hereby instructed to defend the commis- than policemen.
awes he could say that the Baakhmie ca,apiny at shiners, the officers, and medical gentlemen Police-constable Box gave similar ea:dence,
Old Hill were giv hag the dm sired advance if six- employed by them." and said he did not see that Mr. Chance's thumb
peneo ; Messin. Howl .inti MRSULI, of Oidnory, i This was seconded by Mr. Newman, and ear. had bee m bit, as there was no mark upon it.
were also :Iven the (Oriole(' ; and timers were rued unam:i ,00sly. Th. Ouch did not consider the case proved,
i other Re, ,- .. irhose colli,:ries he hut forgotten There wws no othe: business, and the meeting end ill-missed it, at the same time eawiening the
the names, of the British, Iron Company he broke up. defendant not to annoy Mr. Chance.