The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-23 00:00:00

BBIERLEY HILL.

DRUNKENNESS—At the Police Court, on Monday,
before Messrs. F. Evers and H. Hall, James Booth
was charged with being drunk in the highway, on
the 12th inst. Police .constable Eden proved the
case, and said the defendant was drunk and very
abusive. Defendant was fined 5s and costs; in
default 7 days.—Charles Homer was charged with
being drunk and disorderly on the highway on the
4th inst. Police/constable Gibbons proved the
case, and defendant was fined 2s 6d and costs; in
default 7 days.—Reuben Attwood was charged
with being drunk on the 10th inst. Police-
constable Barton proved the case, and defendant
was fined 2s 6d and costs; in default 7 days.—
Arthur Jones, of Birmingham, was charged with a
similar offence on the Oth inst. Police-constable
Buckley proved the offence, and the defendant, who
pleaded guilty, was fined 5s and costs; in default 7
days.
USING OBSCENE LANGUAGE.—Henry Martin was
charged by Mrs. Hodgetts with using ob3cene
language towards her on the 14th inst. Complain-
ant said she was in her garden on the above date,
when defendant came to the garden gate and asked
her if she wanted him. Defendant made use of
very bad language. There being no previous
conviction defendant was fined 5s and costs; in
default 7 days.
USING PROFANE LANGUAGE.—George Dean (18)
of Dudley, was charged with using profane language
on the 10th inst., in Fenton Street, Brierley Hill.
Police-constable Lafford said he had got hold of a
horse and was going to take it to the Station, when
defendant came up to him and told him to leave
the horse alone and made use of many more
indifferent phrases. Police-constable Whetton said
he was in bed at the time, but on hearing the row
he got up and went to see what was the matter.
Witness heard the defendant using very bad
language towards the last witness. Police-con-
stable Eden also gave corroborative evidence.
Mrs. Dean, defendant's mother, said that he was
in company with more men, and that it was not her
son that used the language complained of, but some
of the other men. Defendant was cautioned and
fined 2s 6d and costs; in default 7 days.
STEALING STRAWBERRIES.—Richard Barnbrook
(14), was charged with stealing a quantity of straw-
berries out of a garden belonging to Elijah Robinson,
on the Bth inst. Complainant said that his son
caught the boy in the garden and brought him into
the house to him. John Robinson, complainant's
son, said he caught the prisoner, who was picking
strawberries out of his father's garden, and took
him into the house to his father. Prisoner was
committed to prison for 7 days.

USING OBSCENE 14ANGUAG-E AND ASSAULTING THE
POLICE.—Isaac Adams, butcher, was charged with
using obscene language and assaulting the police,
in Fenton Street, Brierley Hill, on the 10th inst.
Police-constable ',afford said he was trying to get
a horse and cart to the Police Station, when the
defendant came and caught hold of him and began
to push him about. Defendant was making use of
very bad language. There were a great many
people in the ;tree, and he was obliged to send for
assistance. Defendant was fined 2s 6d and costs;
in default 7 days imprisonment with hard labour,
in each case.
STEALING COAL.—Susannah Cartwright (14),
was charged with stealing a quantity of coal the
property of Messrs. Harris and Pearson. John
Wassell, watchman, in the employ of Complainant
proved the case. Fined ss; in default 7 days.
BREACH or THE PEACE.—George Hill and John
Wood were charged with committing a breach of
the peace by
fighting on the 12th inst. Police-
constable Hieklin proved the offence. Wood was
I ordered to pay 63. A warrant was issued agains

Bill who di-d
itot appear. e
ASSAULTS.—EIijah Wildon was charged with
assaulting John Hardy on the 9thiinst. Defendant
said they were both fighting together. Complainant
said he was in his garden and heard a row over the
other side of the hedge. Witness looked over to
see what was the matter, and he saw the defendant
was fighting. The defendant on seeing him said,
" There's the man I want to kill to night." Com-
plainant went away but defendant followed him to
his back door and said he wanted to have a" Zulu
war." Complainant replied that he must have cue
with himself then. The defendant then struck
him. A man named Tibbetts said he heard the
defendant threaten complainant, but complainant
did not speak to him back again. He also saw him
strike complainant, but he did not strike back
again. Defendant was fined is and costs ; in
default 7 days.—Caroline Pulley was charged with
assaulting Mary Batherham and John Batherham
on the 12th inst. Mary Batherham said the de-
fendant was going to throw a stone at her husband
when she put her hend up to stop him from throw-
ing it and defendant struck her. John Bather-
ham said he saw the defendant strike his wife. He
went up to them to get them away from each other
when the defendant ° kicked him and threw stones
,at him. Defendant was fined lOs and costs ; in
' default 21 days, in the ,voman's case. In the man's
case the charge was dismissed.--John Turner was
charged with assaulting samuel Priest and Riza-
beth Priest on the 11th inst. Samuel Priest, groom,
of Wombourn, said that defendant came into his
house on the 11th inst, He asked defendant if he
would hive a cup of tea, to which he replied that
he did not want any tea as it was nearly supper
time. Defendant then,went to a public-house and
had some ale. He came back again into the house
and rushed at complainant, caught hold of him by
the throat and tiled to strangle him. Elizabeth
Priest, wife of Samuel Priest said the defendant
came into their house on the above date, and
caught hold of her husband by the throat and tried
to strangle him. Witness said she went to the
door and screamed out murder, but no one came to
assist them.. Witness went into the house again
and saw that her husk-11d was going black in the
face, and she took up a chair and struck the de-
fendant, when he struck her, and then kicked her
under the breast. Defendant then said that he
would take the life of both of them away, and she
went again to the door and screamed out murder,
but no one came. The Bench said they should not
fine him for assaulting the woman as she first
struck him with a chair, but should fine him 5s
and costs for the assault upon the man; in default
of payment 7 days.
ASSAULTING COUNTY COURT BAlLlFFS.—Benja-
min Guest and Jane Guest, of Wombourn, were
i charged with assaulting James and Joseph Wood-
ward, bailiffs of the Wolverhampton County Court.
Mr. Dallow prosecuted on behalf of the High Bailiff.
, The officers went to the house, and proceeded to
remove the furniture on an execution for .£4 is.
Ihe woman struck both men, and took from them
i a clock and a chair. They ofered to take lOs
; rather than move the good, but the woman re-
fused to pay, and sent a neighbour for her husband
By the time the husband had arrived the bailiffs
and the goods were at a public-house near. Ben-
jamin Guest rushed in with a poker, and struck at
James Woodward. He was thrown down, but he
kicked and struggled so fiercely that the officers
went off for a constab'e. A large crowd followed
and threatened the bailiffs. The female defendant
stated that ,he acted as she did because the men
treated her badly in the the first instance by de-
clining to hear her statement as to payments she
h id made only a short time previously,iand because
the bailiffs would not wait ten minutes whilst
she fetched her husband. Benjamin Guest said he
had nothing t 3 say except that the bailiffs assaulted
him with a stick. Mrs. Quest, with great volubility