The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-20 00:00:00

HALE S OWE N.

BALRsoWrN AND 11A,BUVY Co-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.--
Ihe members of this society held their quarterly m,-et-
in" on slitorday hist, at the Primitive Methodist school
Ream. tirmiegliam Street. Balesowen, when the usual
quarterly b.:lance-sheet was submilted, and unanimously -
approved. The svetrty cobtinues to proper. In sp,te
of the long-continued depression of trade, as shown by
cash in nand, March 31, £468 Is 7d; interest declared
on paid-up slia:es, 5 per cent. ; and the quarterly cash
dividend announced of Is 4d in the pound on members' ,
purchases. The stores, are the society's own property,
and a reserve fund is in course of accumulation. The
worl:r.g expenses are less than 5 par cent.
SHREP EireatatiG —At a Special Sessions, held on
Tuesday, before Alr. E. B. Phillips, James Hill, alias
" Sugar " (28), rivet maker, Blackueath, was brought up
on remand charged with feloniously killing a sheep, tLle
property of Mr. Morris, farmer, of Coombes Wood, with ,
intent to steal it.—The prosecutor stated that on the ,
30th uit, there were seventeen sheep in his field at
Coombe Wood. On the day following he discovered
that one of the sheep had been slaughtered in the field
and that a portion of the carcase had been carried away.
The sheep appeared to have been killed by someone
accustomed to the work. The skin had been taken off
vety neatly, arid the two hind leg e and the loins taken
away. The value of the animal was about £3.—Mr.
Andrews, treasurer of the Rowley Association for
tbe Prosecutions of Felons, said he went on the
Ist lust, in cornpauy with the prosecutor to the
field where the sheep had been kriled, and found
a number of footprints which exactly corresponded
with the shoes worn at the time by the prisoner.
He also traced the footmarks in the uirection
of the prisoner's house for a considerable distance
Police-sergeant Cooper deposed that when he appre-
hended the prisoner he found in his pocket ake ife
similar to those used by butchers for slaughtering
sheep. Upon tietarcr.iug the house of the prisoner he
found a Lag with a quantity of mutton fat in it.—Police-
sergeant Lane also proved finding portions of mutton
fat upon the prisoner's premises, and al-,o a board white:
appeared to have been used for chopping up the mutton.
—The prisoner, in reply to the usual caution, said that
he was not guilty, but tho Magistrate thought a prima
facie had been made out, and the prisoner was cont.
muted for trial at the next Worcestershire quarter
Sessions.—The same prisoner was then charged with
stealing some cooking and household utensils from the
premises of William Parry, on the Bth of February, and
from the premises at William Cooper, on the 23rd ult,
and 6th inst. The articles were stolen from the pre-
mises of the prosecutors late in the evening of the above
dates, and were pointed out to Policeesergeant Cooper
by the prisoner's wife whilst the ollicer was searching
the house, on the 10th inst.—The prisoner stated in
defence that he found all the articles in the garden of
his house, and did net know how they came there.—He
was committed for trial on these charges also.—lt was
stated by the police that the prisoner is a notorious
thief, having bte u nineteen Coles previously convicted
for felonies and other offences.

ROBBING A MATER.—ReOjaMIII Petford (24), wagoner,
was charged with stealing fourteen pigeons, the property
of his master, Mr. Thomas White, farmer, Lutley. It
appears that the prosecutor has been missing some of
his pigeons for several weeks, two or three being Ulm