The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-01 00:00:00

Cte stoartrke Otscrinr.

SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1869.

AGRARIAN OUTILAGES IN
IRELAND.

very sad and horrible event to which we
&LAI presently more especially refer, has drawn
renewed attention to a subject which unhappily
is by no mesas new, agrarian outrage. in Ireland,
or, to put the matter in plainer aryl nie)r start.
ling language, the murder of landlords by the
tenants.

The iron trade in South Staffordshire is for
the most pint inactive, and the repeits on
i'Change at Birmingham, on Thursday, were on
1 the whole less cheering. Orders tor merchant
&in are given ,
Whatever else Ireland may have to complain out very sparingly, and at few of
the mites does tie production eet mtimi beyond four
of, she can scarcely urge C. she is neglected
by writers, philosophers, mnrelists,
petite , days a week. Pig iron remains unchanged. In
SO3
Noel.ll St Ll:surd:shire we learn Out at seine if tee
Mans. A very large proportion of the lab-mimes 1
works there is less activity Vain there eas a
of Parliament are mlevoted every seasen to Irish
alth age. A few orders fer lium:dist,
questions; the English end Scotch press are ei i m
continually dealixem-
tiou continue to come in, and these timid come
ng with her geievaeces, real or
work; but agailll this fact has to be placed a
imaginary ; end recently the electious throtiehe
ff.,. at I reeranual demand fer pletea, in elii9h very liltie
out the United Kingdom turned upon the
gees:ion, still unsolved, of the Irish Church. lis 'l'4l4' Ordsre for the smeller sizes of mere
Of late years the maelition of the Emerald Isle 1 ch int bars If mve also become more scarce, as re-
-1 garde home requirements, wells the Amerie in
has conaiderably imp:eyed, chi. fly om leg to the
I demane for sit sizes is extremely languid. Time
Imeueficial effects if mere emeighteuel legislation,
i teue weather him Ii aught with it OIOF3 hopeful
fuel to the introduction of capital into time conn-
-1 segue of improve.neet in the Continental trade
try. But many of Irelandem grievances and
:
wrongs, many of her p .malier evils exist st:11, amid some little iecrease of orders.
mil SO fir as they do caiit, they arise from the I
seine causes.. and produce tile same effects as I
ever. In 1839 M. Beaumont, a French anther,
who had devoted years of etudy te the comliti n
o; Ireland, deriving his impressions in the co:me-
tre itself, writes time :—.` Capital is wanting ; .
thetereer which reigns in the country drives it
further away. Industry alone could rake from PARL/AMENTARY PETITIONS.-- 'By Mr. Laslett,
indigence the multitude of cottiers that contend ', from East Wercestmehire Chamber of Agriculs
for the land ; and capital, without which no in. I time, for moditicatione in the provisions of the
clustre is eossilee, has fled from poor Ireland fem. C ntagious Diseases (Animals) BR By Mr.
ever." Written thirty years ago, how emelt of Amphlett, from Blockl my and Olmiswinford, in
this summit-my of IFelalid S STi!S IS still true! We I favour of the Beerhouses, etc., Bill; and frera
have learned since thee that capital having fled the Dudley Board of Guardians, mtettimmst various
from pour Irelaud for ever is not wholly true, previsions in the Valuation of Property Bill.
but it is still unloubtedly true to a certain WO SERIOUS ACCIDLNT TO A CIIILD.-011 Tues•
tent, while the other part of the French author's day efternoon last, a little girl tieed 6 years,
statement is confessedly true now as then, daughter of Thomas Mills, No. 2, Mount-street,
though the evils exist only in a modified degree. was sitting upon some steps by the side of the
Seven years after this was written Mr. T. C. read opposite her father's house, wheu a large
Foster, the Timed' " commissioner " in Ireland, cart belonging to the railway company, heavily
said: " The acknowledged arid proved wants of loaded with hurdles, came up, and the &leer not
II eland are, first, capital to develope it resents. seeing the child rail over her. See WAS taken
coA ; to titre De utiiliene of acres of bog lute up in great agony shrieking loudly and carried
corn-fields, its lakes into natural highways and home. Mr. It. L. Bayley, surgeon, was sent for
exhanatless utaudgeturing water-power; es lay immediately. met he bled the alias heed em.,
Imre its vast tuitmeral wealth, to bring its coal to . teated very badly; the fore-finger of the right
to the surface; to profit by the fish mm heel swarm liana was broken and nearly torn off, so much so
neglemited rimed Ito costs. Sec.:idly, Recut imy, as to regeire amputation which was performed
to encourage the inveatilieut of capital, and ti immediately. There was also a wound three
promote industry. But the withering blight of leehes deep on the thigh, which was half emit
insecurity drives capital away. The cheap, half across. A e are happy to say that the child is
cultivated lauil in Tipperary is uumetleable ; uo doing well, and will make a good recovery.
one will bay land there who valuta his life and FATAL ACCIDENT AND INQUEST.—On Wanes-
comfort. M taufectures there are none, and the day last a fatal accident occurred to a man
coal mines lieve been closed beesueo of inseca- named Isaiah Brooks (48), employed by Mr.
rity." This was penned twenty-three yeers age, Stafford at time New Farm Colliery, residing at
and it is sad to think that much of it remake Statuber Mill. under the following eircumstane
true to this day. Tuis is too p Li, fail y preyed eit appears that in the morning between
by the narrative of the assassination, a few days five and six o'clock deceased went to the pit
ago, of a landlord tuel magistrate in the sa-c L bank to work, and being seized with giddiness,
county which, when Mr. Foster wrote, had a bad fell headlong down the shaft, a dietance of about
pre-eminence for agrarian murders. Mr. W. J. thirty yards. A man named Chance, who was
Bradshaw, of Coppawhite, near the town of Tip- at work down the pit, hearing a noise, turned
perary, was found murdered under horrible cur- round, and saw deceased lying with his head
cumstances. It ia said that he was not enly buried in the slack, and his face mangled in a
shot, but his skull was beaten in and his throat frightful manner. He obtained assistance, and
cut. A rep meter who chronieleg the appetite,/
I, got the deceesed to the bank, and then took him
deed says: "He was an inoffensive man, and at honme. Mr. Bnyley, surgeon, was sent for, and
though obliged recently to bring ejectmente
.011 arriviug found the deceased in an insensible
against some of his tenants, he subsequently state, and dying. On making an examination,
withdrew them, and in one instance forgave two found a frightful wound five or six inches long
years' rent. The deem-teed owned a large tract and three inches deep over the right eye, and ex.
of land. This is the eighth murder in Tippe- tending to the end of the nose, which was slit
: rary since August last for which not a single up. His right ammo was broken, and his right
I person has been apprehended." ancle dislocated. Mr. Bayley remained with him
Now we do not desire to offer any comments about an hour, when he gradually sank, and with-
on them particular csse, sincerely hoping that all out regaining consciousness, expired. An in-
the facts connected with it may ere lone be on- quest was held on the body at the Rose and
ravelled. But we cannot forget that as far as is Crown, Stamber Mill, before R. Docker, Esq.,
known at present, this murder is a type of a Coroner; and after hearing the above facts, the
class; it is to be feared that it is an agrarian jury returned a verdict that deceased ,cauae to
I
murder, like too many other murders in Tippe- his death by falling down a pit.
nary. But the fact mentioned, that this is the BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—The weekly meeting
eighth murder in this county during some nine of this Board Was held yesterday, Mr. Grainger
months, for which not a single person has been in the chair. There were also present: Messrs.
apprehended, is one which provokes comment. Broke, Rhodes, Guest, Griffin, Doody, Walker,
Whatever may have been the proximate or en- Raybould, and Rollinson. Admitted into the
mediate cause of this murder, we know that house during the week 17; discharged, 80;
landlords or their agents are occasionally 'nue- born, 1; dead, 2 ; remaiuing 429. Correspond-
dered by tenants, usually irritated by eviction or lug week last year 403. Out-door relief, King-
some lesser injury, and that there is frequently swinford district., /43 8s Gml ; Stourbrilge die-
just cause for these evictions, if the rights of triet,l2s Gs 7d ; Halesowen district, /23 les OW ;
property are to be at all respected. But under total, /02 les led, against /100 Os lid last year.
no circumstances whatever can murder be justi- ASSAULT CASE.—At the Petty Sessions held
fled, and as the murderer in all civilised coon- yesterday, before Major Fletcher, H. 0. Firm-
tries is held amenable to law, it is the bounden stone, J. Holcroft, and R. L. Freer, Esnre.,
duty of society to give up the murderer to jus- Thomas Hutton was charged by Luke Poole
tics, and a crime against society to shield the with assaulting him on the 24th ult. From the
criminal from a fair trial. And yet it would evidence of complainant it appears that defend-
seem that this has been done in eight cases in ant came into his house and struck him without
the same county during the last few months, any provocation. The defendant was fined 2s 6d
In this respect Ireland must confessedly offer a and costs.
striking contrast to either England or Scotland, CHARGE OF EVADING Tom.—Charles More.
where a murderer is very rarely indeed shielded ton was charged by Thomas Frost with passing
from the pursuit of justice, and then only by through the Hay Green toll-gate without paying
those whose natural affection affords some ex- is, the toll. Complainant said he kept the Hay
cuse for it—never by a whole district. "The Green gate on the Halesowen voad. On the 6th
crime of murder," says Blackstone, "besides the of March defendant passed through the gate with
injury to individuals, strikes at the very being of three horses and carts, without paying the toll,
society, which cannot possibly subsist, where ac- Is was due. He has asked the defendant several
tions of this sort are suffered to escape with times for the toll, and he has promised to pay,
impunity." We would not inelnde a whole but has not done so. Had often trusted him
county, or even a whole district, in the condemn- before. The defence was that complainant was
nation of such a dictum as this ; but the fact re- in the habit of trusting him with the toll at
mains that eight murderere in afew months, and times when he had no money. Complainant
in the same county, have remained undiscovered trusted him on the above date, and he intended
and unpunished, and it is not too much to as- to pay him. The Bench said they could not help
same that at least in some of these cases there is complainant as he had made it a debt, and had
mere sympathy with the murderer than regret no power, and dismissed the case.
for the murdered. This is a sad and disheart- HIGHWAY OFFENCE. Joseph Sheward was
cuing consideration, and to some extent, it is a charged by Superintendent Freeman with allow-
stain on the Irish character. But on the other Mg his pony to stray on thelsighway at Perim/me,
hand it cannot be denied that the law of landlord on the 26th ult. Police-constable Rea proved
And tenant in Ireland is in a meet unsatisfactory the ease. The Bench discharged him with a
state. This tics been proved over ...I over again, caution.
and thie dreadful Crime will draw renewed atteu DRUNK AND INCAPABLE.—WiIIism Ramsey WaS
tioll to it. The Irish Cenrch meiestion may be charged with being drunk and incapable on the
of meet preening ureeney ter the motaent, but it 27th ult. Poliemsergeent Wigiey proved that
bears in co., perieou in pet maneet and uuiversal I he was on dote and hued the defendant lying
interest to that of the laud question. down quite drunk, at the Stepping Stones. De.

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