The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-27 00:00:00

HALE SOWEN.

A Fisnoctous Doo.—At the Police Court, on Tuesday,
before Messrs Gem, Phillips, Gibbons, and Howard,
Joseph Brettle was charged by George Field, with
allowing a ferocious dog to be at large, on the 11th
hat.—Complainant said as he was going home a large
dog came bt hiud him and bit him on the leg.—Mr.
Hayes, for the defence, said the defeudaut soat the dog
two years ago and the dog did not belong to defendant,
and that the. dog has since been destroyed and the com-
plainant was not badly bitter..—Mr. Phillips, one of the
Magistrates, said the complainant was bitten badiy. He
had seven 'Larks of teeth on his leg and it bled
Charles Homes provetl that he took out the license for
the dog on question and i! was afterwards sold to
William avlor, of the Lye, who keeps the Red Lion.—
Defendant admitted that the dog was in the habit of
coming to and fro to his house and that he used to beat
him to send him away.— Ile case was dismissed.
CIIARGY :"TkALING A PIGEON.—JOIin Withers was
cliar;4ed with stealing a pigeon, on the 9th lest, the
proFerty of Charles liomes.—Mr. W. S. Hayes appeared
to prosecute.—Cmplainant said that since December
he had lost thirty pigeons On the above date he
lost the cue in question and the one prods' ced
was ha property and was worth 25.--Police-canst able
Pa ices said he weut to Wiliiatri Southall' s house with
the last witness and took the pigeon produced from
Southall who said he had it off J. Withers.—W.Southall
prey- d that the defendant brought a pigeon to him but
t did not charge him anything for it. He promised to
give him a pair of young pigeons for it. Defendant
totd him that he had trapped it and that it bslonged to
complainant. He told defendant he did not want to get
into a row about the pigeon —Defendant was lined 2,s 6.1
a at e ,sts, and the pifsen to be restored.
DRUNK. .AND RIIIVUMSG TO QUlT.—William Webster
was charged with being drunk and refusing to quit the
Royal Oak, Moor Lane, on the 15th inst.—Mr. Haves
appeared for the cotuplatnant.-11eury royalties, the
Lin lord, proved the case and said the defendant come
iato his house •'trunk and h,7l,an ta 'mak jugs.—
Defendant was fined 5s and costs; in d,,fanit, 11 days'

imprisonment.
hTKALING PIGHONB. Benjamin Petfore (17), was
charged with stealing a nu.liber of pigeons on or about
tn lUiLi lest, the property of 'Thomas White.—Proseca-
tor said the prisoner was formeriy a wagoner in his
employ and he had lost a ouinber of pigeons. Prisorrer
kid left his enploy and he Lula billsi printed for toe pri-
soner's apprehension. His time of service was ti,r on
6:.4 April but he left on the previous Wednesday.-
0 her witnesses proved that the prisoner stole some
pigeons and David Taylor proved that he bought three
hulls at the prisoner's for 3e. He told him that the
pi—Joni belonged 'to his mother. Pola•e•constable
Pirke4 apprehended the prisoler on th 4 P2rb inst, at
Broinsgrove and charged no with stealing 14 pigeons
on the 901 just, the property of Thomas White. Pri•
s ner admitted that lie stole thern.—Prisoner pleaded
and was ordere4 to he loc'sed up for '24
tours.
DRUNK AND DISOIIDEIILY.—Thumas Braman and Nora
Braman were charged with heidg draak and disorderly,
on the 22ad inst.—Defendaata were fined 5s eacq and
Coats.
APPLICATION rat BEER LICo:NE3II4.-11r. W. S. Hayes

applied on behalf of John 12arby, of Qainton, for a beer
liceisse to sell off the premises. the usual 110ti2e9 were
proved and complainata proved that toe lental was £l7
and ihe ant,ual value at £l4 10a —Mr. Forrest con-
tsnded thet the defendant was not the real resident

-eccapier.'he applicant already occupied licensed pre•
raises at Blackheath. Ithong,ii the wife and fadlily
there tile present app:icaut. did not sleep there.—
M: Hayes said the a.)a-iicaut did sleep at the .hou-e
occassionally. —.bar. Forrest also conteodi-d that the
annual value must he £1.5 —Mr. Phillips said that the
oiw required it to be £l2 out acconiin4 to the popd.ation
li w as -till retin. 1-.3en• Id retired to consider
their verdic; and on returning into coart Mr. Gem said
tie Bench had dacidcil :o grant the application.-11r.
iv. 8. Hayes made a similar application on behalf of
Jon. it.ise, at Qainton.—Police•constable Barley proved
serviag tile notiee.—Applic•int proved that the annual
value of the premises was £2O and he produced a good
character, and the application was granted. . .

TIIANSFERS.—The-Leopard public-house, High Street,
was transferred from James ~.ntler to Annie Elizibeth
ritialey ; and the Hare and Hounds, Harbury, was
temporarily transferred from Edward John Atkins to
l'hommi
Suitvicrous' Xecourrs.—The aceonnla of the stir-
ve rs of the townships of ELlesowen, Harbury, R nnsley
and Frankley were submitted to the Bench and
by them examined a:.ti allowed.
'I TIE LICII:IsE AND 111 E REV C. H. Ot.nviezo.-41r.
\V S Hayes said in reference to the above csse he may
say that he had seen Mr. Olefield as to puliieg off the
churcti door the notices of application for beer license,
vino had expressed his regret to him and paid in fee in
',aging the appli,a.ion. ite had also received two
l-tt!ra which it. Oldtield ssid he wished pubiished in
the local papers. The following are copies of the
letters :--

11th April, 1878.

18te.isrs. H tyes and Wright.
G”ntletnen,—The law provides that tie notice of a
ieeuse shouoi be fixed on the church door, or other
ninsOcuous plan., giving thereby a measure of dis-
c -et.oe to t:iiise concerned. A. Atroug objeclon exists
si ti.is perish agatust the use of the church for this p ir-
pose, tn-cause it is felt that the church, as a building,
should be connected oily with sacred associatioas, and
.411 Attie as possible with secular notices. 1 1:,!g to draw
your courteous attention to our wish, and to request
that in behalf of your clients you will act accordingly.
This view is the line of a discussion on the subject last
year in Paraiament. If the point of law involving dis-
cretion is not good the view is untenable. Ido not pro-
pose to contest the point, and my request is a matter of
c.purtesy. hid I been aware of the proceedings of the
9th mat, I should have been glad to have explained my
motive. cud I recognise the otherwise fair spirit in
which they were condncted.
I am, your obed;ent servant,
CHRI,TOPHIt 11. OLDFIELD,
Subsequently be (Mr, Hayes .had an interview with Mr.
Oldfield. and exolei,ed that accordi,g to the provision
of the Act the notices were required to be posted upon
church doors of the parish, or if there was no church,
upon any conspicuous place. He had since received the
following letter from the latter :
The gamt..n 11-ctory,
Vita April, 1878.

Messrs Hares and Wright.
Debx Sirs, —As you iuf iral ale that tha view I take ha,
ben dec.iied t be wr nig, it Is o iiy dit that I suouid
pay the exnense of the application. t tie you zo c•ma-
rnuatc.ite this, along with my lett.'r of the 11th met, to
the Magistrates, at their next meeting:
I am. your obeoient servant.
C. H. OLIVIELD
Ur. Hayes said that the Rev. C. H. Cildual explained
to him (Mr. Hayes) that he merely took the course he
did in order to test the qmation, and that for the I.iture,
as long as the law remained in its present state, be
would not iuterfere with any notices fixed'upon the
eiiurch doors. _ _ _

VESTRY MEETING—The annual vestry meeting for the
ecclesiastical district of idaiesowen was held on Tuesday.
in the Infant School Rom. The Yen. Archdeacon
[lone, who presided, nominated Ur. J. P. Hunt as
rector's warden for the ensuing year. Mr. Walter
Sowera was elected people's warden. Messrs. R.
Trevrolla, A. Burr. T. Bissell, and W. R. Colbourn were
selected as sidesmen. The meeting then proceeded to
the election of three members of the Burial Board, in
the place of Messrs. Gem. Bissell, and Pearmaii, who
retired. Considerable discussion took place as to the
pri ponderance of Churchmen upon the Board, and the
inattention ef two of the retiring members to the duties
of the effice, one of whom had not attended a single
meetioig, and a second only once during the precedine
three years; and it was generally admitted that the Non-
confermists were entitled to have more than three re-
presentatives (the present number) upon the Boar.
%Ir. Trewolla then proposed, and Mr Burr seconded,
the re-election of Mr. Gem (Churchman). Mr. John
erettle proposed, and Mr. Hackett seconded, the elec-
tion of Mr. ,John Siviter (Nonconformist). The Rev.
Alfred Moon (Nouconfortnist) was proposed by Mr.
Somers, and seconded by Mr. James Grove. The Rev.
W. linibb propesed, arid Mr. J. Brown seconded, the
election of Mr. 'V. Moore (Nonconformist). Mr. Bissell
(Cliurcemeit) was nominated for re eeiction by NU..
:Somers, sec aided by 4r. a. Andrews; and Mr. John
Dingley (Nonconformist) was proposed by sir. J. Jones,
jun , and seconded by Mr. J. Jones, sea. The votes
were then taken by show of hands, with the following
result :—Mr. Gem, 12 ; Mr. Siviter. 66; Rev. A. Moon,
52; Mr. Moore, 18; Mr. Bissell, 70; Mr. Dingley, 45.
Nlessrs Siviter and Bissell and the Rev. A. Moon were
therefore declared elected.—A resolution of the Board,
amending the present scale of fees for interments,
tombs, &c., was then submitted to the meeting, and
after some discussion, on the proposal of Mr. Trewolla,
it was confiemed.—The report of the auditors was re
received and adopted; and Messrs. E. Bate and W.
Somers were reelected auditors.—The accounts of the
elinrchwardens were examined and pr.ssed ; and, on
the propositi et of Mr. E. W. W Phillips, seconded by
Mr. F Williams, a vote of thanks was accorded to the
von. Archdeacon for his able and impartial conduct as
chairman.