The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-05-06 00:00:00

...._
. . .
''' . . -
-1,,
--4.
...-
-- ~. ..
... _
- . ..
.. , . , .
, .. .; , -.,
....--: _
.
.

THE STOURRaIDGE OBSERVER.

about 5s per ton lower since the reduction in
branded iron, making unmarked bars £7. ss. to
to £7. 10s., and other kinds in pmportion. Ow-
ing to the lower rates for coal, which comes into
operation on Monday, and the prospective re-
duction of 10 per cent. in the wages of blast
furnacemen, smelters are reducing their quota-
tions for the leading quad ies of pig 10s. per ton
all rou:id, making hot-blast native all-mine £3.
15s to „t 4 ss. per ton. Cold-blast iron generally
followed the lead of the Shropshire pig-makers
on quater-day. Cinder pig, at ..t2 155., is not
quotably lower, but in exceptional cases, a re-
duction is offered upon this quotation, owing to
the severity of the competition waged by the
Middlesbrough pig-makers. Only fifty-eight
furnaces are now in blast in South Staffordshire
and this number may not improbably be further
reduced unless trade rapidly improves. All
difficulties connected with the recent reductions
of wages in the coal and iron trades may now be
considered adjusted, but there are little local
differences at various works, which are likely to
cause some trouble. At the Pelsall Ironworks,
the dispute as to fettling was settled on Tues-
day, the firm undertaking to provide the men
with a sufficient quality of pottery mine, and
also with a sufficient quantity of purple ore and
ground bulldog to form a cover; and all future
experiments or trials with the new fettling (the
introduction of which caused the dispute) to be
carried on on terms to be mutually agreed upon
by the employers and employed. At the Patent
Shaft Works the strike of the men in the
Bessemer steel department against a wages re-
duction of 10 per cent. continues without chance
of accommodation, the employers having de-
clined the men's prnposal to submit to a reduc-
tion of 7-f per cent as a compromise. Coal is
firm, and in somewhat better demand.

said

by plaintiff to recover .250 for an illegal distraint
on plaintiff's goods. Mr. Addison appeared for
plaintiff, and Mr. Perry defended.—Mr. Addison
in opening, said that plaintiff was a tenant of
the defendant, and one day while she was from
home defendant had the door burst open. The
goods were seized and sold for rent.—Mrs. A
Gwillam said she was the wife of Moses Gwillam,
and tenant to the defendant. On the 21st January
last she left home to go to see her daughter who
was ill and stayed with her for a time. In
February she returned and took the renl to Mr.
Brown the agent, who has since died. She then
went and took the 14 days' rent to the defendant.
She then asked her irshe could get another house
as she wanted her to leave because she could get
more rent for the house. Witness told her she
could go and live at her daughter's house. She
then went to her house and found a chain round
the door and defendant refused to let her go in.
Defendant became very excited and threatened to
shoot her if she attempted to go in. She could
not get in and the goods were afterwards sold by
auction.—His Honour to Mr. Addison: Where is
he illegal distraint? You have not proved that.
—Mr. Addison said he proposed to put the defend-
ant into the box, who said she had never given
any one instructions to put the chain round the
door, neither did she know there was a chain
round the door only from hearsay. The door was
not forced open. The goods were got out of the
window.—James Forrest was next called, sad said
the defendant was sister to him and he was
formerly her agent, but had not been for some
time. On being pressed by Mr. Addison he said
that he put the chain on the door and no one told
him to do so.—His Honuor to Mr. Addison: You
have not proved any illegal distraint. YOU may
an well charge me with doing it on any dace of
this Court.—Mr. Addison said he thought of
proving that from the defendant. He had another
important witness but he had not been able to find
out where the person had gone to live.—The Judge
'it was impossible for him to go on with the
case with such evidence. The person named in the
warrant was Jasper not Gwillam, and without call-
ing upon Mr. Perry he gave a verdict for defendant.
Mr. Addison intimated that he should bring a fresh
action.—The Judge suggested that he thought it
case of mutual settlement.

THE LATE LORD LYTTELTON.—At a meeting
of the Church of England Association held on Tues-
day last it was resolved "That a committee of the
Stourbridge Church of England Association hereby
convey to Lady Lyttelton the expression of their
deep condolence with her on account of the death of
the late lamented Lord Lyttelton and to add the
further expression of their sense of the very great
loss which this Association has sustained in the
death of one, who, from its commencement, was a
steady patron and warm friend of the Association,
and to whose sympathy and support it has been on
various occasions deeply indebted."
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—At the Petty Sessions
held yesterday, before Col. Fletcher and R. L.
Freer, Anthony Ware was charged with being
drunk and disorderly on the 29u1t. Police-con-
stable Eves proved the case, fined is and costs.
CAUTION TO WAGONERS. James Evans was
charged with causing an obstruction in High
Street, on the 24u1t. Police-constable Taylor
proved the case. Fined '2s 6d and costs.—John
Holden was charged with allowing his cart to re-
main in the street longer than necessary for load-
ing and unloading. The case was proved by
Police-constable Taylor, and defendant fined is
and costs.
FACTORY ACT CASE.—Joseph Hamlet was sum-
moned by W. H. Brewer for allowing his son to
work in the shop after 9 o'clock. Defendant
pleaded guilty. The case was withdrawn on pay-
ment of 6s 6d. costs.—Henry Hamlet was charged
with allowing his son and a boy to work in the
shop after hours on the 13th ult. The case was
proved. As defendant did not appear he was fined
2s 6d and costs.—Richard Knowles was fined 2s 6d
and costs for a similar offence.
CAUTION TO TRA.VELLZRS.—A number of persons
were charged with travelling on the Great Wes-
tern Railway and getting out at diffiereut stations,
ta which they were booked on the 18th April.
Mr. Lee, appeared to support the case. Mr. Hol-
baton and Mr. Wall defended. Mr. Lee in open-
ing, said that for a considerable time a number of
persons have taken tickets at Birmingham for
Dudley, and have got out at Stourbridge and
Brierley Hill. The first single fare is is 4d for
Birmingham to Dudley by the last train, and the
fare to Stourbridge and Brierley Hill 2s 2cl By
taking a ticket to Dudley persons save 10d. Some
of the defendants got out., at Stourbridge, Brierley
Hill and Dudley. This was admitted by the de
fendants. Mr. Lee said he did not wish to charge
them with fraud, but the company had been
loseing money by persons booking the full journey
and getting out at shorter distances and appeared
to think they were entitled to get out. Mr. Lee
then put in the bye laws, which stated that poi-
sons could not get out at any other stations but
what the tickets were available. Mr. Benbow
ticket collector said he had been at Brierley Hid
Station between five and six year... Persons have
got out at Brierley Hill Station although on the
ticket was Dudley via Stourbridge. Lately a great
number of persons have got out at Blierley Hill
with tickets issued to Dudley. On the above date
defendants got out. A personitaking a retuin ticket
toe Dudley to Birminzalarn in the middle of th,
day is allowed to return by the last train to Du.
icy, but by no other train. Mr. liolberton for the
defence contended that according to the bye laws
the defendants were perfectly right and could get
out at any station before the full distance. The
defendants had not committed any fraud, neither
had they been charged with fraud. The questio%
was a very important one for Brierley and Komi.
Oak district. Mr. Wall addressed the Bench who
then retired to a private room, to consider the
case. On returning into court Col. Fletcher saip
that the general act provided for what was not in
the bye laws, which stated that the penallty must
not exceed ..t5. But they did not intend to infite
any penalty, and should tine them 10d the fare
extra for those who had travelled first class, and
6(.1 for those who had travelled second class and
costs.
rEALING TROUSERs. Ann Leaman and
Joulick Coreran were charged with stealing a pau
OX ti ()users front tine bhop u/ ...kflaa Pearson, pawn-
uroker, on the id inst. Prosecutor said that the
male defendant came into his shop to look at some
trousers, he sold a pair to him, and while he was
,eiling them them the female prisoner took a pai..
aud s...:creted thia in a basket. Frederick Breariey,
a youth + it the employ of pros,anatar, said the ULU,
prisoner came ill to pltrel.44.ie sOuIC trousers.
,bveLi him three pairs, aud he went to look to 14
pair at a nigher lanai. The tetuate prisoner Wz.b
al the s.tui, at the time, and when he returned h.
tound a pair ittissiLig. lie tit Onee told his master
and they found them under the female prisoner s
cloak. Corerna said he knew nothing of tan
rubbery, and Mr. White, of Lutley, gave him a
good character, and he was discharged. The
woman pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one
month's hard labour.
SPECIAL CONBTABLE.—Isaae Doorbar,.an officer
of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelt to
Animals, was yesterday, before the Magistrates
sworn in as a special constable.

Rhodes. and John Hyrons.—This was seconded by Mr]
Anson, who said the 9 gentlemen prnposed were not al-
together suited to his taste but he should feel a pleasure
in seconding the proposition, if by so doing he could
save the parish from expense.—A. ratepayer here, amidst
considerable uproar, rose 8111 proposed that Mr. John
Pearson, of the Lye Co-operative Society; should be a
member of the Board.—This was seconded.—A Mr.
Taylor. who said he came from INollescote, said he was
determined that the 9 gentlemen:spoken of should not be
elected, and, becomiog very excited, dc eared most em-
phatically, that he would stop there for 7 hours and th(n
he would not let them be appointed. He belonged to
Wollescote, which paid one-third of the whole rates and
he would make them appoiLt 3 members of the Board
from Wollepo ite.—The Chairman said M. Taylor could
propose who he liked but he must propose 9 —Mr. John
Pearson suggested that each name should be put to the
meeting separately. At this time there were Bor 9 per-
sons speaking all together as loud as they could, and con-
sequently neither of them could be heard distinctly.—
The Rev. T. Parker withdrew his proposition, and said
he had very great pleasure in proposing "That the
Board consists of 9 members."—This was seconded by
Mr. Jones and carried.—Mr. Parker proposed Mr. S. A.
Brooks, which was seconded by Mr. Reuben Hatton, and
carried.—Mr. Enoch Richards proposed Mr. John Pear-
son, which was seconded by Mr. Abel Hart, and carried.
—The Chairman here said they could go on all night pro-
posing people and they only wanted 9.—After some con-
siderable time had been wasted amidst the utmost con-
fusion, during which several resolutions and amendments
had been put and withdrawn, the Rev. T. Parker pro-
posed that the following gentlemen constituted the
Board :—Messrs. S. A. Brooks, Elisha Brooks, Thomas
Hill, Thomas Mobbertey, Isaiah Eveson, George Rhodes,
Samuel Mobberley, John Pearson,and Joan Hyrous.—
This was seconded by Mr. Jonas and carried amidst
tremendouS cheering.—Votes of thanks to the Chairman,
Mr. Bernard, and Mr. Parker, brought to a close one of
the most noisy meetings that has been in the Lye for
some time past.