The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-30 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL.

DAMAGING A Dunn—At the Police Court, on Monday,
heftier Mr. E. Hall, Joseph ',Whittaker, a youth, was
charged aith wilfully damaging a door belonging to Wil.
than Taylor. Complainant said on Saturday tight about
half-past seven, defendant came to his door and burst it
open. He was drunk. Elizabeth Taylor corroborated
complainant. Police-constable Grady said he saw the
door, cud the damage done amounted to Is. Defendant
was fined 5., Is damage, and costa, or seven days.
BISALtnO Rum.—Thomas Williams, • porter in the
employ of the Great Western Railway Company, at Bret.
tell Lane Good.' Station, was charged with stealing a
quantity of rum on Friday last, at the above station.
Mr. Inspector Hutchings, and Mr. Thompson, agent,
were present on behalf of the company, and Mr. Hulbert-
ton defended prisoner.—George Shingler, p.,rter, said
he remembered unloading a cask on Friday last. He
weighed it, and told Spoouer the weight, and he put it
down. Did not examine it, or know what it contained.
He rolled it off the scale. Cross-examined: We have
spirit casks there every day. Spooner was about twelve
yards from me when I weighed it. He was checking the
goods when we unloaded them. By Superintendent
Mills: There were a number of bottles like the one
produced on the deck at the time.—Frederick Spooner,
checker, in the employ of the Great Western Railway
Company, said he received the invoice produced on Fri-
day last, and received the cask corresponding with the
invoice. He saw the cask weighed, and it was Scwt.l.6tbs.
He went to the store room. Last witness weighed the
cask, and witness saw it on the deck. When he went to
the door of the storeroom he found the door was locked.
He found the key and Unfastened the door. He went in
and found prisoner there, standing near the cask. Did
not see any appearance of the cask haring been lately
plugged. He said," Hallos, what are you doing here ?"
Prisoner made no reply, aud walked out of the room.
Witness thee, went to Mr. Thompson. The plug was
about halt all inch out of the barrel. Ile did not essinine
the cask before be saw it in the store room. It woul
be prisoner's duty to put the cask in the store-room. Ile
yaw a bottle inside the store room like those on the deck.
When he counted the bottles there were SO, and when
he counted them afterwards there were only 29. He was
surpriaed to see prisoner in the store room.—John Shaw.
detective, in the employ of the Great Western Railway
Company, said on Saturday morning last he made a
search in the store room where the cask had been, and
above where the cask had stood he found the gimlet pro-
duced. Ile saw the cask, and compared the rum out of
the cask with that in the bottle, and it was the same.—
Spooner, re-called, said he missed a lamp from his office
on Friday. It was found inside the store room. It was
nut his lamp, but belonged to a watchman named Mat-
thews.—Police-constable Goodfellow said that he appre-
hended prisoner on Friday last, and charged him with
-tealiug a quantity of rum, the property of the Great
Western Railway Company. Prisoner said, " Well, u,,
one saw me do it, and I cannot see what they can do at
see—Mr. Hulberton, in defence, contended that there
• was not evidence enough against prisoner to ensure a
, committal by :he jury at the Session..—The Bench con.
sidered there was sufficient evidence for a conviction,
• :lad prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next
Stafford Sessions, bail being accepted in two sureties of
• 140 each, and himself in one surety of fgt.
CHARGE AGAINST A PCIBLICAN.—ThoIIISS Dunn, land-
lord of the Bush Inn, Brierley Hill, was charged with
haviug his house open during prohibited hours on the
21st inst. Police-sergeant Breton said he visited defend.
ant's house on the above date before half.past twelve, and
A Loi two men come out of the house and go into the
stable. There were two men in the bedrooms and four
in the club room. There was a lsrge jug and a bottle ou
the table, both of which coutaiued ale.—Police•constable
Goodfellow gave corroborative evidence. Superintendent
Mills asked for the case to be adjourned until next Mon•
day week. It was adjourned accordingly.
SHOPLIFTING.—A lad named Sweeney, was charged on
suspicion, with stealing some articles from the shop of
Martha Padbury. Proseeutrix said on Thursday last oh,'
had some lockets and fancy goods safe in her shop, and
missed them on the following Saturday. She saw priso.
rin her shop on Friday. He came fore half-penny.
worth of twisted hair pins. Police-sergeant Breton
..rreated prisoner on Saturday meeting, and charged him
with stealing the lockets. He asked it was from the
,hop, because if it was he could prove he was not there.
It., was with a boy named James Baker all day. Witness
took him to the shop of prosecutrix, and she identified
him, and he then said he was in her shop the day before.
dimes Baker was called, and swore prisoner was not with
him at all that slay. Prisoner was remanded until Mon-
day next. _ .

'TEALINO Boors.—Two little boys, named Edward
snd Richard Mansell. were charged with breaking into
tne store room of Thomas Lloyd, and stealing three
peirs of boots. Adjourned until next Monday.
THE New Flan ENGINE.—It is gratifying to find that
the steps taken by a few of the leading gentlemen to sup
ply a tire engine for the use of the town have been pretty
generally approved of by the inhabitants. On Wednes-
d.l night a soiree dansante took place at the Public-
and was fashionably attended. The programme
was admirably gone through, and the net proceed. will
exceed £lO. The stewards state that subscriptions am-
ounting to YBO had been promised, and that when they
had finished their canvass, the purchase of the engine
would be made.