The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-06 00:00:00

HALE SOWEN.

A DEAR TURNIP.—At the Police Court on Tuet-
day,. before Messrs. E Gem and E. B. Phillips,
William Harboch, shackle-maker, Cradley, was
charged with stealing some swedes, of the value of
2d, the property of Joseph Nock, farmer. Lutley.
—Police constable Hardwick proved the case.—
The Bench fined defendant is, and also ordered
him to pay 2d, the value of the turnips, and the
costs, which amounted to Bs, the alternative being
seven days' imprisonment.—Mr. Gem remarked
upon the prevalence of turnip stealing in the
locality, and the damage dune to hedges by the
depredators. _ _

DISHONEsT MANAGER.—John Toy (35), mana-
ger, C otnbi Wood, Halesowen, surrendered to a
charge of stealing on the 20th May, this year, the
sum of 7s, and on the 26th of September the s urn
of 10s, the moneys of he employers, Edward
Rigge Lloyd and others, of the Coomb's Wood
Tubeworks, Halesowen.—Mr. .T. Stokes (Messrs.
Stokes and Harper) a;peared to prosecute. Mr.
13agnall, on behalf of defendant, Waded guilty.—
Mr. Stokes said under the circumstances only
formal evidence would he taken. The prosecutors
were Messrs. Lloyd and Lloyd, of the Albion Tube-
works, Birmingham, and who had also large works
at Cooinb's Wood, and defendant was up to the
d Lte of the charge, manager at the latter place.
, It was his duty amongst other things to take
! charge of any extra work done by the workmen
during the week over and above their ordinary
' duties, to assess the value of such work, and enter
the amounts paid in a book kept for tho purpose. i
It appeared that during the Rowley wake week n
September of this year prosecutors works were
elose,i, and defendant seemed to have taken advan-
tage of this to make a charge for cleaning some
flu,2s. Ile made an entry in his books to the effect
tl.at ,he flu's had been cleaned, sni that one of
the workmen was entitled to a sum of lOs for the
iv.,rk. It so happened, howev.er. that Mr. Muntz,
the general manager, upon going ove: the works,
ascertained that the flues had not been cleaned,
i
He waited quietly to see f a charge would be made,
and the money paid over to the defendant to pay i
the workmen. Formal evidence n support of Mr.
Stokes's opening statement was then given by Mr.
G. H. Muntz, the general manager, and others,
after which Mr. Bagnall addressed the Bench on
behalf of the defendant, who, he said, had had the
sole control of the works for twelve years, De-
fendant's explanation was that he received the lOs
to pry for the flues being cleaned, but upon going
ti pay it and finding that the work had not be,ii
done he paid it away to other men, who had doe
extra work. Prosecutors said that having had
great irregularities in their works they felt it their
dill to try and put an end to them, and had re-
luctantly prosecuted defendant. They, however,
only wished for nominal punishment. Defend,mt
was just recovering from a severe illness, and had
a wite and family dependent upon him.—Dr. Ker
and the Bev. Keatch (vicar of Blackheath)
having respectively given evidence as to defendant's •
previous good character, Ms. Stokes said proseou-
ors only withed a conviction s a warning to othe j
—The Bench sentenced defendant to fourteen days"
ituipriaonmeut, without hard labour.