The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-03 00:00:00

SATURDAY::, JULY 8, 1R75

Smithfield, the fire engine house, approximate
cost, £1,250; 3rd, for building two warehouses
fronting Market-street, three warehouses fronting
Smithfield, with fire engine house, £9OO. Your
committee, after carefully considering all three
plans, at a meeting held for the purpose, resolved
to abandon the first and third suggestions, and to
postpone for the present, on account of the ex-
pense, the second suggestion for building two
shops in Market-street, three warehouses in Smith-
field, and fire engine house.
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.—The
officer reports the general health of the town to be
good. One d( ath from measles. During the past
mouth several eases of mild scarlet fever have oc-
curred, and one•case of typhoid in Pack Horse.yard.
Number of deaths from May 22nd to June 20th is
20; males 12, females 8. Number of births 33;
males 12, females 21.

Report of the Town Officer.—Nuisances remain-
ing from last report, 10; reported during the
month, 42; total, 52. Removed, old, 41; new, 11
One case of over-crowding was reported, where a
father, mother, and six children were occupying
two rooms, one nine feet by nine, and the other
seveh feet by seven.—Night Soil. Seventy-five
privies and 63 ashpits have been emptied, consist-
ing of 143 loads. Three convictions have been ob-
tained before the Magistrates, for the abatement
of nuisancss.

On the motion of Mr. Hughes, seconded by Mr.
Kelly, the report was adopted.

REPORT OF THE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
Your committee have inspected aud approved
of the-plan for a new building in Angel-street.
Your committee advise that a sewer, consisting of
nine inch sock pipes; with necessary junctions, be
laid down in Union-street, from the back of the
Fountain Inn to.the top of Union Passage, a length
of 192 yards.
Mr. Hughes moved the adoption of the report,
which was seconded by Mr. Edwards and carried.
Mr. Kelly asked if the clerk had received any
communication from the Great Western Railway
Company, with reference to the station in Foster-
street.
The clerk read a letter which he had received
from the manager of the Great Western Railway,
with reference to the proposed railway extension.
The directors considered Foster-street the best
site for the station, and had been in negociation
for;the purchase of the necessary land. But it ap-
peared that instead of moderate terms being
asked, one of the landowners had asked an exhor-
bitant price for land required in the construction
of the line. The company would not purchaso
property at exhorbitant prices, so that the matter
would now remain for further consideration.

Mr. IC(lly said he was of opinion that the con-
tents of the letter were merely an excuse for not
carrying out the line.
Mr. Edwards said that could not be, because the
company had already purchased some land.
The Chairman said there was only one way out
of the difficulty, and that would be by appointing
a deputation to confer with the directors at Lon-
don on the subject. He offered to meet the direc-
tors, free of expense to the ratopayers.
On the motion of Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr.
Perkins, it was resolved to request the directors
of the railway to receive a deputation on the sub-
ject of the proposed extension, and that Messrs.
Hughes and Turney should be deputed to repre-
sent the views of the Commissioners.

THE LATE STABBING CASE AT THE LYE.
At the Worcestershire Midsummer Sessions, on Wed-
nesday last, before G. W. Hastings, Esq., Williem Woo'.
dritlge, sea., and VI illiam Forrest, were indicted fur
maliciously inflicting grievous bodly harm on James
Newey and Samuel Wyatt, at Wollescote, on March 15th
Mr. Streeteu and Mr. Amphlett prosecuted; Mr. Jeff
defended Wooldridge and Mr. Godson, Forrest —James
Newey, miner, said that on the evening of March 15th
he was returning from the Lye to his home at Cradley,
and several other men were with him. On arrived at
Charless Green, at about half-past ten, he saw the prise-
ner, who commenced usiag abusive language to him and
Wyatt. Forrest laid hold of his jacket, and Wooldridgt
struck him with a knife under the eye. Forrest de-
manded money, and prosecutor gave him sixpence, which
was all he had. Wooldridge then threw him into a
gutter, aud stabbed him in the shoulder. Forrest
jumped upon him, and one of the prisoners exclaimed.
• lie's dune for now." Prisoners then left him, and he
managed to reach the house of a man named Taylor. lie
had had no quarrel with prisoners, and did not give them
any provocation.
Samuel Wyatt, chainraaker, gave corroborative evi-
dence, and said Wooldridge stabbed himin the shoulder.
Mr. Jelf and Mr. Godson respectively addressed the
jury, contending that there was a general melee, pointing
out discrepancies in the evidence, and submitting that
the charge of stabbing had riot been clearly brought
home to the prisoners. The jury found prisonera guilt,.
The same men, together with Wm. Wooldridge the
younger, and James Brettle' were thee charged with
maliciously wounding Samuel Wyatt and Joseph Brettle.
The offence was allotted to has,: been committed a short
time alter the one described above.

Mr Jelf appeared for the younger Wooldridge, and
Mr. Selfe for Brettle.

Samuel Wyatt stated that he was going along the
Holloway with Joseph Brettle and William Pearsons,
when be was attacked by three men, struck, kicked and
cut upon the bead. Money %ilia demanded from him.
Jo .eph. Bradt) said he wai struck on the he .11 by
Wooldridge, senior, and Forrest also laid hold of him.

Other eiidense was given with a view to connecting the
prisoners Brettle and Wooldridge, the younger, with tL •
assault; but it was held to be insufficitnt, and the Vice-
Chairman dire cted an acquittal. Wooldridge, ten., and
Forrest were found gui yof a common assault. The Vice-
Chairman chaltieterisud the offences as very aggravated
For the first prisoners were sentenced to 15 Mouths', and
for the second to three month.' hard labour.

DREADFUL SUICIDE AT CHURCHILL'
INQ r 4iN 4. B IRMING HAM LADY.
On Monday evenieg Mr. Miller Corbet, Deputy Clot
tier for East Worcestershire, held an inquiry at the Snal
Inn, Blakedowe, near Kidderminster, on the bodY °
Miss Julia Bradley Lovekin, aged 30. the daughter (48
Birmingham tradesman, now resident at the Pa-ad0,B11;
mingham. The discovery of the bAy took pinee.e%' ;
Saturday evening. wlte,, decrased wee found in Storni
Wagon Lane, k hurel,:! , •!, ir d by thick loaltt
her throat bei,.g ter. lb d. A.,,•,r, zol with Ali',
the wouuds ba A evidreti lite., itille:e.l being fouto.._
firmly grasped in tat iit tine il it :std Lad bet
,e
missing since Tuv“..,y t. d aii inquiriee by "
frierds proved unavailing t:ii tier bro
her and A geatlol
BM to whom she was engaged to be married met Police..
constable Webbe corr.) ing deceased's hat in his baud
shortly after the discovery of the body. The corpse w 8:
in a very shocking state, and when viewed by the PITY'?"
Monday presente.d a very sickening appearance, the Ise!
being in an advanced state of decomposition. The paii"
ful occurrence caused great sensation in the neighbeal
hood, and during Sunday and Monday a large number e,
persons visited the place. The following evidence Ws"
taken before the Deputy-Cowper:—
Mr. Alfred Bradley Lovekin, of 26, Summer-hill Ter:
race, Birmingham, said he was a jeweller, and deceased
was his sister. She was 30 years of age last birtbdaY'
and was a single woman. She resided at home with her
mother, at Summer-hill Terrace. and ho last saw bets
alive on Tuesday morning. He knew os. that day the
she had left home for Oldbury. She had gone totbe,
house of M. John Siddons, ironfounder. tr. Siddolo
son was engaged to her, and she went to the house ee
an afternoon's visit. She was to have returned the gin°
day. She d:d go to Oldbury, but did not stay more tba°
five minutes. Deceased had some friends at CookleY.
and the family thought she had gone on to Cookies,.
Siddons saw the family on Tuesday evening, au'd 0141
were told she had„booked for Churchill. The family .b"
not the alighteet rest-on to believe that she would destrol
herself, but she had been in low spirits receutly—in fact
all the members of the family had been depressed in
consequence of a deal of family trouble. On SaturditYl
witness ;sent in search of deceased, and when he readied
Churchill he received the melancholy story of her d,e.
cease from the police-officer. Inquiries bad been arse°
by the family concerning her before that, but no tidiU
had been received. Police-constable Webb. was carrying
a hat, which he recognised as:that,belonging to his sieter'
He identified the body in Stoney Wagon Lane. He 4,1%°
saw a razor near the body, which he recognised as be'a,'
the property of his fatter. He knew that it was troulne,
that caused deceased to commit the rash act. Decease°
had never threatened to commit suicide. By the fore; '
man of the jury: There was no pre-disposition in 11;4
fami!y towards insanity, but some of his cousins on blB
father's side had suffered from lunacy.
Mr. John Robertson Siddons, of Oldbury, said be WI
a manager of an ironfoundry. He knew ,the decessae,
and was engaged to be marri-d to her. For nannt'b!
past he had noticed that she had been in low spirits.
had never heard her threaten self-deetruction. He' 141"
saw her alive on Tuesday, when she paid a visit to
bury, and left for Churchill. There was no quarrel ...11i
tween them, but they met and parted as usual. H. d
not seen her alive since. On Tuesday she tippet"!
more depressed than usual when she left for Church'
Joon Brighton. labourer, of Churchill, said on SAW'
day afternoon, about four o'clock, he was near Stou4
Wagon Lane, loading a cart, when he was called 110,61
by a gentleman to sea the body of the deceased on tne
brow of a ditch in the lane. Her scarf was on the °ll6
side, and the hat,was higher up the hank. He did no,:
notice that her throat was cut, but he saw a pool of bloo°
under the body, and which had dried up. Seeing tbes
she was dead, he gave information to the policeman,
Police-constable Webbe, stationed at Churchill, aa,_l'!,
from information he received from the last witness: u 7
went to Stony Wagon Lane, and found the body sde;
scribed by Br'gh:on. Upon removing the body he fOOOl
that the throat of the deceased had been cut, and. b 8
found a melt: in her left hand. He had the body Ir.
moved to the Swan Inn. The bush near the body WI
been knocked about, but all the blood was in one Pae
and dried.up. There was nothing near the body.
Mr. Hobbs, surgeon, of Clint, said he was called in
examine the deceased on Sunday morning, and
that the upper part of the face and neck was much de,
composed. There were two wounds upon the neck, Or
beginning about an inch below the lobe of the left eeri
and extenling round the angle of the jaw, being about a
inches in length, and only skin deep. The second won"
was about 21 inches in length, and nearly severed Lbe
windpipe, dividing the larger vessels situated there. lit
found no other marks of violence on the body. The Jet?.
wound was sufficient to account for death. 'He believe"
that thel wounds bad been inflicted as far bask as Titer
day. Persona in a desponding state of mind bad Julie:
vas
when they are not respnsible for their edition
foue
especially ewhere there was any taiut of insanity in tlO
family, lie was of opinion that the wounds were sell.
inflicted, but he should think the cuts were made 401'
the right hand ; but .there would be7plenty of awe
change the razor from the tight to the left hand. lieBL
would not be instantaneous.
After a short consultation, the jury returned a vertil
that the decsased commit:el suicide while in a sta.('
temporary insanity.
CRICKET.
STOVRBRIDUE v. BROMSOnOVE GRAMMAR SC11001.•'.
This, the return match between the above-named c.014'
was played on the ground of the former at Amblecote,4o
Saturday last. The day was very favourable for inckeit
there being very little wind or sun. This match al'eggi
excites considerable interest in this town, on account
the prestige of the Bromsgrove Club, and on Saturtisi
last, although a charge was made for admission to
ground, there was a numerous body of spectators preseo"
who evinced the most lively interest in the match. !II!
Stourbridge won the toss, and elected to send in tneL
oat:meats. The first sent in to bat on behalf of
Bromsgrove were It. P. S. Higgs and M. A. C.
who were not parted until 19 had been put together °-
having had his middle stump fioortd by a ball from
ton, after he had put on 14 runs In a very pretty OP;
Higgs was next joined by J. IL Poison, whose bails we%
taken by the first ball from Gaston. Higgs's next Wu°.
was Luveridge, a young gentleman who has had the
fortune to lose his left arm. This, however, did nns -
deter him from batting in a very effective nenna,Bl; '-
Hold,ng the bat in his right band, he hit away in `"„,-
freest possible manner, and put 7 together before be
caught by W. _ Cooke. The Rev. J. C. Whall made.9:l;i
_ _