The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-12-19 00:00:00

CRADLEY HEATH.

TOP. LATE CIIAROK Or Hto !may ROBBERY.— At the
Petty Sessions mi Wednesday last, at 01.1 Hill, before
the It..v. J. Choke and F. W. G. Barra, Esg , Edwarl
itAybould, Philip Adams, and Albert Bunn, were brought
op on a remand charge I with robbing Thomas Day a, on
the 51.11 inst. ot a halt-sovereign,.and,beating him, on the

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highway. Mr. Shakespeare, of Oldbury, answered to
prosecute, and Mr. Addison defended—Mr. Shakespeare,
in opening the case, said the prosecutor had been to his
sister's house 011 the above date, and on returning, and
when near Mr. Hudson's ho sue, the prisoners jumped nut
from an opening, and set about the prosecutor and beat
him and while down kicked hiss; and one of them took
a hi:if-sovereign out Of hi. pocket. Prosecutor cried out
" Murder," and got sonic assistance. To snake the case
worse, is summons had been served ngainst the prosecu-
tor and his two witnesses. Prosecutor had also received
an anonymous letter threatening him if he went on with
the ease.—Prosecutor then said that about ten o'clock he
went to his sister's house. and was returning shunt eleven
o'clock. and when opposite Mr. Hudson's the three pri•
eisners jumped out from an opening, and commenced to
beat and kick him. Adams took a half-sovereign out of
his pocket, and, in doing so, tore it. Witness s'oonted
out, "Murder." One of the prisoners kicked him and
said, 1(,,a b—r, you shall not shout long." I then
became senseless. When I came to nsysetf I heard my
father crying out for help. I Rot up, and laid hold of
Adam.. My brother-in-law came running down to our
assistance. I held Adams tight by the collar, and the
other two ran away. Adams oiled out, "The, are hold-
ing me ; bring the b---y knife." Bison came back and
attempted too strike me. Could not say that Bunn had a
knife. I after went to Mr. Hudson, who attended me
for two or three days. Have not been eble to work since.
Know no reason for this outrage. Have never had any
quarrel with either of them. I was perfectly sober at
the time, as were also my father and brother-in-law.—
Cross-examined : The first drink I had that day was at
Tobias Hingley's. one glass. I had another glass between
four and five o'clock. I had no more ale till ten at night
at Mrs. Foley's, my sister's. The three of us had three
pints. I know Mrs. Harper, of the White Lion, Colley
(late. Have had some conversation with her. On the
7th Mat I went to enquire the names of the prisoners,
and asked her if there was person called Farmer. She
said " Yes," and I then asked if he had been to her
house on Saturday night. She said yes, he had been
there to a roll i, and was there till turning out tune. I
told her lissw I Isail ',eon served, and aski d her if she had
heard anything abisut it. I did not ask her about a man
named Brooks. She said that Brooks was with Fanner.
I did not say that that they had robtocil me of a half.
sovereign that night, but that I hail been robbed of a
half.sovereign. She said they had gone a different road
from where I had been robbed. Did not then say I
would make it b--y hot for some one. I know a man
named iieorge Clarke; also Shenstone, a psslice-olficer.
I saw there both at the Five Ways after the robbery.
When I started from home I had two sovereigns in one
pocket, a half crown, a shilling, and two sixpences in the
other waistcoat pocket, and a halt-sovereign in my tron•
seri pocket. I saw Shenstone. and told him (had been
robbed and half murdered. Frank said, " Yes, I see
you got it kind." I did not tell Shenstone that I had
two half-crowns, two shillings, and a sixpence. I did
not tell Clarke that the two Homers had done it, but that
I knew the boys, and thought their name was Hoincr. I
have been before the police once when a school-boy, for
throwing some mud at a dour.—Enoch Davis, Cradley
Heath, chain manufacturer, said : I remember the sth
inst I met my son (the prosecutor) at Cradley, at Mr.
Foley'a. A few minutes past eleven o'elocik I left with
my eon and son-indaw. My son had occasioa to slop a
few minutes by Mr. Hudson'm house, and I walked on
with my sou-in-law towards the Five Ways. When some
distance up the road I heard a noise, rind turned back.
I lairs man down, and three persons kicking him. I
could not swear to the persons. I found it was my son
who was on the ground. I said to them, "Why you are
murdering some one here," and at the same moment I
got a blow an the eye. I after received a blow with a
atone or stick at the back of the head, and was knocked
down, and received several kicks when down. I shouted
and my eourin-law cause up, and before he got up two of
the men were running anay. My son had got Imld of
the third inan. I heard something about a knife, and
the other man then ran away. My son has not been able
to work since—William Williams, socket maker, of
Credley Heath, said : I was returning from Cradley to
Cradley Heath, with the two Devises. On the road we
left Thomas Davis a short distance behind. We heard
a bother shortly afterwards, and went in the directissn,
and saw three men running away. Could not swear to
the prisoners.—Mr. Addison said he did not see there
was anything for him to answer. He had witnesses who
could prove that the prosecutor had committed perjury.
The Betnh considered it a serious case, and asked Mr.
Addison to call his witneases.—Police-constable Shen-
stone said that he saw the prosecution at the Five Ways,
about tialf-past eleven. The man was covered with blood.
and said it might have been worse. Prosecutor pulled
out of his pocket a half.crown and two sixpences, and
said that was all he had Rot left.—The Bench did not
think there was sufficient evidence to convict the prisoner
of felony, and discharged them.