The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-24 00:00:00

BUIERi,EY HILL.

IMPORTANT 'fo FARMERS-At th. Police Court, on
nday, before Messrs. Henry Smith and H. Hall,
Mr. Thomas Jenks and William Piper, a farmer and
his servant, of Wow b,,urne. were charged with having
"without lawful authority or excuse, dug up, or
c ruse 1 to be dug up, the carcast., of a cow bulled
under the direction of the Local Authority_'
H. B. Hid appeared for, the defence, an.l
Plumptre (instrueted by Mr. Sheldon) watched the
case for Mr. R. H. Cartwright, veterinary surge m.
The case was adjourned for the production of a
certificate, and Police-sergeant Hammond n,w
handed this to the Coutt. It was from Mr
Cartwriy.lit, and stated that the cow on the farm of
Mr. Jenits had died from pleuro-pneumonia, and
that it was unfit for human food. On the authority
of this certificate the carcase was buried. On
December 23rd Police-serge int Hammond saw it
be.i.z,g dug up by Piper, wit° said Mr. Jenks had
told him to do to Oil the authority of Mr. 11i11,
ve'erinary .-urgeon.—Mt. Hill, solicitor, urged that
the proper authority had
.not been given for the
but ial of the cow, the plice-officer not being the
embodiment of the Privy Council, although he mi !ht
ooilsider him-elf the embodiment of the local an-
thorii its. He contended, too, that the Act relating
to the digging
up of animals only referred to those
which had ,ded of pleuro-pneumonia, and not those
which had been killed the moment they were stricken
with the diseaste. The reason was that in the early
s age the flesh might be fit fe: food, and therefore
there was no need to bury the carcase.—Mr Kind
(magistrates' clerk) said Mr. Cartwright's certificate
that the cow died after being attacked, and that it
was unfit for fo ,d, was final.—Mr. Hill hold that
tie cow died ft oin indigestion, and Mr. Hill, the
veterinary surgeon, knowing this, and believing he
was acting for the best, ordered the cow to be d g
up. He urged that the defendants were ignorant - f
doing wrong, and althoug'i ignorance. was no exeu e
still the Bench, if determined to convict, wou!d only
impose a nominal fine. —Mr. J. H. Hill, veterinary
surgeon, was then called, and stated that under a
section of the Contagious Diseases Act he believed he
was entitled to do what he did. He ordered Mr.
Jenks to take up the carcase.—After consultation,
the Bench ordered defendants to pay cests only, as
there was no doubt they thought they were doing
right under the authtrity of an Inspect9r like
Mr. lull

DAMAGING A FENCE.—At the Police Court, on
Thursday, before Haden Corser(Deputy Stipendiary),
Valentine Smith, a gipsey, was charge i with dam
'aging a fence the property of Thomas Smith,
farmer, of Bromley, on the 16:h irst. The evidence
given showed that defendaly, Was camping near tc
ground in the oc:upation of complainant, and was
seen gettinc, the hedge stak,s out of the
hedge and taking them into the tent to burn. De-
fendant was fined 6d for the damage, and 108 in-
cluding costs; in default 14 days, with hard labour.

_
NEGLECT OF WORIC.—Jonu. William Brooks, a
boy, was charged with neglect of work ou the 3rd
just, and causing his master a loss of 2s. Gd. Mr.
Holberton appeared for complainant and Mr. T.
Wall for the defendant. Widiam Bromley, painter,.
said that defendant was an apprentice. in his
employ. He had ne.:;lected his work on several
occasions previous to the
above date. Defendant
left his work on the 3rd met, and he claimed 2s. Gd
for the loss he had sustained by his neglect. He
had cnnplained to the master of the 'Workhouse
about his conduct many times. Cross-examined:
He did not beat him nor kick him the night
previous to his going aw4Y. The defendant was
then sworn and said that on the night previous to
his going away the complainant came up stairs
the back. The ncxt morning he
and pulled him out of bed and beat him, and also
kicked him on
went to Mr, Thompson, Cie master of the Work-,
harts°, and told him what had happened and he-
advised him to stop awdy. Joseph Finney, officer
of the Unic", said it was his duty to look after the
?
appientices, and he had visited the complainant's
and had never reo)ived any complaints Linn
mplainant. The case was adjourned for 14
housethe e °
dayg, to alley/ the master of the Workhouse to
attend to give evidence.
DESTROYING UNION CLOTHES.—James Thomp 3011
was charged with destroying his clothes at Stour-
bridge Union. Joseph Hickman, an officer at the
Union, said that defendant was admitted into the
Union on Sunday night to the tramp ward. The
next morning he found the defendant's clothes all
torn. Defendant admitted the charge and the sti-
pendiary sentenced him to one month's hard labour.
CIAIM FOR WAGE.—A claim was brought against
John Tennant, puddler, by William Preec for a
Is. Gd., for wages alleged to be due to him. Com-
plainant said that when he went to work with de-
fendant they acrb 0 reed give or take 14 days notice,
but defendant had turned him ofi without any

notice at all. Defendant denied having made an
agreement with complainant about the notice and
called a witness who c,,rrotorated his statement.
The -Stipendiary said he bad a doubt as to whether
there was an agreement made and should give de-
fendant the benefit. The summons was dismissed.
SHOCKING DEATH FROM BURNS.-011 Tuesday
morning List a little girl named Mary Sophia Hughes,
about four years old, the daughter of James Hughes,
Silver-street, Brettel-lane, was left in the house
during the temporary absence of her mother. Upon
the return of the latter she went upstairs and found
her child under the bed with her clothes on fire and
the bed and bedelothing also ingited. Medical aid
was called in, but the little sufferer, -who was badly
burned, succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday
morning, previous to which she told her parents
that she went upstairs and in endeavouring to reach
looking-glass off the mantelpiece her clothes
ignited at a fire which was burning in the grat-,
being frightened she crawled under the bed where
she was found.