The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-11 00:00:00

t

t 1 1) V 7-,1 I)
t 1.4 IA

STEALING COWS FROM HIGLEY.

PRISONERS BEFORE THE AIA.UIS Ult.X lES.
William Smit'a Liston°, farm bailiff, wai brought
up in custody charged with stealing tw., heifere an I
one bullock from Hagley Farm, ilagley, on the
3rd November, the property of his employer, Mr. G.
K. Harrison.

Mr Waldron appeared for the defendant. -
Mr. Talbot, Kidderminster, watched the case on
behalf of the ptirelm.ers.
The. first witness called was William Shiivock
labotuer, iu tie employ of Mr. King, wan d:,pose2d
that on Wednesday in the fist week of November.
in cons3quenc3 of a me-sage, he went to pri-
soners house and prisener told himhe -.vented to
go a journey, Pt isoner to'd him te fete') tee c title
float the ti id. le did so aed took them to his
house. There were about 6 cows. He and the
prisoner drove the cattle up Hagley Hill. When
they got to the top of the hill prisoner picked out 3
cattle from the ot.ers and told him to take then to
Northfield sale, and told him the reserve was to be
£5 15s on each of them. lie took then to the s tle,
and they were sold for £l7 is 6d. He r,ceived the
money a.nd a receipt (the receipt produced). He
gave the money and the bill to prisoner the s one
night. He had since son the same three c ittle at
Mr. Whitehare's farm, at Bromsg,rove.
Frank Morris, labourer, in the employ of Mr.
Harrison, said he reinernbered takine• two co lei to
the StJurbridge Stock Sale in November. He wa.3
tlld by the prisoner to go to the Pa-k, Mr. Harri
SCI:1 rents the grazing at the Park. He went to the
Park and found 18 cattle. He brought the cattle
down to prisoner's house at the request of Instone.
He counted the cattle and told prisoner there were
only 13. Pcisoner replied that they could not have
got out as the fence was so good.
John Bowen, lab inrer, said he remembered seeing
the prisoner and William Shilvo&c at the top of
Hagley Hill, with some cattle. It was the begin-
ning of November. They drew..two or three out aid
Shilvock drove them on towards Halesowen.
Prisoner took the other cattle in the directi.‘n of
Hagley Park.
Mr. John Cotton, auctioneer, at Bromsgr)ve, said
he held sales at Northfield. He held a sale th-re
on the 3rd November. Two heifers and a bullock
were entered at the sale in Mr. Harrison's name.
The cattle were sold to Mr. Whitehouse for £l7 Is 6d
He paid £l7 is 61 to Mr. Slilvock for whiiit hi
ha i a receipt. Mr. Henry Whiteh mse of Broms-
grove said he at tended the Northfield Stock Sale on
the 3rd November. He bought two heifers and a
bullock at that sale. Shilvock identified them and
pointed them out to Police-sergeant Jones.
Mr. Harrison said he lived at Hagley, and had a
farm .here, and prisoner had been bis farm bai it?.
He had a quantity of young calle grazing in the
Perk in November. He never au; horised Instone t )
sell any of those cattle. Having a quantity of keep
it was prisoner's own suggestion that they should
buy 20 or 30 more. On the 21st November he
walked round the Park with the in cation of seeing
the cattle but could not find any. He theu went
to the farm, and saw prisoner, and told him that
the cattle were not in the Park, up in which he s mid
he was quite sure they were, and that he (Mr.
Harrison) must have missed diem. As it was get-
ting dask he told prisoner he had better get up in
the morning the first thine and see after them. On
the Wedneslay following pri,oner came into his
bedroom, and told him the missing cattle were in
the Park.

William Harris said he was working on the road
at Harbro', on the morning of thu 23rd November
He saw four cattle being driven in the direction of
Kidderminster by Samue Mort"c. About 11 o'clock
on the same morning Instone came up and asked
him if any cattle had gone by. Ile told him there
had. ,Instone then said he would go on a little
further.
Willirm Shilvock said that on the 22nd November
he was going from Stourbtidge to Hagley ata,ut 12
o'cloek at night, and pa-sed Monk on the way, who
wasgolng in the direct,on of Hagley. He saw him go
through the yard doors leading to Instone's house.
Thomas Pedsmore C xen, clerk to Mr. Elgood,
auctioneer, Kidderminster, said he saw 4 heifers in
the sale yard on the 23rd November. He entered
them in his book, and the name given him by Monk
was Mr. Harris. He said they were to be sold for,
what they would fetch.
James Elgood, auctioneer, Kidderminster, identi-
fied Monk as being a man that brought four cattle
to the wale yard. Monk gave the name of Harrir, of
Bellbroughton. His suspicions were aroused, and
he told him to call again for the money. The sto k
was sold on the Thursday following the sale.
Superintendent 'Wheeler said he saw the prisoner
with reference to the cattle on the 23rd Nov. A
boy named Morris said there were three more
cattle missing from the Park since Sunday. He
was in conversati in with the pri4oner about the
other four missing. Prisoner said they were all.
right on the Monday. On the 3rd Nov. he charged
prisoner with stealing 4 cattle.. Prisoner said he
did not intend to steal them, but he was driven for
money. Shilvock brought him the bill and the
money They were entered in his name.
At this stage Col. Fletcher remarked that a
prima facie case had been made out and committed
the prisoner on this charge.
Prisoner was further charged with stealing, on
the 12th Oct., two heifers, the property of George
King Harrison.
Frank Morris deposed that prisoner told him to
take 2 heifers to Stourbridge Stock Sa'e, and
enter them in prisoner's name. He did so. About
a week ago he saw the same two heifers at Castle
Hill Farm.

Francis Hill, clerk to Mr. King auctioneer, said
the 2 heifen wera brought to the sale on the 12th
Oct., and entered in prisoner's name. They were
sold for £9.

James Davies proved buying the beifere.
Mr. G, K. Harrison said he never gave prisoner
ary in-tractions to sell cattle at the Stourbridge
stock sale.

Superintendent Wheeler said he charged the
pris.mer on the 4th inst. He replied "yes" and also
said that he had received the money. He said he
was going to replace the cattle that he said had
strayed.
He was committed for trial on this charge.
Prisoner was further charged with stealing one
cock fowl and six hen fowls, in Nov., the pro-
perty of Mr. Harrison. Samuel Monk was charged
with receiving the same, knowing them to have
been stolen.
Frank Morris said that the prison r Instone
ordered him to pick out one cock fowl and six hen
fowls. He did so and borrowed a fowl cage and
toot them to Instone's house, and afterwards to
the Railway Station, directed to Mr. Monk, Smeth-
wick. He paid the carriage, The fow:s produced
were the same, and also the cage.
John Phillips, station master. prorel ree iving
the cage of fowls from list witness, and consigned
them to Monk.
Geo. Herbert Harrison identified some of the
fowls of his father's property.
Daniel Baker, Smethwick, said that he lent In-
stone a stable on the 13th Sep„ which was nen.
Monk's house, the key of which, was keil 13/
Monk He gave Monk a good character.
Superiatendent Wheeler provcd charging Monk,
who, in reply, stated that he received a letter from
Instone saying he had sent the fowls to Smeth
wick, and that he did not hnow the f ivils were
stolen. Instone, on being charged wih stealing
the fowl, denied it, and said he was ordered to sell
them, in consequ nce of them having the croop.
The two prisoners were further charged with
stealing 4 heifers, on the 23rd Nov., al o the pro
perty of Mr. Hirrisor.
I Evidence vies givtn in support of the charge,
and the further hearing was adjournel until
Monday.