The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-05 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

BREACH Or THE PEACE,—At the Police Court,
on Wednesday, before Messrs. F. 1). Smith, C.
Holcroft, H. Walker, Hickman and Pearson, Henry
Ralph, miner, of Tividale, was charged with com-
mitting a breach of the peace by fighting with
another man who had been summoned, in the Dudley
Road, Tividale. He absconded at the time, but had
given himself up that morning.—Defendant was
bound over, in his own recognisances of -210. to
keep the peace for three months.
ASSAULT.—Thomas Tromans, chainmaker, was
summoned for assaulting his wife Mary Ann
Tromans on the 29th ult. Defendant was further
charged with being drank and disorderly, on the
30th ult.—Mr Wright appeared for the defence.
—Mary Ann Tromans said that the defeadant came
home the worse for drink and began to push her
about saying "I have not struzir you." He then
kicked her and put her out of the hou.e.—Thowas
Ward, nephew to complainant, said that on hearing
a noise he went into the house and saw the defend-
ant hold complainant by hoe throat. He went
and separated them.—Mr. Wright urged on behalf
of the defendant that the defendant went home and
the complainant began to abuse him about spending
the money instead of bringing it home. She then
threw some food on him that she was eating and
defendant only pushed her out of the house,—The
Bench considered the case proved and inflicted a
tine of 40s and costs, with the alternative of one
month's imprisonment, Mr. Smith remarking that
if he assaulted her again and she applied for a
separation they would grant it to her.—The case of
drunkenness was adjourned for a week.
STEALING A PIGEON.—WiIIiaM Tromans, miner,
Halesowen Road, Old Hill, was charmed with taking
a pigeon the property of John Smith, horse nail
maker. Old Hill.—Prosecutor said that on the 29th
ult, he let the pigeon out of the pen and he lost it.
He heard that the prisoner had sold the pigeon at
Nethertou and went and found it there.—Mary
Smith said that she saw the the prisoner catch the
pigeon, similar to that produced, in a trap,—John
Aston, of Netherton, said that he bought the pigeon
produced from a man named Haden, who was in
company with prisoner for 9d. Haden had the
pigeon from prisoner.—Joseph Siddaway was called
on behalf of the prisoner and he said that prisoner
picked up the pigeon and gave it to him and he
took it into his house.—The Be Ich imposed a fine
of 5s and costs; or, in default 21 days.
COAL STEALING.—Sarah Collins, of Quarry Bank,
was fined 5s including costs, for stealing coal the
property of the Earl of Dudley, on the 27th ult.
Police-constable Martin proved the case.
TILL PILFERING.—Henry Gardener (13), and
James Cartwright (14), both of the Lye, were
charged with stealing a sovereign from a till at
Cradley Heath, the property of John Granger, corn
dealer, of that place.—The son of prosecutor; said
that on the 31st ult, he saw the boys standiag near
the shop. Gardener was standing on the step and
Cartwright by the window. After they had gone
in
formation
to he missed the sovereign and gave
to the police.—Police-sergeant Shaw proved appre-
hending prisoners at the Lye. On being charged
at the station with stealing the sovereign Cartwright
replied that Gardener fetched the sovereign out of
the till and went to Brierley Hill and changed it.
Gardener replied that Cartwright fetched the
sovereign out of the till. Gardener pleaded not
guilty and Cartwright pleaded guilty.—Gardener,
who has previously been flogged for a similar
offence, was sentenced to 14 days' hard labour and
also to receive 12 strokes with the birch rod, Cart-
wright was also sentenced to 14 days' hard labour.

LIBERAL LECTURE AT BRIERLEY HILL.

On Wednesday evening a lecture, in connection
with the 13rierley Hill branch of the Dudley Liberal
Association, was delivered in the Town Hall,
Brierley Hill, by Mr. John Noble, of London, his
subject being " Tory obstruction; and the House of
Lords." Mr. C. Cochrane (president of the
association) occupied the chair, and among those
on the platform were Messrs W. Macmillan, H.
, Carder, J. Addison, J. W, Clulow, B. Browning E.
Witlay, &c. There was a good audience in the
body of the hall.
The Lecturer. at the commencement, referred at
length to the Reform Bill of 1832 and the various
stages of its passage through Parliament and urged
that it was nut until that year that the House of
Commons became a real representative assembly
not complete, however, but an improvement upon
what it had been before. After 1832 the Lords
retained the discredit of being the only obstructive
assembly. There had, however, always been a
considerable party to obstruction in the House of
Commons, but it had been only a party, and, in the
main, that House had a strong tendency to politic ti
thought, was becoming more representative, and,
he believed, it would be still mgre clear in its
representation when the franchise was extended to
householders in the counties—(hear, hear). D ealing
with the Whig and Radical sections of the Liberal
party, he said the Whigs had done much by ad-
vocating the principles of religious liberty in
former days, but the Radicals went still fin ther
and asked for roligieus equality—(hear, hear)—
,1 and something better still, and in the long run
' adieal piirrAples would prevail, •1}„ w; ';j
great things lot merly with respe,A
and removing the old Tory obstruettol.s upon the
civil liberty of the people, but the Radical section
went still further and proclaimed the right of self-
government for the people of England, and they
sere destined to win furthet things in that direction
—(applause). This nation owed in a great measure
its commercial freedom to that Radical principle
which took hold of the matter and advocated it
until conviction waa forced upon the mind of the
uaticlu! Ms Lecturer centouded that L9rd