The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-01-11 00:00:00

DUDLEY.

TEE DEATE 0, ALTRED MAJOR —OD Thursday morn-
ing, an inquest was held at the Angel Inn, near Staines,
Windsor, on the body of Alfred Major, aged about fifty,
who was found on the previotui day in I comatose state,
arising from laudanum poisoning. The
OM after hear-
ing the evidence, returned a verdict of " Suicide whilst
of unsound mind." The antecedents of the deceased,
who for a year er two wet the minister of the Baptist
Chapel In Dudley. Ilia heavy defalcations end his
selfishness in duping his intimate fi tends rendered him
notorious in Dudley and district. Immediately after his
flight from Dudley he publishtd an autobiography in a
local paper, and threatened to poison himself.
Re Costing Gronr.—The first meeting of the creditors
of the above bankrupt, a gless-dealer, in Flood-street,
was held at the County Court. on Thursday, before the
Reed, Mr. Bradbury (Sanders tind Bradbuty, Bir-
mingham). was for the creditors, and Mr. G. B. Lowe
for the bankrapt. Mr. Wm. Burton, of Cannonatreet,
a'' was appointed trustee. On behalf of the
offer of ss. In the pound was made, provi•
di
The terms of
the offer were 2s. 64. at once, and 21. 64. in four months'
bßaninrgrrutinhaltitth an
the bankruptcy was annulled.
time, on the sedulity of promiesory notes signed by the
bankrupt and Solomon Woolf, of Bond-street. The
liabilities are £566 Os. 2d., and the maestri were £145.
The 14th February was Iliad for the last examination.
UTTERING A FORGED Here.—A respectable-look,ng
young man, named John E. Adonis (40), son of a com-
mercial traveller, residing in the Dudley Road, Wolver-
hampton, was charged before the Mayor and Alderman
Wilkinson, at the Police Coo-t, on Monday, nab obtain-
ing from Mr. Walter Camel], tobacconist, • quantity of
goods by means of • forged note. On the 28th ult, the
prisoner went to the shop of prosecutor, and presented
an order purporting to have bean written by Edward
Hussey, of Carter's Green, West Bromaich. The boles
of cigars, tobacco, and snuff, mentioned in the order,
were wrapped up. and prisoner took them away.—E.
Hussey deposed that the order WAS not written by him,
or by his anthority.—Detective-sergeant Davies appre.
handed the prisoner, who admitted that the note W*9
written bi hisa.—He was committed to the Amines.
Tws WAGII QUESTION IN TUE CRALN Ti' iDE.—A
Imelda( ot factory men was held on Monday evening,
id Qs Loving Lomb Inn, Osksywell Street, Dudley, and

after • discussion it was unanimously resolved,
we adhere to the demand for an advance of sixpence
cwt. in large chain, and other sizes in proportion; ti
we are prepared to meat our employers, to diacuse 1.
matter in dispute; and that failing to settle the question,
we agree to aubmit it to arbitration, leaving the appoint-
ment of arbitrator to the masters." It was stated that
the masters were willing to give the men • Ilse of two.
; but it was thought that inasmuch as their fellow.
workmen in the North of England received • much
higher rate of wages the demand of sixpence was not un-
reasonable.
AMATECH CONCERT.—A fashionable audience assem-
bled in the Public Hal! on Monday night, when &concert
was given, at which there was • very commendable dia.
play of ability by local amateur& Professional assietance
was given by Mrs. A. J. Sutton, Mr. Charles Lunn, and
, Mr. S. Simms, who officiated as conductor. The pro-
gramme opened with • piano-forte duet by Miss Coldi-
cott, end Mr. Simms, who played Dialselli's arrangement
of the overture to Zarups. Randeggefe " Sleep, Dearest
Sleep," was sung aid/ much taste by Mrs. H. Bridg-
water, and Mr. Henry S Coldicott gave a epitited render-
, ing of " I'm a Forester Free." Tilts Wax followed by a
violin solo by Mr. Griffin, who was heintily applauded.
, Gauze." Sing sweet Bird," was then effectively delivered
by Miss A llely. This lady's artistic interpretation of
the etrig was acknowledged with waked approval, end it
was loudly redemanded. An encore was also well earned
by Mr. Cheri.; Steetimon, who sang "A Weldor Bold,"
by Stephen Adems. Auber's "Market Chorus," which
was next on the programme, was not rendered with
sufficient decision and steadiness. The same fault was
, tube found with the playing of an overtu.e by the instru-
mentalists. Leslie's trio "Memory," as bung by the
Misses Allely and Mr. Chinks Leon, was highly ap-
preciated. Praise must be awarded to Mr. H. King for •
brilliantly executed flute solo ; and it should be mentioned
that Mr. Alfred H. Noott was encored for his excellent
singing of "The Whito Squall."
DUDLEY Minion INSIITUTE.—On Monday night en
adjourned meeting of the members of the South Stafford-
shire and East Worcestershire Institute of Mining
Engineers was held in the Geological Museum, Dudley.
Mr. Henry Johnson (President), occupied the chair, end
there were about fifty members present, —The President
reported that there had been no meeting of the Coal
Trade doe pretious meeting of the
Institute. and therefore the specie' rules remained un-
finished. There sync, however, no immediate hurry,
inasmuch as the trade was allowed until the 15t April to
complete the rocking of the roles. In al' probability
the meeting had not been called in consequence of the
numerous e. gagements of the Government inspector at
the present moment. Mr. Baker. had had a large number
of doggies, acting ander-butties, or doggies managing for
owners, before him lately, and he (the speaker) mentioned
that the inspector had declined to recommend any of
them for certificates of service as " managers." There
were a mimber of young practitioners there, too. Mr.
Mason said Mr. Baker had recommended the latter to
apply for certificates of examination. Mr. Dunn said he
attended the meeting, and it appeared to him that the
difficulties surrounding the " manager " question were
. fading away. Mr. Mason said he gathered from what Mr.
Baker said that the miming engineers would have no
veater retponsibilities than befiire the passing of the
new Act. Mr. Dann said he ha i supplied his doggies,
, who could ell read atti wile, with memorandum books,
' and they had made daily entries of the condition of the
mines since the let inst. Kr. Blakemore (the Nice-preEd-
deut) said he had appointed 10 "competent persons,"
and they were independent of the contractor or his
deputy. Each of these men entered in a diary the con-
dition of the mine tiny by day. He was sorly that the
. meeting the previous week had passed the resolution re-
lating to chartermasters or their deputies as competent
persona, because he bad heard that the masters talked
raising cos' Is. per ton to meet the increased price of
working the coal under the new Act, and if they did they
could not afford to pay independent people 0 set as the
" competent persons." Mr. Hartehoi se (of Messrs.
Bae,iiel'a) livid they had independent men as " coin-
petent persona" to visit the pits, and the butties and
doggies refused to examine the pits in the early morning
as usuel, saving it was the duty of the "competent
perton," or it not, they should have extra pay for doing
the work. Clause 51 sn'o-section 3 of the Act in Mr.
Peaces book confirmed tie men in that corrse of action.
Mr. Biakemore thought otherwise, believing that the
competent person's duty was to examine the pit some
time during the twenty-four hours. The special rules
prolided fur the inspection of the pit before the men
went to work. Mr. W. Davies said he had asked that
day at another institute whether a mat, in the pay of the
contractor as inspector of the workings would be amen-
able to the law for incorrect reterne, and the answer was
'Decidedly yes." This was given on counsel's opinion.
The difficulty, in his (the speaker's) opinion might be
legaPy met by giving the doggy • retaining lee equal to
the extra labour actually performed. Mr. Ensell was of
a similar opinion. A. large number of members including
Mr. Dando, Mr. Hartshorne, Mr. W. North, and Mr.
Llewellyn, disagreed with the remarks made by Mr.
Blitkemore, because they believed that the charter-
masters or the chartermastere doggie, were the most
" competent persona " to go down the pit and isspect it
before operations were commenced in • morning. The
President wound up the discussion by agreeing a ith the
last speaker.