The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-16 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL.

APPOINTMENT or OVERSEERS.—At the Police
Court, on Monday, before Messrs. H. Smith and T.
Wilkes Webb, Henry James and Thomas Prise
were appointed as overseers for tipper rAley.
COAL STEALING.—John Woodhall (13), of Brock-
moor, was summoned for stealing coal, the property
of the Earl of Dudley on the 2nd inst. It wss
proved that he was taKing coal out ot the waggon
hole at No. 26th pit, He was ordered to have 12
strokes with the bitch rod.
CHARGE OF UNLAWFUL WOUNDING.—Thomas
Billingham, chainmaker, of Quarry Bank, was
charged with unlawfully wounding Alexanthr
on the 2nd inst.—The case was fully
reported last week and it will be remembered that
the case was adjourned in order to obtain medical
evidence. Dr. Ashmead was now called and said
that he examined prosecutor on the 4th met., and
found two wounds about two inches apart. One
wound was half an-inch in length and the other a
quarter of an inch in length. They were not
dangerous wounds, and were such as would be
caused by the throwing of a knife. The Bench
remarked that it was a very serious charge and they
had had some doubt whether they should send him
for trial by a jury at the Assizes, but thinking that
prisoner did tiot have any wilful intention of
hurting his brother they should dismiss him on this
charge. They heped it would be a caution to him
as he had had a very narrow escape.
STEALING PAlNT.—Joseph Ralph, labourer, and
George Brown, clerk, in the employ of the Earl of
Dudley, were charged with sl eating a tub and a
quantity of paint, the property of Benjamin Wood,
on the 6th inst.—Mr. C. H. Collis appeared to
prosLcute, and Mr. W. Clulow appeared to defend
Brown. Ralph was undefended, and pleaded guilty.
Charles Batham, in the employ of prosecutor, said
there was part of a cask of paint left at prosecutor's
late works at Pensnett. There was about 1* cwt.
of paint in the tub The cask produced was the
same that was left at the works, It was ready-
mixed paint. There was now about a quarter of
a hundred weight in the tub now.—Mr.. Wood, the
pro-ecutor, said that he gave 30s. per cwt. for the
paint. That was the only cask of r d paint he had
had at those works. There had no one used that
paint for the last twelve months except last witness.
From information be received he went on Friday
morning to the woks at Pensnett, in company with
a policeman, where Ralph was at work. He asked
Ralph what he had done with the paint and he
replied, he had sold it to George Brown. Ralph
then took him to Brown's house, and on the way
said that his (witness's) son had given the tub to
him. He should get 5s for the tub when he
returned it. He nevtr gave a cask to his workmen
He saw the ctok of paint at the bottom of the
garden and it looked as if it had just had some
paint taken out. The entry bElongin,g to brown
was painted with red paint the same shade as that
which was in the tub. Brown came to his house
on Friday night and said tat he had given full
value for the cask and that he thought lialph had
the power to sell it. He (Bros n) had sent some of
the paint to his brother and found that it was no
good and that he gave Ralph a shilling for it.
Brown asked him to overlook the matter. Cross-
examined: The tub was at the corner of the pigstye.
It we an open corner and everybody could see it
who lived near. Prisoner lived in the front, and
his (prosecutor's) watchman lived in the back
house. It was not hidden, anyone could see it that
went up the entry. Police-constAble Hicklin said
he went to prosecutor's foundry on Friday last and
there saw Ralph who said he sold the tub to George
Brown for a shilling and he did not think it any
goscl. He told prosecutor that his son James gave
it to him. He said that Brown came into the
works and looked at the tub and offered him a
shil:ing for it Mr. Wood then asked him whele
Brown lived, and he said he would take him.
Ralph on the way to Brown's house said that prose-
cutor's son Ernest gave it to him. Ralph took him
to the pant which was in the garden. The tub
produced was the one be saw there. There was a
mark one foot up the tub and the paint seemed to
have been recently taken out. He arrested Ralph
and locked him up, and Brown gave himself up.
Brown said the paint was no good and he had hard
work to grind it up for painting the entry. He
said he took some to his brother, who said it was no
good. He thouebt it might do to paint thoserough
bricks. He further said he had given the value for
the tub, but certainly thought he had got it very
cheap the paint being in, but afteiwards found that
it vim useless. On the Saturday morning he told
him thst he could find some paint on the ashes in
Wood's wrks. He went and found about a pound
of paint on a stick on the ashes there. Cross-
examined : Mr. Wood authorised him to arrest
him. Brown called at his station about a qu ,rter
past three o'clock. He had been at Brown's house
about two o'clock e: as. day. Brown asked him it
be had got a warrant for his arrest. lie asked him
his name and he said "I am George Brown, come
on." Ile accompanied him to the station and he
charged him and he was let out on bail. Mr.
Brown lives in the front house and Mr. Tooby.
(prosecutor's watchman), lives in the back house.
The tub would have to pass the watchman's house
to be taken into the yard. There was no conceal-
ment. Anyone going up the yard could see it.
Every facility was given him for looking over tne
premises. He went into one of the bedrooms and
found the paint cans produced with some others
There was also lumber in the • room. He was
invited to go into the room to fetch the cans by
Brown's wife.—Prosecutor's two sons were called
n d denied having given the cask to prisoner Ralpit7
—Brown was discnarged, but Ralph was fined 10s.
6d including costs, with the alteinative of 14 days'
imprisonment. •
ASsAuLT.— Harry Homer, of Pensnett, was
charged with assaulting Abraham Jones, miner, of
Common Side, on the 19th ult.—Mr. W. Clulow
appeared for the complainant and Mr, W. Waldron
for the defendant. Complainant was called and
said that on the 19th ult , he was at the Samson
and Lion Inn, Pensnett. He was at his club there
and after the club was over he went into the
bagatelle room. A man named Johnson asked him
to play for a pint of ale. He played and lost the
game and had the pint of ale in. Defendant then
wanted him to play for a quart of ale and 6d. He
(complainant) Baia he should not, he would play
him for a quart. He lost the game and detendant
said he wanted him to give him ad. He refused to
do so and a little altercation took place between
him and several others. lie was pushed out of the
hot st:! on to the floor.
.As he was getting up the
defendant stood on the door step and said "Let's
give it him now," and rushed at him and gave him
a kick on his temple which made him insensible.
He could not recollect anybody kicking him after
that. Ile was afterwards seen by Dr. Barrs.—George
Littlewood spoke to complainant having been
pushed out of the house by several men but could
not say what took place outside.—Mark Plant,
ironworker, Common Side, said that on the evening
in question he was in a public-house opposite called

the Swan Inn. He came out and saw Jones lying
on the floor against Homer's door, and also saw
defendant kick him five or six times on his side and
back. He heard complainant say " They have
nearly killed me." Whilst a man named William
Wall was on the top of Jones, defendant kicked hitr.
He saw defendant go into the house again and Wall
also got off complainant and went in also.—Police-
constable Hicklin said that he saw complainant
shortly after the assault and his face was covered
with blood and his two eves were swollen up.—John
Walter Barrs, assistant medical student to Dr.
Bellingham, Dudley, spoke as to the injuries and
said that there were contused wounds on the body
and face. Mr. Waldron addressed the Bench at
some length for the defence, and afterwards called
Benjamin Homer, father of the defendant, who said
that he was a publican living at Pensnett. He had
been a Gmr.iian for a number of years, and also
been a collector of highway rates. About ten
minutes to eleven o'clock he went outside his house
and saw Jones there, lying down on the ground.
Benjamin Wall was fighting with him. He hea.td
Wail say "He's biting me. pull him off." His son
(the defendant) then went to both of them as they
lay there. He told him to come away at once but
he did not. A man then came round the corner of
the house and asked what was the matter. His son
walke I away and went into the house, and he never
kicked or touched him in any way.—Benjamin
Wall said he was at the house on the day in question
and he saw the complainant strike his father.
He got him away from him and they went outside.
The complainant stuck him and knocked him down
and began to bite him. He did not see defendant
kick the complainant.—William Wall, father of last
witness, spoke as to havi.tg been quarrelling with
complainant previous to the fight outside the house
and also said that he did not lee Homer kick the
complainant.— Hannah Homer, the defendant's
sister, also gave similar evidenee.—The Bench
remarked that there was R. doubt in the ease and
they should give the defendant the benefit, and
dismissed the case.
CHARGE OF ASSAULT AGAINST AN ASSISTANT
MASTER,—Charles Hale, assistant master at the
Quarry Bank Board Schools, was charged with
assaulting Enoch Bloomer, a boy, on the sth inst.
Mr. Holberton defended. Enoch Bloomer was
sworn, and said that he attended the above-named
schools, and on the sth inst. the master (the de-
fendant) told him to sit on the lower row of seats
and he went and sat on the top row. Defendant
then caught hold of him by the collar of his jacket
and pushed him from the top of the gallery to the
bottom. His brow caught the stove piping and it
blackened his eye.—By Mr. Holberton :He began
to swear at the master. He said he would send
him to b h—. The master told one of the
monitors to take his name, and he said if he did he
would shut his incolth up. The defendant threw
him from the top of the gallery to the bottom. He
fell on the pip;ng whilst he was kicking at him.
He had always borne a very good character for
moderate behavour.—George Henry Fradgerly,
Samuel Barnsley, and Ezekiel Hubble were called
oral supported Mr. Holberton's statement. The
Bench dismissed the case.
ASSAULT.— EdWArd. Hall was charged with
assaulting Ellen Hall, of Holloway End; on the
14th ult.—Complainant said that she obtained a
protection order and was now getting h r living by
her own industry. On the 14th nit she was taking
down the shutters about 8 o'clock in the nwrning,
and he came up to her, kicked her twiee and tried
to strangle her, and she then struck Lim with a
hammer. He said he would have her life before
the week was out and she was in bodily fear of
him.—The case was adjourned for a fortnight in
ordel• that a witness might attend on behalf of the
complainant,
DanNKFavxass.—Thomas Sedgley, glassmaker,
of Barnet Lane, Kinnswinford, was fined 21 6d and
costs, or 7 day's imprisonment for being drunk in
the high way at Wordsley on the 3rd inst.—Joseph
Poyner, glassmaker. and John Poyner, pipe moulder,
both of Wordsley, were fined, the former Sc and
the latter lOs and cos s for a similar offence on the
same date. Police-constable Adams proved the
case.—Thamas Hodgetts, carter, was fined 2s 6cl
and costs for being drunk in High Street, Pewnett.
An.rouRNED.—A number of coal stealing' cases
were adjourned for 14 days.

CRAD.LEY HEATH.

THE CHAINMAKERS' STRIA.E.—The number of men
engaging in this strike is now comparatively small.
Since the first fortnight of the strike individual em-
ployers have been almost daily conceding the men's
demands for an advance on the 4s list, and many of
the men have therefore resumed work. At a meet-
ing of chainmakers on Monday, at the Four Ways,
Cradle), Heath, the president of the Chaimnakers'
Association announceu the receipt of communications
from two employers expressive of their willingness
to give the men in their employ the advance for
which they had been contending, and it was re-
solved that the men concerned should resume their
labour forthwith. Eight firms are now paying at
the advanced rate. so that the termination of the
strike is not far distant.