The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-23 00:00:00

focal aab istrictljetus.

THE LATE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT
STOURBRIDGE.
COMMUTATION OF THE SENTENCE.

On the 24th August, 1869, a man named Wil-
liam Poyser. a saddler, residing in Stourbridge,
attempted to shoot George Ketley, a tailor, then
residing at the top of Kidderminster-street.
Poyser's wife lived in the same house, and the
husband had repeatedly asked her to leave, but
this she refused to do. This seemed to enrage
Poyser so that he attempted to shoot Ketley,
and the latter's face was much injured from shot
wounds. Poyser was apprehended and brought
before the Stonrbridge Magistrates, and charged
with attempting to murder George Ketley, and
was committed to take his trial at the next Wor-
cester Assizes. Prisoner was tried before Mr.
Baron Bramwell at the Winter Assizes, and was
condemned to penal servitude for life. This I
sentence appears to have taken most persons by
surprise, and was considered a very severe sen-
lence, and efforts were at once made to get the
sentence commuted, which proved of no avail.
Poyser's wife and Ketley continued to live in the
same house together, and got married at Bir-
mingham. Ketley's business after this appears
to have fallen off, and the two left this country
for Philadelphia. where, according to reports
from thence, it has not been a bed of roses with
them. A second petition was drawn up by the
Rev. T. Williams, praying for the release or a
I commutation of the sentence. This was signed
, by a number of Magistrates, influential gentle-
men, and tradesmen of the town and neighbour-
hood, and forwarded to the Secretary of State,
and we are pleased to announce that the follow-
ing reply was received by Mr. Williams, on
Monday morning :

"Whitehall, 15th March, 1872.
"Sir—The Secretary of State for the Home
Department having considered your application
on behalf of William Poyser, I have the satis-
faction to acquaint you that he has felt warran-
ted under all the circumstances, in advising her
Majesty to commute the sentence to fifteen years
penal servitude.
" I sin, Sir, your obedient servant,
"A. J. LIDDELL.
" The Rev. Thomas Williams, Vicar of
St. John's, Stourbridge."

At the Board of Guardians, yesterday, the following
contracts were entered into for the ensuing quarter :—E.
Elcock. Brierley Hill—Flour (sec.), El lls 6d per sick,
bread (best sec.) 64 per 411, loaf; oatmeal (best) £1 13s
64 per cwt.; peas (split) Ils per imperial bushel; ditto
(grey), 64 do.—J. W. Jones, Stoarbridge--Tea, 2s per ;
coffee berries, Is Id do.; sugar, 21r1 do.; sugar (loaf) 64
do.; salt butter (best) in; butter (fresh) 1s 6d ; vinegar,
10 I per gal.; Felt, 1. 64 per cwt. ; starch (best) 30 per
soap (soli) 13s per firkin.—Mrs. Miller, Brierley
lull
—Cheese it I per lb ; rice, 15s per cwt.; mustard (fine),
74 per It; pepper (corns), 81 do.; tobacco, fis 24 to. ;
soda, Is per cwt.—H. Edwards, Stourbridge—Soap (best
white) .£2 per cwt.; sosp (pale yellow) £1 lie do.; lin-
seed meal. Rd per tb.—R. Cooper, Stourbridge—Bacon
614 per Parkes—Beef and mutton 61 per lb ; suet
0.1 do.—Cos—Coals (large) 14s 64 per 2,400 lb..—T.
Wood, porter. Is 2d per gal.; ale, do., do.; port wine,
do.; gin, lOs do.; whiskey, 16s do.—Brushes, Hum.
phries.— Clothiag : Cooper, Nikes, Bennett, Doody.—
Coffins White.—Shoes : Perkins.—Miller—Blue, 80 per
lb. ; caudies 510 do.

THOMAS PARORTRR'S (Or FONCOTE) CHARITY.
—The annual meeting of the trustees of this
charity was held at Messrs. Harding and Sons'
offices, Birmingham, on Monday last; the Rev.
M. Gibson in the chair. The other trustees pre-
sent were—the Revs. Charles Clarke, W. Coch-
rane, H. W. Crosakey, H. Eachus, A. Lunn, H.
M'Kean, D. Maginnis, E. Myres, and J. Taplin.
'f he following officers were elected for the ensu-
ing year :—The Rev. M.:Gibeon, chairman; Mr.
Joseph Beattie. treasurer; the Rev. C. Clarke
and the Rev. D. Maginnis, auditors ; and Mr. C.
Harding, secretary. The business was princi•
pally of a formal character. During the past
year the trustees elected two annuitants, the total
number being at the present time 71. No
vacancy exists. The number of applications on
the books is about 500.
PaoPearr Sai.a.—At the Talbot Hotel last
night, Mr. Wooldridge offered for sale the offices
occupied by Mr. C. W. Collis, in Market Street.
The first bid was £4OO, and it was ultimately
knocked down to Mr. Reuben Wassail for £l6O.

------- --
GRAND EVENING CONCERT. —On Tuesday
evening last Spoilt's oratorio, "The Fall of
Babylon." was performed in the Corn Exchange
to a large and fashionable audience. The work,
which is a very difficult one to perform from its
various chromatic characters, has seldom been
given in the Midland district, and great praise
is due to our talented townsman, Mr. S. Simms,
for the very effectual way the various parts were
performed. The applause given showed to the
performers that their efforts were much appreci-
ated. The orchestral accompaniments were very
effective, and the whole was a success.
ENTERTAINMENT.—On Monday evening last,
an entertainment, under the auspices of the
Associated Institutes, was given in the Corn
Exchange. The Rev. H. Sherrard occupied the
chair, and there was only a poor attendance.
The programme, with one or two exceptions, was
rather below mediocrity, and called for no espe-
cial remark. _ . _

- _
CHESS.—A match between the Stotirbridge
Church of England Club and the Dudley Me-
chanics' Institute Club was played on Saturday
evening last, at Stourbridge, which terminated
in a draw. The following were the players and
results :

STOUELBRIDGE.
Won.

DUDLEY.

Won. Dwn.

S. Moore 2 J. Pitchfork ...... ... 1
A. Freer
J. Doughty 1 G. H. Mainwaring 1 2
J. W. Franklin 2 J. Ginder
B. Paddon

YORK 1/. LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAIL-
WAY COMPANY.-At the Staffordshire Lent As-
sizes (Nisi Prius Court) before Mr. Justice Byles
and a special jury, this was an action brought
by the plaintiff, who is a commercial traveller,
residing in Pershore-road, Birmingham, to re-
cover damages for injuries sustained by him
whilst travelling on the defendants' line between
Wolverhampton and Birmingham on the 16th
August last, in an accident known in the dis-
trict as the " Deepfields Accident." The cause
was partly heard on Saturday last, on which day
plaintiff and his medical advisers gave evidence
as to the nature of the injuries he had sustained.

On the hearing of the cause being resumed on
Monday last, medical testimony was adduced on
behalf of the defendants, and the jury gave a
verdict for the plaintiff, damages £4so.—Mr.
Huddleston, Q.C., and Mr. Loxdale Warren
(instructed by Mr. C. W. Collie, solicitor, of this
town), appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Powell
Q.C., and Mr. Bosanquet (instructed by Mr. J.
Itlenkinsop) represented the Company.
ASSAULT CASE.—At the Petty Sessions, yester-
day, before Major Fletcher, and Messrs. H. 0.
Firmstone, R. L. Freer, and J. B. Cochrane,
John Cope and Hannah Cope, of Oldswinford,
were charged with assaulting Eliza Adams ou the
15th inst. From the evidence of complainant
it appears that they live as neighbours. Tt.,
defendant put her clothes on her line. She told
her to take them oft. Defendant refused. She
then told her if she did not take them off she
would cut the line. She did not cut it but let it
down. John Cope then began to throw stones
at her, which struck her on the body. Mrs.
Cope then came up and set about her, beat her,
and knocked her down, blackening her eye, and
making her face bleed. Mary Ann Pearson and
Mary Lee gave corroborative evidence. 'I he
defence was teat complainant cut her line, and
she struck her three times, and pushed her
down, and she said so with shame. Eliza Ad.
ams was then charged by Hannah Cope with a,-
, saultiug her on the Lith. Complainant said the

defendant first struck her on the breast, and
.ifter with a knife, which marked
.her on Ow

dun. Ij.is uunnons itt3 diarnissed. and John

Cope was fined 2s Gil and costs, and Hannah
Cope 5s and costs; in default 7 days.
CHARGE OF ASSAULT.—Thomas Stanton and

Michael Irving, boys, were charged with throw.
ing stones at Michael Connor, on the 16th inst.
Complainant said he had occasion to go down
the garden, when be saw both defendants throw
at him. One stone caught him on the shoulder.
The defence was that the stone only struck the
door. The boys were cautioned and dismissed.
Elam Paosiscurim—George Davis, of Bel-
broughton, was charged by E. Thomas, super-
visor for keeping a horse without having pre-
viously paid a license for it; also with horse
dealing without having a license. Mr. Homfray
defended. Mr. Thomas said there were four
counts against the defendant, and the informa-
tion was laid under 32 and 33 Vict. The first
count was for keeping a horse, not having paid
a license for it. The other three counts were
for selling horses in September and October
1871, and defendant had rendered himself liable
to a tine of £2O in each case. Under the old
system information WAS given against a person
who was surcharged, and then it rested upon the
defendantto disprove tbe charge. This was the
first case that had come before the Magistrates
since it had come into the hands of the Excise.
He should call witnesses to prove the purchase
of the horses, and ask the Bench to convict.--
Mr. Itomfray said he was prepared to go into the
last three counts, but he wanted a witness win,
had not arrived, for the first case. The Bench
then decided to take the last three counts.—
Joseph Cutler, horse dealer, of Holy Cros.,
proved that he bought a horse of the defendant
on the 23rd or 25th September, and paid itiw
£29 for it. Elijah Higgs, farmer, at Drayton,
Belbroughton, said that on the 28th October he
bought a horse of the defendant. Gave him £l7
for it. Anthony Power Steedman, auctioneer,
of Bromsgrove, said that in September he had a
sale at the Lickey Hills. The defendant had a
cow for sale and a soh. He purchased on the
13th September the colt for his own use. The
defendant at the time of sale stated that it was
not his own colt.---This being the case for the
prosecution, Mr. Homfray, for the defence, con-
tended that defendant was not liable; that he
was merely the agent of a Mr. Butterworth, who
formerly held a farm at Belbroughton ; and that
he held the office of agent from Midsummer to
Christmas last year; that he did not make profit
for himself, neither was he liable to any loss.
Under the circumstances he submitted that the
Bench could not line defendant. He should call
the gentleman who was his employer, and after
hearing his evidence, should ask the Bench to
diimiss the ease.—Thornas Butterworth said he
lived at Tenney Hill, near Dudley. The defend-
ant was employed by him from Midsummer to
Christmas, to purchase horses for him, as he
had a number of horses at work on the canal.
The horses were bought at witness's risk. De.
fondant had no profit or loss, and if the horse
was not suitable witness told l,im to sell it 'main.
He settled up with the defendant at Christmas,
and made memorandums of the purchases of
horses at the time, lie gave the defendant lOs
per week, and paid all expenses. The case was
adjourned for a fortnight for the defendant to
produce Ilia innaaranduaa.— Daiwadant was