The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-26 00:00:00

I' IL 2e, 1878.

•• nODeDbiid:1111111178,
11 'ii sl, any lint night?

41)-n 3id you?

Nl'ituww :1 say v.:: boolii and papers on Sunday mom.
leg at Manchester.
Mr. Stoke.: Now have you not a bundle of papa,
under your control in this town ?
Witness : It is imiwissible for me to answer that.
Mr. Stokes: Why so ?
Witness: Well, I must say that I ought not te
pressed in this way. lam here unprotected.
The Magistrates' Clerk (Mr. Barradsle) told the intim,
that be did not need protection, for he was only re(pdm
to speak the truth.
Mr. Stokes said those papers were wanted, and ke
should ask witness again—Have you not a bundle ei
them in this pariah?
Witness: I have reagens for giving to answer to this
question.
Mr. Stokes: You most do so.

Witness: I cannot reply, for I have not seen them.
The Magistrate called upon the witneei to answer Me
more straightforward manner, and told him if ke did not
he should consider what course to adopt.
Witness : I ask for protection.
. . .

The Magistrate : You need no protection.
Witness: 1 think I ought to be represented by enamel.
The Magistrates Clerk : You are only a wanes', im
therefore you do not want counsel, and if you had oes
he would not be allowed to speak. Witnesses who 'peel
the troth need no protection.
Mr. Stokes : Once more I ask you if the papers are la
Dudley?
Wituesi: The last I knew of them they were le
Dudley.
Mr. Stokes : Where?
Witness : I cannot tell you.
Mr. Stokes: Can you fetch them'
Witness replied that he did not know, but he would try
The witness then left the Court in company with a
policeman.
Upon his return, Buckley said : I produce my invoiss
book in the haodwriting of my assistant. I have sent
several tracks of iron to Brettell Lane to Bheppard's
I order. A day or two before Sheppard came to see me I
had a telegram from him. On that day—the alst nit.—
he came to my office, and I asked him for an explanation
of the telegram. He said I was interfering with his
basineas seriously; he imieratood I had taken an order
from a firm with whom he was doing business. Is
I course of conversation he mentioned the firm of Bald
and Co. He said that the wagons I had there would be
weighed short of what they ready were, and that through
that I ehoull not be able to carry out my contract. Ile
' saidhe could do what he thought fit with the wares. as
did not say what he had done with the iron I sold him.
He said that he could have the iron of mine weighed..
;he thought tit. I had other conversatious with him,
; when he said 1 might as welt have my iron weighed over
as under, as it would be a profitable transaction to have
it weighed over. He said the iron I wan going to send
to Budd and Co. might have a ton put on each wagon if
I would send it In small quantities, which he might
divide, and we should have to give £1 per truck to lie
1 man at the weighing machine. He said that the arrange,
meat he had made with the machine man before coming
1 to me was that my iron then going in should be weighed
considerably less titan whet it ought to have been. iAfter
I a conversation of about eight bourn as to the scheme
being safe in carrying out, the next morning I was in
cab in Manchester, and I saw Mr. Williams in the street.
I stopped the cab, and got out to spook to Mr. Williams
I mad, a communication to bins is reference to the
iaterview I had had with Sheppard. At that time I
mode an appoinment to see him on the Friday following
Several letters passed between us. On the 4th thatitat
Mr. Williams came to see me at Manchester, and I then
made a communication to him ad to the interview
between Sheppard and I. On the 7th I went to Tipton
to see Sheppard. I had continued to send iron to Budd
I and Co. all along from the 31st March. and I arranged to
' come over and ace Sheppard. On the 7th instant wae
to send, by arrangement, the invoices to Budd said Co.,
after I had received the particulars from Sheppard, bat
I Was not to send in the bill for some time. When I
saw Sheppard on toe 7th he made a communication to
me as to the way in which he obtained the papers cosh
taming an account of the weights. My friend has those
papers in his possession. As each truck was sent away I
sent the invoice the same evening to Messrs. Budd and
Co. I came again to Tipton on alonday lost, mid! saw
Sheppard. When I asked him for the remaining parti-
tutors, he said he had not got them, but would send
them to me, and I received them the next day, and
showed them the tame day to Mr. Williams. Last
Monday, he told me he had given the other prisoner .£2O.
Wm. Thomson, deposed: I am goods agent at Bretton
Lane Railway Station. I recollect trucks of iron rooming
for Sheppard's order, in the months of February and
March. In the ordinary course of business the iron
would be weighed when sent, but tint when it was re-
ceived. I cid not know that the prisoner Wilson was
engaged to weigh the iron. The book produced is in the
imeodwriting of the prisoner Wilson, and also A sheet
I piodoced by 1°,311m-sergeant Wigley• The two memo-
raudum forms are also iu Wawa's handwriting.
Mr. Buckley was again recalled, and he was informed
that it was very important that the paper*, which had
been referred to ehoulti b. paoduced. These were in the
hands of his assistant, who had been with him that
mooing, but could not be found.
The Magistrate: If they are not found, you will have
to be bound over to appear tomorrow morning.
Buckley lit the Court again for the purpose of men
tainting the whereabouts of his assistant. During his
absence Police-sergeant Witty deposed that he appro.
handed Sheppard in the office of !deems. Budd aud Co.
ou Saturday night. On being charged prisoner said, "I
cannot noderetand it. he also arrested Wilson the
same day. At the dose of the evidence of this leritimme,
Buckley's assistant entered the Court, sad Mr. Beckley
was again called, land stated that the papers produced
snowed that the first eight loads of scrap iron, seat by
Lim to Ktbsta. Budd and Co., were 4 cwt, below the
proper weight, but that after the interview in Manchester
with !Sheppard, he found, from the documents before
hint, that 20 cwt. had been put upon the note sent to the
firm.

-7;
1 he case was adjourned for a week, bailbeing accepted
for Sileppard—htmeed m the sum of £l,OOO, and two
euretwe to £.500 each.

DUDLEY.

PETAL PIT ACCIDIINT.—On Tuesday a sinker, named
J. Barfield (35), of 23, Waterloo-street, died from the
effects of severe lejaries received whilst employed, on
the 11th inst., at a pit belonging to Siessrs. Elingley and
B, Netherton. Since the accident happened, deceased
had been under medical treatment at the Guest Hospital.