The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-27 00:00:00

ROWLEY SCHOOL BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of this Board was
held in the Board Room, Old Bill, on Monday
last. Mr. W. Bassamo presided, and there were
also present Dr. IL R. Ker, Messrs. G. Green, S.
E i wards, \V. P. Strawson, and J. Whitley.
SCHOOL A ,TENDA.NCS OFFICER'S REPORT.

Tile report stated that as the schools were only
re-opened on Monday last after the holidays he
had only to report that many children were away
from school last week, mestly through the neglect
of their parents, though a number of them pleaded
poverty as an excuse. As the llowley Wake
would take place before the next meeting of the
Board, he begged to remind them that, since he
had been their officer, the attendance of the chil-
dren during that week had been so poor IS t con-
siderably affect the average attendane for the
year; in tact, during a part of the week the
• teachers had been forced to close their schools.
Ile ventured to bring this under their notice so
that they may consider the telv.sability of clte-ing
the schools, or taking further ieJesures to Lecure
1 a better attendance during the week.
The Chairman said he was glad the Attendance
Officer had called the attention of the Boar I t the
wake question, as the attendance at the schools
was now a very important matter. According to
Mr. MundelLes scheme it was proposed ta give
grants according to the average aqendance, and if
the children absented themselves durir'e-, the wake
the financial position of the Board went' be
seriously aiected' There were several wakes
that district, and it was therefore highly important
that the Board should take steps to secure a good
attendance at the schools. Unless the Board
could secure a better attendance at the schools
duriug Vie wake week, he thought it would be ad-
visable to close them. In one school district, he
believed that handbills were posted up by the
Board stating that any persons, whose children did
not attend properly would be summoned, and it
siemed to him that they must either do that or
ciese the schools entirely.
Dr. Ker said he thought the parents should be
compelled to send their children to school during
the week, and suggested that handbills should be
printed and circulated for this time.
Mr. Green suggested that the children should
have a holiday and the schools be closed during the
wake week; and that a week's Loliday be taken
from the Christmas holidays,
It was ultimately resolved, on the motion of Dr.
Ker, seconded by Mr. Whitley, to issue notices in-
forming parents that a half-holiday would be
allowea on the Wake-Monday, and warning them
that if tiley neglected to send their children to
school on the other days they would be summoned
before the magistrates.
On the motion of Mr. Green it was resolved to
take from that day (Monday) the Methodist New
Connexion School, at an annual rental of £3O, suo-
ject to six months' notice at any time.
It was proposed by Dr. Ker, and carried, that
the Old Hill School Committee should take all
necessary steps at once for making all the necessary
improvements in the school required by the Educa-
tion Department.
Mr. Green proposed, and Dr. Ker seconded, that
Miss hose, who was an assistant mistress at the
Knowle schools, should be removed to Old Hill
school. The resolution was passed.
Miss Yeaman was also appointed as an a-sistant
mistress at the Old Hill s'ittool.
Misses Maria Brooks and Laura Rebecca Bird
were appointed as monitresses in the Old Hill school ;
and Miss Basteifield as monitress in the Knowle
school.

valne and the lieease was granted.
license of the Globe Inn, Peckinghain Street, was
• transferred from John Smith to his widow, Martha
Smith; and that of the Astley Hotel, Long-lane,
from Major George Cox to Alfred Cox.
CAUTION TO PUBLICANS —At the Police Court,
, held on Tuesday last, before Messrs. E. Gem and E
B. Phillips, Martha Smith, landlady of the Globe
I Inn, Peckingham Street, was summoned for keeping
her house open for the sale of beer during prohibited
hours.—Mr. Stokes, of Dudley, defended.—P.S.
Raybould said he visited the defendant's house
atout one o'clock on Sunday morning the 21st, he
found a man in the house named Hall. He was
in bed, drunk. He told the defendant that she
had no right to have a drunken man in the house,
as he was living at Islington. On cross-examina-
tion, witness said that he saw Hall in the street at
five minutes past eleven o'clock. Police-constable
Roper corroborated. Mr. Stokes addressed the
Bench for the defence, and said thab Hall had been
in the defendant's house and had left, but beine
taken ill, he returned and asked the defendant for
a bed. She let him have a bed and he slept there
that night. The man was suffering from disease of
the heart, and hecontended that the house was not
open for the sale of beer. Defendant was called
and said Hall came to her house soon of ter nine
o'clock. About eleven, Hall complained of being
unwell and asked for a bed. He was very ill aril
agreed to pay for a bed, and he went to bed as
soon as the house was closed. The man was sober.
Elizabeth Walters, servant, said the man com-
plained of being ill, and went to bed Adam
Laughton, chemist, said Hall came to him on the
previous Thursday and he prescribed fo: him for
giddiness ie the head. The Bench considered
that the, defendant harboured Hall in the house and
that he was drunk. Fined 20s and costs ;in del. nit
28 days.—William Hall was fined 108. and e ,sts,
for being oa licensed premises durieg prohibited
hours.
ASSAULT CAM—Aifeed Edmunds and Elizabeth
Etinunds were chilol with assaulting Phosbe
Hingley, on the 21st inst. Front the evidence ot
complainant it appears they ar.- neighbours and th
two chilereu quarrelled, when the male defendaet
came and struck her and knocked her down. The
wife then came up and she had a pen knife in her
hand at the time, and struck compM.Maet on the
face and cut it. Police-serge ant Rash:Add came
up at the time She was covered with floc d.
Complainant's mother corroborated. The Benin
considered :he assault proved, and hued Alfred 2s
61 and costs; and Elizabeth is and cots.
FOUND ON LICENSED FREMlsES.—William Walker
was summoned for being found on licensed premises
belonging to Frederick Hall, on the Bth inst. P.C.
Bull proved the case. Defendant was further
charged with falsely representing himself as a
traveller and obtaining whiskey from Frederick
Hall, the Sun Inn, Hunnington. This case was
also proved. Defendant was fined 2s 6d and costs
in each case.
DRUNKENNESS.—Edward Pedree was charged with
being drunk and disorderly on ;he 7th inst. Police.
constable Bull proved the case. There was a long
list of previous convisteons agetinst defendant who
was fined 28 6d and co -de. Arthur Parkes was
charged with being drunk and ,sisorderly on the 6th
inst. Police-constable Roper proved that the de-
fendant was in the Bull Ring on the above date and
he was very disorderly Fuel is and costs.—
Henry Field was charged with being drunk and
disorderly on the 11th inst. Police-constable
Roper er dred the case. Fined is and costs.—
Alfred Hackett was charged with being drunk and
disorderly on the 13th init. Police-constable Roper
said he found the defendant on the ground drunk,
and making use of filthy language. Fined 2s 6d
and costs.
STEALING SWEDES.— Thomas Hale, William
I Gould, William Fletcher, and Alfred Bird. four
boys, were charged with stealing a quantity of
swedes, on the 19th inst , at Cakemore, the
property of William Fletcher.—William Butler
proved the case, and defendants were filled 5s each
including cests.
CAUTION TO DOG OWNERS.—William Hackett
was summoned for keeping a dog without a license
—The defendant's plea was that he was a rat-
catcher and never paid a license before, but had
now taken out a license.—The charge being proved
he was tined 6d and costs.
RESCUING A PRISONER. Felix Parker was
charged with, interfering' with Police-constable
Roper and rescuing from him a prisoner, white in
the execution of his duty on the 6th inst.
Police-
constable Roper said he had Arthur Parkes in
custody, and the defendant and others rescuel him
from custody and tore his coat. Witness said he
could only swear to the defendant. Fined 10s.
and costs ; in default 28 days.
ASSAULTING THE Ponick.—Mary Fenner was
charged with being disorderly and assaulting
Police-constable Roper, whilst in the execution of
his duty.—The officer sail that defendant's hus-
and was in the lock-up in default of paying a fine
of 10 e The defendant brought Bs, whica he re-
fused to have and she became very violent.—Fined
Is and costs; in default 7 days.
NON PAYMENT OF RATES.—Anthony _ W. Jones
was summoned for non-payment of Poor and High-
way Rates, amounting to X 4 13s 6d.—Mr. S. Dawes
proved that the rates were due from the defendant
and the magistrates made an order for payment.
HEAVY THUNDERSTORM. Soon after eleven
o'clock on Tuesday morning the town was visited by
a heavy thunderstorm. The flashes of lightening
were very vivid and the thunder very loud, accom-
panied by heavy rains, but so far as can be learned
no loss of life, or damage to building was sustained
;); I

BRIERLE Y HILL.

DRUNK ENNEss.—At the-Poli—ce--Co—u-rt, on Mon-
day, before Messrs. H. 0. Eirmstone and T. Wilkes
Webb, Samuel Burford was charged with being
drunk in the highway on the 21st inst.—Police-
constable Wetton said that the defendant was lying
helplessly drunk in High Street, Brierley Hill, at
10.30 at night. Defendant was fined 2s, 6d. and
costs. Williara Southall, of Common Side,
Pensnett, was summoned for being drunk and
disorderly on the 17th inst. Police-constables
Wynn and Lafford proved that the defendant was
drunk and making use of bad language.—Pe-
fondant, who admitted having a "drop of beer,"
was fined ss. and costs, with the alternative of 14
days' imprisonment.—William Homer, nail maker
Caledonia, was charged with being drunk and
disorderly on the 17th inst. Police .constable
Cheeseman proved that defendant was drunk and
fighting at Qua, ry Bank. Defendant, who did not
appear, was fined 2. 6d. and costs, with the
alternative of 14 days' imprisonment.
A SERIOUS OFFENCE.—CharIes Holland, groom,
of Dudley, was chaiged with being drunk whilst in
charge of a horse and trap. Police.constable
Banton proved that on Sunda-- night the 14th inst.,
the defendant was very drunk and driving a horse
and trap at a furious late, at Heath Brook, Wall-
heath.—M i
Wall-
heath.—Mr. Firmstone remarked that t was a very
serious offence. He had not only endangered the
life of himself, but the lives of the public, and he
would be fined 10s. and costs, or, in default, one
month's hard labour.
STEALING APPLES .—William Sutton and James
Sutton were brought up in custody charged with
stealing a quantity of apples from an enclosed
garden, the property of Joseph Aston, of Brettell '
Lane.—At about 1.30 on Sunday morning Police.
constable Tytherley found the two prisoners in the
garden and on searching them found two pecks of
apples in their possession—Mr. Aston was sworn
and said that he had made several complaints to
the police owing to a quantity of fruit having pre-
viously been stolen from his garden. On tliCs occa-
sion the apple trees had been broken and greatly
damaged. Prisoners, who pleaded guilty, were
fined 108 each, Is damage and costs
Coal, STEALING.—Mary Harris (13), Margaret
Payze (13), and John Moore (13), of Park Street,
Brierley- Hill, ware charged with stealing a quantity
of coal on the 18th inst, the property of the Earl
of Dudley. A watchman named Beavan proved
that the pris ,ners were taking coal from No. 30,
R teecourse Pits, and he had cautioned them several
times before. Mr. Firmstone remarked that these
cases of coal stealing w, re sadly of too frequent
occurrence and it was their duty to put a stop to
them. Harris was fined 5s or 7 days; Payne 2s 6d,
and Moore was ordered to receive 12 strokes with
the birch rod.—Sarah Whittaker (13), J,hri Street.
Round 0 ik, w.is lined ss, with the alter ative of
seven nays' imprisenment, for stealing coal on the
same date.—Ann Maria Cartwright (8), Mary Sil-
cox (7), Mary Smith (9), and William Detton (9),
all of Quarry Bank, were charged with stealinc,
coal on the 13th just, the property of the Earl ol
Dudley. A watchman proved that they were takina
coal from No. 33, Wallows Colliery. The Bench
said they would try if leniency would stop the coal
stealing, and on the prisoners promising not to re-
peat the offence they were discharged,
SERIOUS ASSAULT.—Thomas Carta right, a boy.
Harriet Carrier (2Z), and Maria Cartwright (66)
were charged with assaulting Enoch Eggerton on
the 14th inst. Complainant, who had his head
bound up, said that on the day in question he was
standing in his own house and saw the boy standing
in his garden and using bad language towards him.
He went and ordered him off and he still used bad
language. He then i'ollowecl the boy to his gran
mother's. The The grandmother came to the door with
i a poker n her hand and struck him with it.
Harriet Carrier also came running out of the house
aril struck him with her fist. The grandmother
struck him a second time with tiv,. poker and whilst
in the act of taking the poker from her the boy
threw a brick at him which caught him on the
head. A witness was called to support this state-
'ment. Defendants alleged that the complainant
kicked the boy, and when the other defendants went
to tako th uy'a vut eouiplainent ;:truek them
several times. They also denied . - s' a t With
the poker. Mr, Firmstone cherac,,..r.....1. ths con-