The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-11 00:00:00

'PP STOMIPAIDGF, OPSFYVVII

THE IRON TRADE.
srnious CONDITION OF THE
DISTRICT.

This being the case for plaintiff,
Mr. Perry, for the defence, said he was instructed
to deny what plaintiff and his witnesses had mid,
and that the boot was on the other leg. He had a
number of respectable and disinterested witnesses to
call. •
Mr. Motteram : Yes; and the usual amount of cross
swearing.
Mr. Perry: Yes; and after hearing the evidence
it will be for your Honour to say which you believe.
He should prove that plaintiff was on his wrong side,
and contributed to the accident.
John Lewis said that on the night in question be
was driving defendant's horse at the rate of 4to 6
miles an hour. Ile wason his right side of the road
about two feet from the kerb. He first saw plaintiff's
trap about 40 or 50 yards from him. Witness
shouted to plaintiff but he took no notice and the
wheels became locked. After the collision took
place, plaintiff took hold of witness's horse and )ield
him for 20 minutes. He did not give his name at
first. He did not think plaintiff was quite sober.
Cross-examined: My trap dragged plaintiff's trap
20 yards. My horse kept in the trap.
Thomas Gorton gave corroborative evidence, but
admitted that he did not see plaintiff thrown out as
he was some distance away.
Benjamin Yardley said: On the 6th of last
October last I was at Ohlswinford at eight o'clock
in the evening. I saw Mr. Hewitt's cart. The
horse's head was in the direction of Hagley. I
saw Platt's cart coming from Stourbridge. It was
going at the rate of three or four miles an hour
when it passed me. It was on its right side of the
road, about a foot or 18 inches from the kerb. I
saw Mr. Crewe's carriage. It was coining in the
direction of Hagley, at a speed of eight miles an
hour. Mr. Crewe's carriage was on its wrong side.
It ran into Mr. Platt's carriage. After a lapse of
five minutes I saw Mr. Crewe. I saw him stand-
ing with a lot of people round him, who were
telling him he was drunk. He said, "Say I am
drunk, lam drunk ?" I heard Heathcock tell him
he was drunk.
Cross-examined by Mr. Warmington : I was
standing still in the horse-way. I was not coining
from anywhere, as I live at Oldswinford. I was
standing near the middle of the road. Platt's cart
passed me. I was very near the middle of the road
AN hen it passed me. I heard some one shout just
before the collision took place, obut could not tell
who it was. I cannot possibly swear who it was
that cried out. Platt's man had passed me 15 or
16 yards when the occurrence took place. When
the collision took place, Mr. Hewitt's cart, Mr.
Platt's cart, and Mr. Crewe's carriage, had all met
together. They were all level together; Mr.
Hewitt's cart being at a stand-still. I saw the
vehicles run into each other. Mrs. Crewe was
thrown out of the carriage. She fell into the horse
road. She was not near the kerb-stone, she was
near the middle of the horse-road.
By the Judge: I cannot tell whether she was
nearer to Hewitt's or tc Platt's cart. She was
about an equal distance from each.
By Mr. Warmington : Mrs. Crewe was not thrown
on ML. Hewitt's horse or trap. She was thrown
more behind the horse than anything. It was not
behind Mr. Hewitt's cart that she fell.
The Judge: Was it before?
Witness: It was not before.
The Judge Was it behind P—Witness : It was
about half a yard behind; or about a yard from
the body of the trap.
By Mr. Warmington : Mr. Crowe's vehicle did not
pass Hewitt's, cart. I did not go up directly after-
wards to see the marks of the wheels of the vehi-
cles that had been in collision. I did not examine
the horse-road. Mr. Crewe did not ask Platt's
man for his master's name. He was not near
Platt's horse when I got up. He was surrounded
by several people, and said, "Am I drunk? Am I
drunk ?"
Frederick Brace said: On the 6th of last October
I saw a carriage coming up from Stourbridge.
When I saw it, it had not got so far as the Heath
Lane. When I saw it, it was coming at the rate
of seven or eight miles an hour.
The Judge: What are you P—Witness: A cord-
wainer.
The Judge: A shoem.aker,l suppose ?—Witness:

WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

The iron trade is uithout much alteration
o;•on i condiiion a week ago in respect lither
of pric,:si or the extent of business doing ; but
the business prospects of South Staffordshire
are extremely critical—so critical that this
afternoon very little else was talked of upon
'Change.. It is not now so groat a matter as to
what price shall be got for iron or coal in the
ensuing six months, but whether that shall be
prevented which within a month will pat an
almost entire stop to the coal and iron trade of
the whole district. So grave is the position that
a meeting of colliery owners has been held this
afternoon, to deliberate upon the action to be
taken. The meeting was convened by the Mines
Drainage Commissioners, who find themselves
unable. up to Auguste next, to cope with the
difficulties arising out of the flooded state of the
mines, and are, therefore, calling upon the
colliery interest to help them voluntary eflorts.
Lest summer a rate of 3d. a ton was levied on
all minerals gotten for the year for drainage
purposes; but since that time the unexampled
fall of •rain has been such as to require the !
expenditure in what is known as the Bilston
district of a sum, in addition, to the rates, '
amounting ta a total of i'l2o. a week for thirty
weeks—for money cannot yet be borrowed for
the purpose. If this aid sholud not be forthcom-
ing it will be impossible, it was urged, to prevent
nearly every colliery in South Staffordshire from
being flooded. Many pits have been drowned
' out in the past few weeks; and, if the Stow
Heath engine of Mr. W. Sparrow should be
'stopped, as is threatened, for a month, not all
the combined pumping power of the district
would liberate the water in a year. Of this DO
one questioned the accuracy, yet this afternoon
scarcely one-half of the money required was
promised. The daily bread of many thousand
people is this moment in great jeopardy in South
Staffordshire.

Operations are bein,f, greatly contracted now
in all departments'of the local iron trade. Some
of the makers of sheets and favourite brands of
boiler-plates continue to find steady employment
but there is very little doing in general merchant '
iron, and a large number of firms are either man-
ufacturing for stock or suspending work alto-
gether. Prices are substantially unaltered, but
the tendency both of raw aud finished iron is in
a downward direction. Marked bars are steady
on the standard of £lO., but unmarked iron may
be hail now at a fraction unth:r £B. Sheets (An-
gles) range from £ll. to £13., according to qua!-
0,. Rates are upheld more by the scarcity and
firmness of coal than by any other circumstance
the flooding of mines, more especially in the Bil-
stou and Tipton districts, causing a very-serious
reduction of the output. Owing to this circum-
stance, and ths utter inadequacy of the railway
facilities for bringing from outlying fields, some
of the coalowners in the districts affected have re
solved to advance their quotations for the pre-
sent is. per ton; but the movement is by no means
general, and in some localities, where the de-
mand is not so active or the output has not been
interrupted, prices are slightly easier. Much
disappointment is expressed by the Warwickshire
mineowners at the award of Mr. Serejant Wheeler
fixing the reduction of miners' wages at 10 per
cent., instead of 26 per cent., as claimed by the
employers, but no practical opposition is likely
to be offered to it, either by masters or men.
The pig market continues to be adversely affec-
ted by underselling from other districts, which
tells more especially upon the makers of common
or cinder pig. The latter may be quoted at about
£3., but for foi ward delivery the rates are rather
easier. The better descriptions of pig are firm
at £4 10s. to £4 15s. for hot-blast, and £6. for
the best cold. Preparations are in progress for
still further reducing the local production of
•
pig.

vehicle, and were certainly in a much better posi-
tion to see what what was happening than the wit-
nesses who were in the opposite direction. They
saw where Mr. Crewe fell and where Mrs. Crewe
fell, which none of. the witnesses on the other side
had done. If Mr. Crewe was in the wrong as they
said, what made him start after the other man and
ask him what his name was. Mr. Crewe was evi-
dently under the impression that he was in the
right. He (Mr. Warmington) thought the evidence
given by his client had not been rebutted, and he,
therefore, claimed the verdict.
His Honour, in summing up, said he had no
manner of doubt in this ease. The evidence of
the plaintiff appeared not only thoroughly cons-
tent in itself, but it was consistent with all the
evidence given on his behalf. He could not say
the same of the evidence on the other side. The
evidence of the witnesses for the defence was very
contradictory of that given by each other, and
most of them gave evidence which was very con-
tradictory to that of Mr. Hewitt, who was trying
to give truthful evidence, but circumstances pre-
vented him from knoN%ing much about the matter.
The evidence about Mr. Crewe going about saying
"Am I drunk," was simply absurd, and he should
give a verdict for plaintiff for ..£lO, with costs.

MESMERIC ENTERTAINMENTS. - The celebrsted
mesmerist, Miss de Montford, has held three
seances in the Corn Exchange in this town, and
three others at the Public Hall, Brierley Hill,
during the past week. The audiences were very
good, considering the exceedingly severe weather
by which moat pleasure seekers have been "snow
bound" during the past week. Rarely has there
been witnessed such exhibitions of mesmeric power
_ _

as that displayed by this gifted lady. Out of 20
different individuals who went on the platform on
Tuesday evening, at Stourbridge, 16 were found to
be entirely under her control, and were made to
form an impromptu band of negro minstrels—
playing on imaginary banjos, fiddles, tambourine,
bones, &c., and dancing, singing, or performing
grotesque antics at the will of the operator. Others
were compelled to walk imaginary tight ropes, de-
prived of the power of speech and memory, and
set to work at their respective trader. These, and '
a host of other performances, alternately excited
the wonder and mirth of those present. The
climax was reached, when 11,,..ving made a dozen of
them fancy they were on board a ship, she raised
an imaginary storm, and they flung themselves
headlong overboard (or rather off the stage on to
the floor of the hall) and commenced to swim with
the energy and desperation of drowning men.
Never have we seen an audience so moved, as they
rose .en masse, and those behind pressed to the
front of the stage to witness this strange spectacle.
Suffice it to say that the entertainment throughout
was an exceedingly interesting one, and we are
confident that the most sceptical as to the power
of Mesmerism would have their doubts on this

head retroved, if they were but to witness an exhi-
bition of Miss deMoutford's skill in this particular

science.

Cnusen DECORATIONS.—The season is fast ap-
proaching when fair fingers will be busy making,
and their owners' brains engrossed in devising, the
most suitable decorations wherewith to beautify
our churches at the approaching festive season of
Christmas. Church decoration has become much
more elaborate of late years, as the public mind
has become more and more initiated in the myste-
ries of the "sublime and beautiful," and in addi•
tion to the ivy, laurel, and holly, which used to
form ;*.nearly the whole of the ornamentation, we
have now splendidly illuminated scrolls, banners,
bannerets, &c., with suitable mottos, giving a
warmth of tone and brightness of appearance to
our churches which they never possessed before.
Such of our readers as are engaged in the above
work, cannot do better than visit the establishment
of Mr. Archer Clarke in this town, where they will
find all the aforesaid articles in the greatest variety,
and at the most reasonable prices. As an instance,
a lengthy scroll was shewn to us, suitable for a
reredos, bearing an appropriate motto, in gilt
Gothic characters, on a red ground, the price of
which was only 7s 6d. All the other articles were
equally cheap in.proportion, so that there need be
no lack of church decorationin this neigbourhood
during the approaching Christmas. We also no-
ticed some exceedingly pretty Christmas cards, of
an entirely new pattern, which will doubtless be
largely circulated during the ensuing season. Alto-
gether, a visit to this establishment will well repay
the trouble of those who are about to purchase
any of the above articles.
THE GAS COMPANY.—An extraordinary meeting
of the shareholders of the Stourbridge Gas Com-
pany was held on Tuesday, to receive a report
from the directors as to a contract for the erection
of a new gasholder, and to confer on the directors
a special authority in relation thereto. The pro-
ceedings of the meeting were private. The new
gasholder referred to in the notice of the meeting
is intended to increase the gas supply of the
neighbourhood, and it is of very large capacity.
Last winter, it may be remembered, the gas
supply ran very short for a time owing to the
breakage of one of the holders by the heavy weight
of snow upon it.
PROFESSOR MORLEY'S LECTURES. Professor
Morley gave is concluding lecture, "On the
Literature of the Nineteeth Century," in Union
Hall, on Saturday evening. In the first part of
his addresses he glanced back at the principal
points brought out in his previous lectures, showing
the influences which wrought in the typical
writes of the age, and especially referring to Words-
worth, whose poetry, he said, harmonised with our
work in these times, and encouraged us to do it.
Ho would.have a place in English literature beside
our four greatest poets. Chaucer, Spencer, Shakes-
spear, and Milton were the four great poets of
England, and.Wordaworth was the fifth. Posterity
would undoubtedly place him as the great poet of
the nineteenth century, as Milton was of the
s3venteenth century. The poets of the second
half of our century maintained the same principle
which Wordsworth did of the development of the
individual: and the poets were but typical of the
other writers. Professor Morley resumed the ex-
amination of" In Memoriam," which he began at
the previous lecture and after noticing Robert
Browning's as well as Tennyson's fidelity to the
thoeght of the time, referred briefly to the works
and purpose of Dickens, Thackerary, and George
Eliot, and clinchedhis subject with some apposite
remarks on the ideal which representative writers
have had before them of" the coming race of man.
CHAWNHILL Cuunen.—We beg to remind our
readers that the first of a series of opening ser-
vices will be held at this church, on Sunday next.
Sermons will be preached on the occasion by the
Rev. J. Richards, and the Rev. J. Dorricott. We
hope there will be a good attendance of friends to
show their appreciation of the truly evangelical
work which has been carried on in this neighbour-
hood. -
CONCERT.— Mr. S. Simm's will give a concert in
the Corn Exchange, on Monday evening next.
We feel confident that from the array of talent
provided, together with the general prestige which
attends the concerts given by the above-named
gentleman, that there will be a large attendance
on the occasion.
THEATRICAL LICENSE. —At the Public Office
yesterday, there was a special Sessions for the
purpose of hearing an application for Mr. Patch for
a license to perform stage plays. The magistrates
present were Col. Fletcher, C. P. Noel, J. Holcroft,
R. L. Freer and J. B. Cochrane. Mr. Patch made
an application for :a license for several months,
which was granted. Messrs. J. Edwards and G.
North were the bondsmen.
EXTENSION OF TIME.—Mr. Perry made an
application for an extension of an hour to licensed
Victuallers' during the Christmas holidays 24th
25th 27th 28th and 31st. The application was
granted on the usual terms to all person who have
not been convicted during the year.
A ROW BETWEEN CHURCHWARDENS

Yes.
Witness continuing his evidence: I believe I
heard the collision take place, but did not see it.
I ran up and saw Mr. Crewe with his hat off and a
whip in his hand, shouting he was not drunk. I
told him I thought he was fresh.
Cross-examined by Mr. Warmington: I did not
not see the collision.
By the Judge: Mr. Crewe kept saying, "I am
not drunk, drunk." He said this a good many
times.
Thomas ilewitt said: I keep a dairy shop in
Stourbridge. On the 6th of October last I was
taking milk to Oldswinfoxd. I pulled up on the
other side of tae road, and at that time met Mr.
Platt's man. ..a.s I pulled up he was coining down.
He was on sPi right side of the road. He was
about half a yard or a yard from the footpath. He
was going at -a
speed of certainly not more than
four miles an hour. I saw a carriage coming up
the road from Stourbridge. When I first saw it,
the carriage was about 30 or 40 yards before me.
It was going at a speed of ten miles an hour. It
was more on its wrong side of the road than Mr.
Platt's cart was. I saw that a collision was inevi-
table unless Mr. Crewe's carriage was pulled up.
When he got nearer to me I saw him trying to pull
up his horse, but he had not sufficient control over
him. That was just before the collision. I saw
the collision happen. At the time the collision
happened, Mr. Platt's man was on his proper side
of the road. Mr. Crewe's carriage was not on its
right side, or rather it had got too much of the
road. There was plenty of room on the other side
of Mr. Crewe's, for another carriage. Mr. Platt's
vehicle had passed, but Mr. Crewe's had not. I
was not more than ten yards' distant from Mr.
Crewe's vehicle at the moment of collision. I
stood by my horse's head before the collision so as
to be prepared for anything that might happen.
By the Judge: Crewe's carriage was behind me'
coming the same way. Platt's was before me. and
I stood at my' horse's head because I did not know
what might happen.
The Judge: Can you explain how, if you are
right, and Mr. Crewe's carriage was rather on its
wrong side than in the middle of the road, how
was it that Mrs. Crewe fell more on the kerb than
in the middle of the road?
Witness: She did not fall on the kerb-stone more
than in the middle of the road.
By Mr. Warmington: Where she fell was five
or six yards from the kerb. I cannot tell the width
of the road.
The Judge: You may take it from me. Twenty-
nine feet.
Cross-examination continued: It would be
about half that distance. Mrs. Crewe fell behind
my vehicle. I was statiding by my horse's head.
I was standing by the side of the road. I was on
the side of the horse nearest the road. I cannot
say on which side of the carriage Mrs. Crewe was
sitting. I did not see her sitting in the vehicle. I
know Mr. Crewe now. He saw me in company-
with Mr. Moore. I did not tell those two gentle-
men that Mr. Crewe was on his right side.
The Judge: What did you tell those two gentle-
men?—Witness : I told them that Mr. Crewe was
in the wrong, and that be had better make it up.
By Mr. Warmington: I said to those gentlemen
that Mr. Crewe had not got up to my cart. I do
not remember saying that, but I cannot tell exactly
what I said. I don't remember the question of
Crewe being on his right side being approached at
all.
The Judge; Think a moment, Mr. Hewitt; what
did they come for P—Witness : They asked me if
that was Platt's man.
The Judge: You have said that you keep a dairy
shop, are you in a large way of business as a milk
dealer ?—Witness: Yes.
The Judge: Do you supply Mr. Platt with milk ?
—Witness: No, I never spoke to him in my life
that I am aware of.
Cross-examination continued: I did not leave George William Prescott, was summoned
m
horse's head. As soon as I heard that Mrs. Crewe
3'
by Charles King, one of the Churchwardens at
was all right, I got into my trap and went off. I Oldswinford, for that he did on the sth December,
do not know whether Crewe was thrown out or behave in a riotous, violent, and indecent manner.
not. Mr. Perry, appeared for complainazt.
Be-examined by Mr. Perry: On the occasion of Mr. Prescott defended himself.
the interview with Mr. Crewe and Mr. Moore, the Mr. Perry in opening, said the summons was
former said to me, "Mr. Hewitt, did you see that taken out under the 23 and 24 Vic. c. 24, Sec. 2-
man run into me last night?' I said, "No, if you The complainant and. defendantare the two church-
are the gentleman who was driving the other trap, wardens at Oldswinford, and defendants conduct
I saw you run into him, was of a very disgraceful kind. He should call a
Mr. Warmington then replied to the case, as it number of witnesses to prove the case.
had been stated in the evidence for defendant, and Complainant said lam one of the churchwardens
said that the witnesses for Mr. Platt had given so at Oldswinford church. Mr. Prescott is the other
many varied accounts that they were not to be be- chnrchwarden. On Sunday last there had been,
lieved. All the witnesses previous to Mr. Hewitt offeratory. After the communion Mr. Prescottil
had stated that Mr. Crewe's vehicle had passed Mr. asked how the money was to be divided. I tat,
Hewitt's cart, and he (the speaker) thought it was him it was not going to be divided, but to go tos.
important to his zase to prove that that likad not the Rectory. Complainant reads letter he had re-
taken place Now, Mr. Hewitt had distinctly ceived from the Bishop, to the effect that the
sworn that Mr. Crewe's cart did not pass it. The money was to be given to the rector, or incum-
other •witnssses gave a garbled version of the affair bent. On telling the defendant that the money
which seemed to be nothing more than the version should 'os3 to the rectory he said it should not, and
of those who had not seen it; Hewitt said he was snatched at it, and took as much money as he
standing holding his horse's head. If he was doing could. I told him he had not paid over the money
that what hesaw was not evidence that could be he had collected the previous Sunday. He said he
relied upon, as against that of Mr. and Mrs. Crewe. had. I asked him for his receipt. He did not
They both said they were thrown out by their produce it, On telling him he had the money, he
vehicle running against the kerb-stone. Hewitt said "you are a liar." This was in the vestry.
was not in such a position as to see, as his own When out of the church, he said "you are the big-
vehicle
that w
lie as s between
persontw een them.who wHe
would
dd d
comenoth
twish
there
to n
o a say est blackguard in the parish, and everybody knows
d
it." He then said "you are a young stuck-up,
state what he did not believe was the truth, but it kiss my--fool." He then called me a
was a hard thing to say where a thing in motion fellow. I asked him if he knew he was in the
was; and his own evidence repudiated the evi- house of God. Defendant then made use of more
deuce of the other witnesses for the defence, who abusive language and went away muttering.
were in the opposite direction. The witnesses for Cross-examined: lam churchwarden, aud you
the plaintiff, on the other hand,
.would have Mr. are the other. Mr. G. Harward were nominated
Hewitt's vehicle before them, and Mr. Platt's but refused to stand. I did threaten to have you