The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-01 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE 013SERVElt.

recess employed in maturing legislation, the
new uovernment mly be expected to attack
some of the larger and morekeenly-dispnted
questions which await settlent .at their
hands.

THE IRON TRADE.
WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

The attendance on 'Change this afternoon
was small and trade was flat, great difficulty
being experienced in getting specifications
from those who had t'
bought beforehand.
Orders, too, generally were scarce, though
there were some good inquiries for gas tube,
strip, hoops, and stamping sheets. With
regard to unmarked bars scarcely anything
was done. The best tin-plate makers are
busy, and nail rod firms are rather better
employed than they have been for the last
month or so. Prices, however, are on the
whole weak, except those of the best houses.
Common galvanisers' sheets were done to-
day at -210, and some sales of boiler plates,
though at present only being turned out in
small quantite3, are in considerably more
demand, and makers are expecting a great
influx of orders later on in the quarter—an
expectation which is based upon the fact
that there is a large number of contracts for
railway and other bridge work in the market,
and in the construction of this work
enormous quantities of girder plates will be
required. For pig iron there was a remark-
ably slow sale, and the prices of most classes
of this metal were tending downwards.
Smelters of best pigs would scarcely listen
to any negotiations for business, as they are
not disposed to take less money for their
productions, though consumers intimate that
all transactions to be entered into during
the next few weeks must be at lower rates.
Part mine could be obtained to-day at £2
15s. per ton, and cinder pig was sold at 425.
6d. In Cleveland iron the only sales re-
corded were those of foundry metal. For
West Coast brands quotations were weaker
than last Wednesday. Thick coal was in
very fair demand for manufacturing pur-
poses. Cokes were in steady inquiry, at the
rates that ruled for the last few weeks. For
domestic fuel there was a remarkable
absence of anything like an average number
of orders

Church l!ni no proper right (,f road—that was n
carPin.7e road—to the church. He believed th.
church vaidens wi-re prepared to pr)ye that they
had a rig,it of r ad, and they had brought a dr_ttt of
th,_. deed with that object.
The Chaieman : Have you thi4 paper ?
Mr. White : Yes.

The ocpy of the deed was shown to the chain-Ilan
and after the clause rAating to the right of road
had been read, it was d cid d that the matter he
referred to a commit:lee for thin to consider what
steps it Was de,itable :o tako.
REPORT OF THE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.

ROAD NEAR Sr. JOHN'S CH RCH —l-OUr com-
mittee hiving consider,d th subject referred to in
the two memorials to the Commissioners in reference
to a new road out of Foster Street by the east end
of St. John's church, into the road in Church st
also the necessity of a footway, along the ner-h
side of the c!airch road, the Board to appoint a
special committee to consider the whole question,
with power to c,nfer with the churdiwardens of
St. John's church if necessary, als that the con-
tinuation of the foetwdy from Misses :),Toorehouse's
entrance to the top of Churdi Street, be referred to
the same committee. You committee advise that
the drainage of the road leading from Haabury
Hill be constructed, and the loadway in that
vicinity repaired.
RATES. —Toe Clerk was requested to Janke out an
estimate for the ensuing sir 'unnths.
There wes no other buiiness of importance.

AItELECOTE CHURCH.—A bazaar to aid the
endowment fund of Holy Trinity Church, Amble-
cote, was opened on Monday al. ernoon, in the Corn
Exchange. The original endowment of the church
was only :no. a year, but recently a sum of £BOO.
having been raised for increasing the amount the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners met it with a gran',
and this has made the annual value £53. Os Bd.
more.. The income from other sources—viz., offer-
tory in lieu of pew rents—is £7O. a year. It has
been determined to try and raise the endowment
itself {now £153. Cs. Bd.) to £2OO. a year, A sum
of £7OO. will be required for this purpose, and the
bazaar was organised with the view of securing a
substantial pqrt of that sum. The bazaar contained
seven stall, six of which were devoted t, the sale
of V'm usual description cl ornamental and fancy
articips, whilst the 6eventh was for the supply of
refreshments. Mrs Eaga.r to:,k care of the latter,
whilst the following lades presided at the others:
Mrs. J. S. Bolder°, Miss Hi..ks, Miss. Birch, Miss
Steel, Mrs. FirmstOne, MN Hudson, the Misses
Aston, Mrs. Ridley, Mrs. J. WEbb, and Mrs.
Hodgetts. A band was engaged, and selections of
music were per formed at frequent intervals.
DEATH FROM CHLOROFORM.—It has bean reported
to the police that .INls. Elizabeth Pearce, of High
Street, Wol!aston, died on Thursday from the tff.cts
of an operation for the removal of cancer. Chloro •
form had becn administered to the deceased before
tile operation, which was conducted by three medi-
cal men. The deceased was 37 years of age. In-
formation has been forwarded to the coroner.

_ _
DRUNKEN/4 F es.—At the Police Court, yesterday,
before Col. Fletcher, Thomas Southall, mioer of the
Lye was charged with being drunk in the highway,
at the Lye, on the 26th ult. Defendant was fined
2s Gd and costs; default 7 days.—Thomas Knowles,
miner, of the Lye, was fined 2 6d and costs for ii
similar offen2e on the 26th ult.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—Patrick Gibbons was
charged with being drunk and disorderly in the
hi.ihway on the 29th ult. Police-constable
Williams said he saw the defendant in Birmirg-
barn Street, Stourbridge, drunk and making use of
bad language. Superintendent Wheeler said about
half-an hour previous to his being locked-up he had
received complaints about him and he sent a police-
man do An. Defendant was fined 55 and costs.
OBSTRUCTION.—Richard Walters was ordered to
pay 7s Gd the costs, for allowing a wheelbarrow to
eand on the highway and causing an obstruction
on the 25th March. Police-constable Madeley
proved the case.
CHAnon UNDER THE MINES ACT. George H.
Timmis, of Hill's Field Colliery, Stourbridge, was
summoned by James P. Baker, that he, on the 2nd
of October last,,at the township of the Lye, being
the owner of a certain colliery ealled the Hill's
F eld Clay Mine, did neglect to observe the 20th
section of the Mines Regulation Act, 1872, which
enacts that the owner, agent, ;or manager of a mine,
shall not employ any per,on in such mine or permit
any person to be in such mine for the purpose of
employment therein, unless there is at each of the
shafts or outlets, or upon the works belonging to
the mine, and either in actual use or available foe
use within a reasonable time, prop r apparatus for
raising and lowering persons at each such shaft or
outlet There being only one magistrate present
the case was adjourned until the 13th May...

STEALING PIZIEOFS - John James, pnEler, of
Oldswinford, was chargediwith stealing four pigeons
the property of ahomas Holloway. Pro,ecu,or,
who is a ehainniaker, residing at Pedmore, sail
that on the 29th ult, he b-ft home about two
o'clock ia the afterno in. He keptpigeons in a pen
in the brewhouse and he he had about twelve. He
returned about five o'clock and missed four pigeons.
He identified the pigeons produced as his property.
Charles Millsf of Birminghatia Street, said he pur-
chased a pigeon from the prisoner on the day in
question and handed it to Police-constable Eaves.
Yolic.e-constable Eaves proved that he received the
pigeon from last wi ness and from informatio nre'l
ceived he apprehended the prisoner. He searched
prisoner's nailshop and found the two pigeons pro-
duced. A previous conviction was proved against
prisoner and he was committed for trial at the next
Sessions.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—Tht weekly meeting
of this Board was held yesterday. Mr. Itly-
bould in the chair. There were present Messrs.
H. Billingham, Wood, R. Guest, Lavender,
Gile3, Hale, Kelly, J. Billingham, Haskew,
Mills, Pargeter, Robertson, Cookson, Taylor,
Parks, Langford and Forrest. Adinitted into
the house during the week 14 ; discharged 24 ;
born 3 ; remaining in the house 496. Corres-
ponding period last year 467. Out-door relief,
Kingswinford district £25 12s, sd; Stourbridge
district .225 12s 5d ; Halesowen district, £l7
17s. 10d; non-resident 4s. Total £76 13s 8d
against £2l 7s Bd.

the defendant came before the Court for assaulting
It's wife a ju licial seearatiort would be granted.
MEETING or ITONWORKERS.—On Moeday, at the
Alma Inn, B ierley ::111, a me ting of ironwo ker,
was held. Mr. Rowley presided. It was shown
that the w)iole of the immediate districts ate re-
presented. The meeting decided not to adm4 re •
porters, and then proc, OA to it range the rules of
the prop ,sed new as“,ciatien of ironworkers, and,
havieg don- so, unanimously agreed to accept and
adhere to them.
Tare ADULTERATION ACT.—At the Polce Court,
on l'hursday, before Halea Corser, Esq., Depu-y
Stipeediary, Mr. J. G. Hot tier, the inspector under
the A,luiteratien Act, appeared t prose,eute in
several csses of alleged infringement of the Act.
Alexander Morgan, grocer, Brettell Lane, was sum-
moned for:selling coffee which was not of the nature
and quaiity demanded by the purchaser. Henry
Constable, an assistant. to Mr. Herder, at :ted that
on the 4th of March he went iato defendants's shop
and asked for two ounces of coffee, which was sup-
plied him him by a little girl, and for which he paid 10,
afterwards telling the girl that he had b dight it for
the purpose of having it analysed. By Mr. Curse • :
The eirl handed the article without saying anything
but after he told her that he wanted it for the pur-
pose of analysis, she said it was a mixture of chicory
and coffee. The article wis afterwar ls*.diviled into
three parts, one of which was submi tel to Mr.
Jones, county analyst. Mr. Herder said ,lett the
certificate of Mr. Jones stated that the ttrticle con-
tamed 69 per cent of chicory. Defendant's wife
produced some wrappers on which were printed the
words, "this article is a mixture of coffee and
chicory," and said these were ths labels used fa.
wrapping up the mixture, but on the day in question
a little gis I ran into the shop to serve Constable and
inadvertently used plain paper. Mr. Corser said he
believed defendant'e wife did not intend to deceiv •
the customers, and that had she been present at th
sale would have sold the coffee in the wrappers pro-
duced. But it was not quits enough. Shopkeepers
had a perfect right to sell this mixtere, but they
must make their customers thoroughly well ac-
quainted, before purchasing, with what they were
buying. It wss no defence for a shopkeepers to
come into Court and say he did not know what the
article was when he bought it ; the Court of Queen's
Bench had held that they mus 7, knew what it is and
tell their customers as well. He must, therefore,
impose a small tine, beeouse the Act lad been broken.
Defsndaut was fined 53 iota cost.—Yames Andrew',
grocer, Stour Hill, Quarry -Bank, was summoned
for s,lling adulterated butter. Toy, an assistaut
tI the inspector, said on the 4th March he entered
defendant's shop, and asked for of butter, at the
same time pointing to some on the counter. He
paid 9d for the article, which defendant's wife
served him with wrapped up in paper. Mr. _Homier
said the analysis of ill article showed that it only
contained traces of but:or fat. Defendant's wife
said Toy first asked for coffee, then for oattneal, and
afterwards for butter. She told him before he pur-
chased it that it was butterine and sold it as such.
Genuine butter could not be sold at 18 per pound.
Mr. Curser : I wonder people have not found that
out. Emma Mason was called, and said defendant's
wife told Toy before he purchaeed the article that it
was not genuine butter. but Constable, who was
called to corroborate Toy, said this was not said un-
til the article had been paid for. The Deputy Sti-
pendiary said he believed it to be a good thing for
the people that shopkeepers could sell the article in
question, but the law said they must tell tbe pur-
chaser whit it was before selling it. He should in-
fleet a nominal fine of 5s and costs.—Elizabeth
Jones, gracer, Fenton-street, Brierley Hill, wa4 sun-
incited for selling adulterated cuffee. This case was
similar to the first, the assistant Constable, who
asked for two ounces of coffee, being served by the
defendant's daughter with two ounces of a mixture
(which was afterwards found to contain 60 per ceut.
of chicory) without being told that it was a mixttre.
Defendant was fined 5s and costs —Emma Williams,
grocer, High-street, Brierley Hill, was al-o sum-
moned for selling coffee not of the nature and quality
demanded by the purchaser. Mr. Clulow appeared
for the defendant. Constable, the assistant, stated
that he entered defendant's shop on the 4th of Maich
and asked for 2oz of coffee. Defendant reached
down a cannister, labelled "Symington's patent.
'coffee," and supplied him wi;li the quantity a.ked
for. In cross-examination, the witness would not
admit that he knew Symington' s patent coffee con-
tained chicory. He remembered the case of `,Horder
v. Eeddings" being heard. Mr. Herder add the
analyst's certificate stated that the article purchased
by Constable contained 68 per cent of chicory. Mr.
Clulow, for the defence, argued that the cannistes
being labelled the article was not sold to the preju-
dice of the purchaser, as the Act of P irliament
stated it must be to constitue an offence. In the
,urse of some argument Mr. Corser mentiensd a
case which had recently been referred b ick from the
the Court of Queen's Bench for him to decide, and
in which, although the article was sold as patent
coffee, it was found to contain 85 per cent of chic iry.
This being so, notwithstanding that the arid s
were patented, the Court of Queen's Bench had it,-
sitnated that where there was such a large propor-
tion of chicory the magstrate ought to find that the
sale of it as coffee was fraudulent. If, however, in
the present case Constable had been a bona -tide par
chaser, buying the coffee for his own consumptien,
he had plenty of opportunity of refusing to take
the article, and of saying that lie did net want
Symington s coffee. It' anyone bought a patented
artide, took a certificate to that effect, and th
sold the article accordingly, they were held per-
fectly harmless, therefore there was ev.ry proviiion
given to people to defend themselves. In rep'y to
Mr. Clulow, the Deputy-Stipendiary said he must
hold that an adulteration of 68 per cent, of chicory
in the article was according to the Queen's Bench
fraudulent. Defendaat having sworn that she sold
the articles in the same state as she purchased it, the
Deputy-Stipendiary said there was no moral wrong
so tar as the defendants were concerned in any of
the cases. In the present case he considered that
the mixture was fraudulent, and he should impose a
nominal fine of 5s and costs.
STEALING BOOTS—Mary Ann Harris, a respect-
able looking young woman, was brought up on a
charge of stealing a patrol boots the property or
Emma Wainwright, of Birmingham, on the 27th ult.
Peosecutrix, who resides et Birmingham, said that
she kept a stall in Brierley Bill Market Hall, and
sold drapery and shoes. On the day in ques-
tion at about mid-day she sas prisoner standing by
her stall. Whilst she was wsiting on two people,
she heard a woman say " Mrs. ainwrigle, that
woman's just put a pair of bows in her basket ".
She then weut up to prisoner, and took the boots
out ef her basket and they were the same as pro-
duced. Sarah Baker, of Dudley Street, Brierley
Hill, said she occupied a stall in the Market Hall,
which was opposite the prosecutrix's stall and on
the day in question she saw the prisoner pick up a
pair of boots, and put them in her basket. Police-
constable Hollings, proved arresting prisoner. Pro:e
cutrix, asked his Honour to deal as leniently wi h
prisoner as he possibly could. His Honour said
that owing to the previous good character of
prisoner, he should deal leniently with her, and
was very glad that he could, under the new act,
inflict a fine, ins.ead of s,nding her to prison. He
should fine her los. and costs, and he hoped it
would be a caution to her
IDLE VA.GABONDS.—George Block and Robert
Swaine were Mought up on a charge of absconding
from the Workhouse: Joseph Hicklin, officer of the
Union, said that the defendant Bluck went into
the Union on the 21st ult. and absconded on the
22nd ult. and refused to do the work provided for
him. Swain° went into the Union on the 19th ult.
and absconded on the 20th ult. and he also refused
to do the work put for him to do. Bluck was seur
tenced to 14 days imprisonment with hard labour.
Swaine who has lately gone under a months puash-
ment for a similar offence was sentenced to one
month's hard labour. -

PITCH AND Toss.—James Abbott, a boy, was
charged with playing at" pitch and toss" in the
highway on the 16th ult. Police-sergeant Smit'a,
pioved seeing the defendant with two other toys
committing the offeace
.coniplained of. Defendant
was sent to prison for one month, with hard
labour.

SCHOOL BOARD PROSEC unoNs .---T ho alas Talbot,
of Rose Hill, Quarry Bank, Benjamin Payne, of
Wallows Street, Round Oak, and Charles Eweris, of
Sun Street, Brockinoore, IA ere lined 2s. k:ntl 6d. each
for neglecting to smd their children to school.