The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-05 00:00:00

BROMSGROVE.

ODDFELLOWS' DINNER.—A dinner in connection
with t !e) Pride of the Town Lodge of the National
Indepudent Order of Oddfeßows was held on.
Monday eveaing at the Coach and Horses Hotel,
lltr, B. H. Saunders presided, and Mr, A. Daven-
port oecnpied the vice chair.—After the usual loyal
toasts had been honoured the Chairman presented
De. Wood, D. Elliott, Dr. Underhill (medical officers
of the lodge) and Mr. R. H. Duffill (who has be, n
sertary to the lo,ige for a period of twelve years)
with the emblems a the Order handsomely framed.
—The secretary stated that the lodge was formed
in the year 1880. The total number of members at
I ito end of last year was 282, whose average age
was 31 years. Since the formation of the lodge
£1,531 15s 7d, had been spent in sick pay. A be-
nevolent fund wAs started in 1883, and 62 bretheren
had been relieved at a cost of £3l us 61 Du ing
the last five years the lodge had contributed £26 53
to hospitals. The cash worth of the socie y had
risen from .4,248 Os 10d in 1880 to £1,392 8s lid
in 1886.—The Chairman, in propesing the toast of
the evening, "Success to the Loge," spoke highly
of the benefits accruing from such societies when as
well managed as the society to which this lodge be-
longed was managed. He also took occasion to
deprecate lavish and unnecesary expenses on
funerals,

A PRACTICAL JOKE.--. At the Petty Sessions on
Tuesday, before Messrs. R. Smallwood, and W.
Green, a man named Walter Kimberley was charge)
with assaulting Francis John Banner, of Catshill.
Mr. Emery Davis appeared for the defence. The
complainant stated that on the night of the 22nd
ult, he was returning home about a quarter past
eleven o'clock, when he met the defendant, whi
wishel him "Good night." Ile made iio response,
and was walking on, when the defendant crossA
the road, and without any provoc-tti>n commenced
to beat him. He remonstrated, but defendant con-
tinued etriking him on the face and head, and he
lost a good deal of bloA. Complainant denied that
he had of late been amusing himself by “acting the
policeman." He had known the defendant all his
life, and could assign no reason for his ill.treatin4
him. The defence was that it was "all a practical
joke, and that the defendant got the worst end of
the stick." Several witnesses for the defence were
called, but the magistrates eventually inflicted a
fine of lOs and 13s costs. Thomas Tillesley was
then charged with assaulting Banner at the same
time and place. Mr. Davis appeared for the de-
fence in this'case also. Tillesley was ordered to
pay 238 including costs.
STEALING PIGEGT47B.—At the same Sessions two
youths, named John Greenway and Frank Hunt,
were charged with stealing pigeons, the property of
Mr. Richard Beach, landiord of tho Swan Inn,
Upton Warren. The prisoners were arrested by
P.C. Workman, and they admitted their guilt.
They were sentenced to one month's hard labour
each.
DEATH FROM SCALDS.—On Wednesday night Mr.
E. Docker, Deputy Coroner, held an inquest at the
New Inn, Brownheath, on the body of a child, two
years old, named Ernest Fisher. On Saturday last,
while the child was on the hearth in front of the
fire, its sister accidentally upset a teapot which was
on the firegrate, and the child was so badly scalded
that it died on Tuesday morning. A verdict of
"Accidental death" was returned.

Anmcarn IJIGAMY.—At the Police Court, on Thurs-
day, beror tr, R. Smallwood, a painter named
Charles limy Whalley (31), was charged with
bigamy,--Prisoner was married at Leominster. on
the 17th May, 1880, to Elizabeth Ann Hughes. He
was at the time of his marriage living at 27, Bridge
Street, Leominster. He deserted his wife, it was
all.ged, at Ross at the 1 eginning of 1885, and came
to Bromsgrove, where he married Catherine Delves
at All Saints' Church on the 20th September of that
year.---The prisoner was remanded until Tuesday
next,