The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-17 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HIL

HEAVY FINE FOR ASSAULTING A POLICE OFrICER,
—At the Police Court, on Monday, - before G K.
Harrison and L. Freer, Esqs, John Burgess, chain-
maker, Cra,dley Heath, was sharged with- being
drunk and disorderly, and he was further charged
with having assaulted Police-constable Sylvester.--
On the 10th inst., Police-,constable Sylvester found
the defendant in a state of drunkenness and using
bid language: Upon being remonstrated with by
the officer defendant, struck him on the chest, and
told him that he •did not care for twenty policemen.
Sylvester struggled with defendant for the 'purpose
of handcuffing him, when he said 'he would go
quietly.- He was allowed to get up anJ then struck
the officer again, and in the course of a truggl e
kicked him on the elbow and. on the' side,. and
. ultimately got away. . He was afterwards :caught,
and again behaved with great violence towards the
officers.—Defendant now pleaded guilty, and offered
to-become a total abstainer.—As he had numerous
previous convictions recorded against him the 'magi-
strates inflicted a fine of £l. and costs for being
drunk, with the alternative of one month's imprison-
ment, and for the assault on the officer he was fined
.5, or two month's imprisonment, in default.
THEFT OF A BRASS ORNAMENT.—James Collins
horse keeper,
.was charged with stealing a double
brc ss, of the value of 2s. from a horse's bridle,
belonging to John Lowe, of Enville.—Prisoner, who
pleaded guilty, stole the. brass on the . 7th instant
out of a stable, and when arrested by Police-con-
stable Marshall, asked if the matter Could not be
madeup.—The Bench tined him £l, including
costs.
STEALING PioEoNs.--.--Thomas Powell and John
Woodhall, two boys of. -Brockmoor, were charged
with stealing two pigeons.on the 7th of July, and
two more pigeons on the 9th July, the property of
James Smith, labourer,
•Brockmoor.— Prisoners
were seen on the 9th inst, to go into a hovel where
prosPcutor's pigeons were kept. and stole two of
them. Prosecutor caught the lad, and they then
admitted having stolen two birds on the 7th ins
also.—Prisoners were each fined ss. in each of the
two cases.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.—Ou Monday
afternoon a large demonstration of Sunday school
scholars, gathered from the various Nonconformist
Sunday schools in this town and district, was held
The rendezvous for assembling was the enclosed
plot of ground in front of the Earl of Dudley's
offices at Round Oak. At this spot the scholars,
numbering between 3,501 and 4,000, were mar-
shalled by their teachers and others, and shortly
after two o'elock, a hymn having been sung, the
procession started for Chapel-hill, headed ny the
Brierley llill and the Shut End Brass Bands
.bringing up the rear. A large concourse of people
lined the route of the procession, which was about
a, mile In length, and presented an impoaing
apped.ra,nee. •:Each school was preced.d by a ban-
ner denoting the denomination, Scc., to which it be-
longed, and the centenary medals were worn by
nearly all present. The processionreachingaft3r reaching
Chapel-hill, proceeded to some fields in the neigh:
bourhood of Level-street, where the scholars were
supplied with tea, and provided with various games
and amusements. The following is a list of the
Sunday schools which took part in the demonstra,e-
lon :—Primitive Methodist, Rouad Oak; Baptist,
Smith-street, Brierley Hill; Primitive Methodist,
Hart's Hill; Mount Pleasant, Wesleyan; Bromley,
Wesleyan ; Bethel, Metaodist New Connexion,
Hart's Hill; Primitive Methodist, Brettell Dane;
Congregational, Brierley Hill; Methodi,t New Con-
nexion, Mount pleasant, Wesleyan Methodist,
Brockmoor ; Primitive Methodist, Rock's Hill •
Primitive Methodist, Moor Lane ; Wesleyan Sunday
and Ragged School, Brierley Hill,
DRUNK AT TIIE POLICE STATION.—At the PolicJ
Court, on Thursday, before W. F. F. 13aughey,
Esq., Stipendiary Magistrate, David Cartwright
collier, Amhlecote, was charged with being drunk
and disorderly at the Police Station.—On Monday
last defendant was summoned at the Police Court
for assaulting his wife. He appeared theie in a
state of drunkenness, and so badly behaved himself
before the Bench that he had tu be removed below.
Later in the day he was again placed before the
magistrates, but elnducted himself even worse than
before, and began cursing and swearing in Court.
One of the sitting magistrates then ordered him
into custody.—Mr. Boughey now fined defendant
10s. and costs
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT ON A WOMAN.—Thomas
Lawley, labourer, Wordsley, was brought up under
a %r arrant, charged with assaulting Elizabeth Heath
a widow, residing at the same place. On the 14th
inst., whilst complainant was f;tching water from a
well, defendant went behind her, and after asking
her why she laughed at him the previous night,
struck her to the ground with a stick, and then
kick(:d her. When she gi,t up he hit her down
again and repeated the kickin, rendering the com-
plainant insensible —ln cross-examination, it ap
peared that defendan t bad lodged with complainant
for a number of years, during which period defend.
ant alleged that he had lived with her as her hus-
band arid maintained her.—The Stipendiary,
characterised the assault as being most aggravated,
and sentenced to two months' imprisonment, with
hard labour, and ordered that at the expiration of
that term he should find two sureties, and enter
into his own recognisances to be of good behaviour
for six months.
A PROMISING YOUTH.—Edward Hughes (13), a
lad re,idiug, at Kingswinford, was brought up in
custody, charged with stealing a quantity of goose-
berries 'from the garden of Mr. James Pearson,
surgeon, of that place. On Monday prosecutor's
neighbours saw prisoner in his garden stealing
cherries and gooseberries. A man went in pursuit
of him, and as tie was trying to make his escape he
was caught and the stolen fruit found in his pos-
session.—Prisoner, it appeared, twelve months ago
was convicted of felony, and has since been con-
victed for doing wilful damage to' trees.—The
Stipendiary toldnthe,laehe hadla very bad character,
anl sentenced him to three months' hard labour, at
the same time warning him that the next time he
was convicted he. would be sent to a reformatory, if
not to penal servitude.