The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-01-29 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

RIDING Wintou'r REINs.—At the Police Cour.,
on Wednesday, before Messrs. B. flingley H.
Walker, and 'l'. A. Wiggin, Mark Lecdham, and
Joseph Smith, carters, both of Perry's Lake, Row-
ley, were summoned for riding without reins, on
the iStli inst.—Evidence was given in support of
the charge by Police-constable Lightfoot, who:ld.-
posed ihat he was on duty in the Dudley 'Road,
Howley, and he saw the defendants each in charge
of a horse and cart, and were riding without reins.
—A fine of 25 6d, including casts, was inflicted.
TIIEFT Atom A Suor.—Jane Ball, of Wagon
Street, Old Hill, was charged with stealing a pair
of trousers, the property of Joseph Kirkham, shop •
keeper, of High Street, Old Hill.—Diza Kirkhatn,
wife of prosecutor, said that, on the evening of the
15th inst., about five o'clock, the- prisoner was in
their back kitchen. Whilst she was doing some-
thing in the house the prisoner left and went
through the shop. She immediately went into the
shop and found that a pair of trousers which she
had put on the counter about five minutes pre-
viously, had been taken. The trousers produced
were the same that she had lost.—Mary Jane Bur-
gess, wife of Edwin Burgess, pawnbroker, of Old
Hill said that prisoner brought a pair of trousers,
similar to those produced, to pledge, on the 19th
inst She handed the same trousers which she had
off pi isoner to the police. Prisoner pledged them
for is 8-o.—Police constable Wiekstead said that
from information he rec3ivel he went to make in-
quiri,s at the shop of gr. Burgess, and there
found the pair of trousers produced, pledged in
prisoner's name.
.He arrested prisoner the same
night at her r,sidence, who, on being charged with
stealing theitr ousels said she bought them at Dudley
on the Saturday night previous. On being charged
again at the station she denie I knowinz anything of
them.—Prisoner now pleaded that the prosecutor's
son gave them to her to take to pledge and called
Sarah Jane Stanfield, who said that she residect
with piisoner, and on the 19th inst the prosecutor's
son was at her house several times, but she did not
see him with anything.—This being the second
offence she was Sentenced to one month's imprison-
ment_ •

UNHA.NGING SKATES—William Bastable (12), of
Rowley, was charged with stealing a pair of skates
the value of 3s. 6d, from the shop door of Meshack
Hacket, ironmonger, at Blackheath.—The wife of
prosecutor stated that about half-past two o'clock on
the 210) last s!ie saw the prisoner take the pair of
skates produced from the shop door. She went
after him and brought him back into the shop and

found the skates Under his jacket. She sent for
the police,—Police-constablo FLost said he went to
the shop kept by last witness and took prisoner
Into custody and charged him with stelling the
skates and he made no reply. On arriving at the
station he said he stole the skates.—Prisoner now
stated that he was guilty of unhanging the skites
but not of stealing them.—He was ordered to receive
10 strokes with the birch rod.

THE CH kRCiE OF PASSING BID COIN.-At the
Stafford Assizes on Wednesday, John Dean (27),
horse dealer, was indicted with feloniously uttering,
on the 13 h :January, 1881, at the parish of West
Bromwich, counterfeit florins ; and also with utter-
ing a counterfeit half-crown at Cradl.y Heath on
the same date, having been before convicted of a
like offence.—Henry Eveson (on bail) was indicted
with uttering counterfeit florins at Cradley Heath
on the above date, well knowing the same to be
counterfeit.---Mr. Marshall Todd prosecuted on
behalf of the Crown; Mr.. Darling appeared for
Dean; and Eveson was defended by Mr. Godson.—
Dean was found not guilty on the first charge,
that of uttering a counterfeit fi,9rin to Mary Jeph-
cott, Lawrence-lane, Old Hill. On the date named
the prisoner Eveson first entered the shop of Jane
Westwood, and handed a florin for a pennyworth
of milk, and received is lid in change; he next
went to the s hop of Harriet Pearson, awl received
one penny worth of lozenges and ls. 11d, in change
for a florin ; after that he went to the shop of Eliza
Coley, where he pure' ased a cigar, and having
again tendbred a florin received is. 10d. in change;
his next visit was to the shop of Samuel Mousley
Cooper, who not having sufficient change for the
purchase of one eigar, Eveson consented to buy
three, and had is. 6d. in. ch,inge ; the final visit was
to the sh )p of Thomas Bishop, where he purchased
is. lid. woith of sugar candy, and again tendered
a flo,in in pay,nent. Bishop's suspicion was,
however, aroused by the look of the coin lind he
called the prisoner back. Tte latter seemed in
great fear and stated that it was quite accidental
that he did not know the coin was bad, and asked
Bishop not to prosecute him, as he was of a respect-
able family. Eveson was then allowed to go but
Bishop subsequentty, hearing that a number of bad
florins had been passed in the village, went in
search of him. Dean on the afternoon of the same
day went into the Holly Bush Inn, and was
supplied with 2d. worth of rum, for which he
tsndered.aflorin, antreceived ls. 10d. in change.—
The prisoner Eveson stated that he met Dean on
his way to market, and he received a florin from
him to get change, which he did, and gave the
change to him.—Both prisoners were found guilty.
Sentence was defirred.—On Thursday Henry
Eveson and John Dead, found guilty of uttering
base florins at Rowley Regis, and who the Com-
mi,sioner said had been guilty of a mean and petty
crime: of a character stamping them as hard-hearted
men, whatever their previous good character, were
each committed to hard labour for a year.