The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-19 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

FOWL STEALING-At the Police Court, on Wed-
nesday, before Messrs. B. !lingley, H. A. Wiggan,
and J. H. Pearson, James Powell, miner, of Old
Hill, was charged with stealing four fowls the pro-
perty of William Woodhall, ehainmaker, of the
same place,.-Prosocuter was called wad said that

he kept fowls in a stable and on the 6th inst he
mi,sed four. The fowls produced were his property
and he valued them at 14s.—Joseph Shaw, miner,
Wellington Street, Old Hill, said he bought the
fowls produced from prisoner on the 21st Jaquary,
and gave him Gs. for them.—Police-Inspector
Walters proved apprehending prisoner at Black-
heath, the 10th just, who on being charged with
stealing the fowls replied" You have got the wrong
man! Shaw bought them for my brother-in-law." He
received two of the fowls from Shaw and two from
Woodhall.

STEALING HARNESS.—JaIHOS Powell, the former
Prisoner, was then charged together with Joseph
Poole and William A.shfieal, with stealing a set of
harness the property of Thomas Tibbetts, of Old
Hill.—Thomas Tibbetts, who is landlord of the Fox
Hunt Inn, Old Hill, said that he lent a set of
harness to Thomas Slater, which was worth 355.
Thomas Slater, miner, Wright's Lane, Old Hill, I
said he borrowed the hirness produced from Mr. 1
Tibbett and kept it till Christmas. He then lent
the harness to James Blunt and had not seen it
till it was in the posssssion of the police.—James
Blunt said he borrowed the harness from alater On
Christmas Day. He put it in an out-house. near the
British Oak Inn, on Christmas night and had not
seen it till Monday last.—Edward Mason, of Beet
Stie et, Blackheath, said that about a month ago he
saw Ashfield and Poole in the Oldbury Road, Black-
heath, and had some conversation about a saddle.
He went into Mr. Bennett's shop and saw the
harness. Prisoner stood outside against the
window. He returned to them and told them it was
broken. Poole said they wanted 8s for it. MI ness
replied that he had not got 8s with him, he had only
got 6s. He (witness) told them if they would take
5s 6d and two quarts of ale he would buy it. Ash-
field said " We will have it" and Poole had the
money. They then went to the Shoulder of Mutton
liin. Ashfield said he bought the harness at a sale
for 10s.—John Bu_gess, a horse dealer, living at
Old Hill said that Powell took to him the harness
produced about a month ago and asked him to buy
it and asked him 6s for it. He afterwards offered
to sell it to him for 4s. He refused to buy it from
him. Police-sergeant Cooper; said that from infor-
mation received he went to Mason's house and saw
the harness produced hanging up in the house.
Mason gave him the description of the man that he
bought it off and went on Sunday morning in search
of them. At nine o'clock he saw Poole in the
Oldbury IZ )ad, Blackheath, and Mason said that
was one of them. He stopped Po de and told him
he was going to arrest him for stesling harness, the
property of Tnomas Tibbetts, ia company with
James Powell alias Dollar. Priseaer replied that
he did not steal it and that Jams Ashfield gave
him a shilling and a pint of ale to sell it for -him.
He then took him to Ashfield's house and arrested
Ashfield, He charged him with stealing harness be-
longing to Mr. Tibbetts, in company with James
Powell and Poole. He said he did not steal it,
James Powell took it home one night and he told
him it was not his. Powell lodged at his house at
that time, and Powell told him he had found it.
He also said that he gave Poole a shillins and a
pint of ale for selling it and that he received the
money for it. Powell on being charged at the
Station said, he had not seen the harness before
and Ashford said he had and that he brought it to
his house.—Joseph Bennett, saddler, Black Heath,
said that on the 10th January, Poole took the
harness produced and offered to sell it to him for
10s. He wouid not have anything to do with it.
—Powell was sentenced to three months' Lard
labour for stealing the fowls and to one months
hard labour for stealing the harness. The other
two prisoners were each sentenced to one month's
hardilabour.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—Joseph Mason, who
resides next dour to thelpolice station, Blackheath,
for being drunk and disorderly on the 12th inst.
Police-sergeant Cooper proved the case.—John
Johnson and Ephraim Johnson, chainmakers, of
King Street, Old Hill, were each fined 2s 6d and
costs for a similar offence on the same date.
Police-constable Rowlands proved the case.
COAL STEALING.—Edith Watts was charged with
stealing coal the property of the Earl of Dudley.
It was proved that on the 2nd inst she was taking
coal from No. 24 pits, Cradley Heath. She was
fined 5s including costs,—Priscilla Devonport. of
Black Waggon Street, Old Hill, was charged with
stealing coal the property of the New British Iron
Company, On the sth inst, she was seen by Thomas
Willetts, who is in the employ of ihe Company, to
take coal from the " Fly " colliery at Old Hill.
Prisoner was fined ss. including costs.
CAUTION TO TOBACCONISTS.—Esau Cartwright,
now living at Cradley Heath, was summoned for
selling on the 11th December, tobacco, not having
the license required.—Mr. Waldron defended.—Mr.
Thornton, supervisor, in laying the case before the
Bench, said that the act under which defendant
was summoned specified that a person is required
to take a license to sell tobacco at a certain place
and nowhere else. An additional license could be
had, besides ;the yearly license, at four-
pence per day. The section in the Act required the
name should be placed over the principal doorway.
The defendant held a tobacco license to sell tobacco
in the house which stands at Cradley Heath. If
he wanted to sell it anywhere else he ought to have
taken out a single day license of 4d and that would
be limited to certain premises.—Mr. Astwith wits
called and proved that on the 18th December last
he visited the Five Ways. He entered a piece of
ground where he saw the:defendant had a stall a ith
cigars upon it. He purchased a cigar from the de-
fendant for a penny and then demanded his license.
He replied he had not got one. By Mr, Thornton:
It was usual for people to take out additional
license. By Mr. Waldron. He had known defend-
,ant :since November. He was perfectly a ware
that defendant had got an annual license. It was
a fenced piece of ground. Defendant told him
that he was not aware that a license was requ:red.
—Mr. Waldron addressing the Bench for the de—
fence, said he could not conceive that aa offence
had been committed under that section of the Act
under which defendant was summoned. Ile was
bourns to confess (that Mr. Thornton had misled
the court in one or two words. He (Mr. Thornton)
had got certain instructions in a book and added
words which were not in the Act of Parliament. Ile
ventured to say they could not find, "particular
pla.:e or premiss," and he was at a loss to know
where Mr. Thornton got them from. He would
submit that there was no evidence to show that the
defendant was not selling upon the premises as
specified in his license. Witness said he found de-
fendant in some enclosed ground selling tobacco.
The facts he should prove were that defendant was
the owner of a van, in which he resided, he was
also the owner of some swing boats, a shouting
gallery, and what is called an "Aunt Sally" all
standing on that enclosed ground. He paid a
rental of 4s a week. That was the house and
premises as comprised in that license. He had
been there more than 12 years and he had no other
residence. He had the right to use any part of
that land provided it was not occupied by anyone
else. He (Mr.Waldron) thought they would say it
was really the house and premises of the defendant.
The argument of Mr. Thornton wished them to
, say that an offence had been committed; but it
r-ally amounted to this, that supposing they were
the tenants of a licensed premises they could not
sell anything at the back of the premises. Nothing
more absurd ever came before a Court of Law. If
they were against him the Summary Jurisdiction
Act which was now in force enabled them to inflict
a small fine and there was another Act in which
they had the power to dismiss it. He said that that
case was distinguished from the ordinary cases or
the ordinary evading of the Inland Revenue. His
client said he did not know the license was required.
He was in ignorance and was not aware that the
license was wanted. There was no fraud on the
defendam's part and he thought that the Inland
Rev nue did not want a penalty but simply a con-
viction to show that it was an offence. Was not
the man upon his own premises and nowhere else.
He was licensed for the place where he resided
that was in that enclosed ground.—Mr. S. Cave
proved that defendant rented the ground from him
at 4s per week and had done for years and that it
was where he resided and carried on his trade.—The
Bsnch said they were quite clear that the license
was not foe the premises but for the van ; but, still
as he had done it in ignorance a small tine would
meet the case.—A fine of is and costs was inflieted.
SUDDEN DEATH.—Oliver Billingham (72), chain-
maker, Wright's-lane, died suddenly on Monday
last. He rose early in the morning appatently in
his usual health and went out. Shortly afterwards
he was found at the rear of the premises in a state
of insensibility. A little later he died. Death is
supposed ti have resulted from a sudden fit.