The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-11 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL.

Dativicamassa.—At the Police Court on Monday.
before H. 0. Firmst( ne and G. King--Harriro; ,
Esqe., John Martin, collier, Broekmoor, was fine I
2s 6d and costs for beng drunk at Broekmoor on
29th ult.—Thomas Baker' Brockmoor, was fine
2s 6d and costs for being drunk on the 301,h ult at
the same place.—George Davis, Kingswinford, for
being drunk at Kingswinford on the 31st ult, was
fined 2s 6d and costs,—Joseph Mu- ray, Feoton.St.,
for being drunk on the 31st ult at Broakmoor, was
fined 2s 6d and costs.—Noah Kurt, boatman, no
fixed abode, was fined a like sum for the same of.
fence on the 11th ult, at the Delph.—William
Jones, basket maker, Cottage Street, was charged
with being drunk in Cottage Street, Brierley Hill,
on the 19,h February. Fined 5s and costs.
PITCH AND Toss.—William Powell (15), James
Hickman (17), Patrick Jordan (17), and Joserh
Biddell (15), all of Brierley Hill, were charged with
playing at pitch and toss in Bank Street, Brierley
Hill, o the 29th ult. Powell, Hickman and Jor-
dan have been previously convicted and were fined
2s 6d and costs; Biddell was fined is and costs
ON THE FOWL (NOT WAR) PATH —Joseph Wassail,
labourer, Bell Street, was charged with stealing 3
fowls, about the 19th tilt, value 7s 6d, the property
of Samuel Insull.—Jesse Parsons said his master.
Mr. Insull. kept fowls, and about the 24th 3 were
missed.—Narcisse Craddock said on the 20th ult
the prisoner brought three hens to her mother's
shop, and she bought them, giving the p isoner 24
each for them. On the 31st ult she handed the
fowls to Superintendent Woollaston.—Superietend
eirt Woollaston said he releived the fowls from the
last witness, and prisoner was given into his cus-
tody the same day at the Stewponey liceel. On
charging the prisoner he replied, "I did have them,
but it was not on Monday nid,ht."—Prisoner was
further charged with stealing one hfn fowl on the
29th ult, value 2s 6d, the property of Mark Bullock,
waggoner, Bell Street, Brierley Hill.—Prosecutur
said he saw the fowls safe in the pen on the night
of the 29th ult, and the next morning he missed t e
hen. He aiw the prisoner at:Cradley Heat'l and
charged him with stealing the few), whereupon
prisoners knocked him down and kicked hits.—
Emmanuel Billingham, anchor smith, Cradley
Heath, said -he saw the prisoner at Lomey Town
on the 30th ult, and bought the fowl produced from
him for is 9d, and sold it the same day for is 101
to Thomas Tibbetts.--Thomas Tibbetts. butcher,
Cradley Heath, said he bought the fowl produced
from the last witness.—Prisoner was still further
charged with stealing four fowls on the 30th ult,
the property or Mr. W. 1!/1. Pritchard, the Moore,
Brierley Hill,—Proseeutor said he saw the fowls
safe on the 30th ult, but anissed four of thf m on the
31st.—Prisoner was here asked if he wished to put
any question to the witness. Prisorar said, "Ail I
have to say is that I had three, I didn't have four."
—Benjamin Billingharn, landlord of the Bell Inn,
Cradley Heath, said the prisoner came to his house
with some fowls, which were weighed and paid f, r
at the rate ot 54d per kound. —Sup rintendent
Woollaston said when he Eharged prisoner he re-
plied "three not four."—Tbere was still another
charge of stealing 7 heo fowls, the property of
George Elwell, but this was not gone into.—Pri-
soner was committed for trial at the next Quarter
Sessions.

ANOTHER FOWL STEALER.—Willitun Cox, iron.
worker, Wallows Street, was charged with stealing
3 fowls on the Ist mat, value 10s, the property of
Sarah Ann Moore, Woodman lon, Wallows Siren
Round Oak.—Mr. Ward prosecuted and Mr. Wal-
dron defended.—Annie Evans, said she was bar-
maid at the Woodman, and was a neice t the
land:ady, who kept fowls. At night they were kept
In a coaehhouse in an enclosed yard the gates of
_which were kept locked or bolted. The customers
did not use the yard, there was an urinal in the
front. On the Ist inst the prisoner was in t e
house drinking, and went down the yard about
half-past seven. She followed him and saw him go
into the coachhouse. She asked him what he wanted
there, and he replied, "I'm looking round." She
fastened the coachhouse door and prisoner remained
in the yard about ten minutes and then entered the
house again. The yard gates were bated and
barred. The prisoner went into the yard again
about half-past nine, and she again followed him.
The coachhouse door, which she had fastened, was
half-way open. She went to the coachhouse ad
found the prisoner Cox there There was a furnace
in the yard under which there was a fire. She
stirred the fire to make a blaze so as to enable her
to see, as she was afraid to go when she saw the
door move. She could see distinctly what was in
the coachhouse. The prisoner was inside and she
asked him what he was doing there. He said "I'm
looking round." She replied, "[his is the second
time I've caught you hen." There were eight
fowls in the coachhouse then. Prisoner came out
of the coachhouse and went to the closet, and she
went into the house. About a quarter of an hour
, after she went into the yard to fetch a "raker," and
' she saw that the coachhouse door, closet door, and
the yard door were open, Sh went into the coach-
house the next morning; there were only five fowls
and she then told her aunt. A search was made
and in. the closet where Cox went she found the
feathers produced.—Cross-examined: The prisoner
had three pines of ale and was periectly so'Jer.
When she went out the third time the did not see
the prisoner; she could not say if the fowls were
safe;then. She missed the fowls the next morning.
—Re-examined: No one else went down the yard
at that time except the prisoner —Annie Sherratt
said about a quarter or ten minutes to ten she was
standing on the footpath and saw Cox coming up
the same towards her, and was quite close to her
as he passed. She not ced be had a fowl under his
arm inside his jacket. She could see part of the
tail and back ot the fowl sticking out from under
his jacket, Cross-examined : Cox was a respect.
able man. He kept pigeons but it was not a pigeon
he had under his Picket.—P.C. Booth said he went
to ithe prisoner Cox and asked him how he ac-
counted for having the fowl in his possession. He

replied, "I ihad Co fowl, I never s7aw one; I never
had a fowl in my life, except six I vk oa in a raffle."
He arrested the prisoner about 1.30 and charged
him with stealing the fowls, to which he replied, "I
had no towl, I know nothing at all about them."—
Mr. Waldron said there %% as not a, tittle of evidence

in the slightest degree that his client stole the fowl.
Hii client went into the yard for the purp se of
using the closet which was there for the use of the
customers. They had had a fowl stealer in Court

that morning who had been going round the country
stealing fowl and it might have been him as much
as his client. (Mr. King, magistrates clerk, said
Mr. Woollaston told him that that fowl stealer was
in Birmingnam at that time.) Mr. Waldron, con-
tinuing, said there was no evidenoe to show that
the fowl which prisoner had under hie coat was
one of the stolen ifowls ; and under the Circum-
stances he hoped the magistr=tes would give the
prisoner the benefit of the doubt and dismiss the
case.—John Stennier said he was drinking in the
Woodman with Cox and others. Cox left the

house about ten o'clock and said he was going to
fetch some pigeons. Cox came back about half-
past ten and stayed till about ten minutes to eleven.
—Ann Cox, mother of prisoner, also gave evidence.
the 13slieh said they had given the case their
attentive consideration an I they were bound to say
therJ tcas no doubt in their minds. The evi Jenne
was circumstant'al, but it was of the strongest
kind. They had decided to give the prisoner an.
other opportunity, ani fined h:m 40s and costs, in
def wit one month.