The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-25 00:00:00


TB E STorimp.ipor OFSERTFIE

THE DISPENSARY.—The annual meeting of ' was no corroborative evidence of the assault,
the governors of the Stourbridge Dispensary the Bench dismissed the case.
was held on Tnesday, in the Board-room, under SHOPLIFTING.—Francie Jones was charged
the presidency of the Rev. Hugh Sherrard, M.A. with stealing 3s 6d the property of WilF_am
The Rev. D. Maginnis presented the report of Penn, at the Lye, on the 22nd inet. Matilda
the Dispensary, which showed that the total Penn, wife of prosecutor, stated the: the
income of the institution for the year ending prisoner came to her shop on the above data ec
September, was £315 4s sd, while the disburse- purchase some Indian corn. 31.-.0 cer nd bila
I meets amounted I o 1:281 lie 6.1, leaving £33 with it, and turned to leave 'tile ~hop, Mit e.l
' 12s lid to be eiuried to the accumulated fund looking in again saw the Flbouer there, and
of the Dispensary. During the same period 941 the till open. She immediately taxed him ulth
patients bad received medical treatment at the the theft, which he admitted, at to-..+0 SM.) itOld
hands of the officers, 35 still remaining on the handing hack to her ,: half-cro:vn and 6. SiIiDIDA,
. books. The committee were re-appointed to which he said was the money Le mid talcen. He
, carry on the work of the inetitution, and it was begged hard to he forgiven, ailecging thet he had
resolved that the tinkle of the Dispensary should never done anything of the aiud befoee. P.S
} be, as early as practicable, invested in the Rea proved receiving the prieonee ill CUStt.g.:l
' narnee of Lord Ly, te ton. Messrs. F. T. Reff ,rd from the proseentor. Fen.oncr admit:ed she
and F. U. Thomas, as ,ru: tees. Votes of tha,,ka offence, and handed in a teetandhittl as to c1.t0.-
' were pas:ed to the treasurer and other officers acter to the Bench. AS this VOW lIIS fait OiidT.otl
for their servie, a during the past year. he was committed to prison for 21 Cap,' hard
STOURBRIDOE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION—The labour.
Aggregate Meeting of the teachers and scholars PROTECTION 0 RDER.—EIiZiI Jollob, Bi DlECjer.
forming this union was held in the Corn Ex- asked for a order for protection agaLtet her
: change, on Sunday afternoon last. The husband. She stated that she was married to
Exchange was crowded, a great number of her hueband, who was a clerk in a nail ware-
parents of the children and other friends attend- house, on the 2nd of February, 1863, at :he
ing in addition to those forming the Union. parish church, Haleeowen. He deice:ls,', leer ia
Amongst those on the platform were tue Rev. May last, and she had neither seen nor hoar.,
Lloyd Harris (Congregationalist Minister), Mr. from him since. She now maintained hoiai
Taylor, who represented the Congregationalists; by sewing. The Magistrates considered the
Mr. J. Lowe, the New Conuexion Methodists ; case made out, mud granted the applicatien.
Mr. Jordan', the Primitive Methodists ; Mr.
Platt, the Baptists; and others. Hymns were '
sung by the children, and two excellent prac-
tical addressee delivered by the Rev. Lloyd
Harris and Mr. Jordan. Mr. Taylor stated that
one grand object of the union wae to bring more
together thoee who were engaged in imparting
religious instruction to the children in the
Suuday Schools ; and said that on that day
there were prayers being offered up in places of
worship throughout the kingdom, asking for
blessings on the work of no less than 300,000
teachers who were connected with the union.
The proceedings, which were of a very intereet.
ing c,lsracter, were iwonzlit to a close by the
sliming of the Doxology, by all present, and the
invoking of benediction by the Rev. Lloyd
Hdrris.

INQUEST. --An ingn at was held on Thnrielay
evening, as the Cat Inn, Wordaley, before Mr.
W. H. Phillips, touching the death of Matthew
Cotton (65), an inmate of the Birmingham
Union. From the evi.lence adduced it appeared
that deceased was walking along the road be-
tween Brettell Lane and Brierley Hill, on Mon-
day night about ten o'clock, when JalllNti Kin.
don, of Wollaston, was driving a trap, with two
others in it, at the raid of ten wiles an hour.
Kindon had ju...t peed i tasty been tuutioaed by a
police-officer not to drive so fast, and he pulled
up his horse from a gallop int.) a trot. It was
only a short time after this that the can was
knocked down by the trap. lii twiiat4 picked up,
it was found that deceased's .rist. a .:, brokeo.,
and his hands and other portionsof his body in-
jured. Kiudon picked the .us.. up _aid took ill hi
to the police station. He WdS there attended to
by Mr. Chapni in, sumon, and front thence no
was removed to the Union, where he died ou tile

following day, frocu toe injuries received. The
inquiry Web adjourned until Tuesday morning,
Kindou, and the others with him, being ordered
t) attend. . _ .

LARCENY CASE. —At the Petty Sessions,
yesterday, before Major Fletcher, Hon. C. G.
Lyttelton, and H. 0. Firuistone, James Merrick
and Charles Merrick, were brought up on re-
mand charged with feloniously stealing 31b. of
nails on the 20th lust, the property of Messrs.
Raiford and Co. Mr. Perry appeared to prose-
cute, and Mr. Collis defended. Mr. Perry, in
opening the case, said that he did not propose
to give any evidence against the boy Charles
Merrick, but should call wituesses to prove that
the prisoner took a quantity of nails belonging
to the prosecutors, and gave them to the boy,
i'harles. Samuel Hill said he was foreman at
Messrs. Rufford and Co.'s Works. The prisoudr
James Merrick, was a wheelwright at those
works. In his shop there are nails kept. On
the 20th inst. he SAW James Merrick come out
of the shop, and met him on the siding. Asked
hen what he had got, and he replied "chips."
Witness shook the basket and asked him what
made a noise, he said oat:- a few tali's. iked
inside the basket and found about 3lbs of nails.
Took the basket off the boy. Was present on
the SARIS day when defendant was spoken to
about the uails. tie said " On, Merrick, what
about those nails in your basket." Merrick
said, " I am very sorry; I never did such a
taiug before." Police-constable Bladon said he
served prisoner with a summons. Prisoner
said," I an very sorry; I can't think what Was
the matter with me to do such a thing." Prisoner
pleaded guilty. Mr. Collis said he had in-
structed prisoner to plead guilty, sod throw
himself on the mercy of the Curt. He had
been five years in the employ of Mr. Raiford,
end nothing 'lll tyen briaieht against aim
before. This latter statement tea corroborated
by Mr. Rullord's clerk. The Beuch said it WAS
very painful to them to send a wan of a previous
good character to prison, lint yeti do alter-
native, but to commit him f. 14 day.% 'lin!
DOy WAS discharged.
DRUNK AND ASSAULTING THE POLICS.--John
Worrell was charged with te-im; druult ant
assaulting Pofice-constahle Smith, on toe ,uoru-
Mg of the 19;AI inst. Complainant said he was
on duty at half-past two o'clock on the morning
of the above date, and SAW lefeutitint, who was
drunk. He took bin towards his home, and on
tile way defendant b.icanis abusive and struck
him, giving him a black eye. Defendant ad-
mitted the chatge ; but said that lie had been to
a supper, and did not know what he WAS doing.
Major Fletcher said the assault on tin poiice
was a much more serious offence than that of
bring druuk. Assaults of this description were
becoming very common, and at the Stall'ordshire
Sessions there were an nuusually large number
of cases of assault on the police. One of the
Borough Magistrates at Birmingham had in-
formed him that they had, at the present time,
no fewer than 20 of their officers disabled
through as.saults. They (the Bench, were de-
termined to protect the police, and uuuid inflict
a penalty of 20s and costs; or 21 days' im-
prisonment.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—EIIIIIII:IIHart Wag
charged with being drunk and rderly at the
Lye, on the 16th inst. Police-constable Har-
rison proved the case and defendant, who
pleaded guilty WAS fined 2s thi and costs.—Jos.
Southall was also fined 2s 64 and costs, for
being guilty of a similar offence at the Lye on
the same date. Police-constable Harrison also
proved this Cane.
MASTER AND SERVANTS' ACT.—John Winnall
sad George Joues, in the employ of Mary Ann
Whitmore, were charged with leaving her em-
ploy, withont giving proper notice. Mr.. Pres-
cottappeared for defendants. John Bilimpley,
bailiff in the employ .if complainant, stated that
both defendants were in the employ of com-
plainant, Junes, as Wa!oirw, and Winnall,
as labourer. Th y ha I left aithott giving
proper notice. Mr. Prescott elicited the
fact that Jones wA4 fol.!;:•,,1 on a Sunda),
and lie thought it was a qmation for the Bench
whether an euragenemt made on that day was
legal or binding. Major Fietener HAL] there
w us nothing in the -.I s' et 9 r ferririg to it, and
in the absence of proof to the,cantrary they
must, accept it as binding. Nfr Preseott then
contanded that no agreenn lir had hi-en jumto
with reference to giving motee, and conse-
quently his clients were not liable. Eventually
the case was allowed to he withdrawn on the
defendants promising to pay costs 7a Oil each,
and return to their work.
ASSAULT CASE.—JAMeS Fradgley, a boy of
about 13 or 14 years of age' was charged with
assaulting Leah Perks, a girl of about the same
age, at Cradley He itli, on the 18th inst. Com-
plainant, who gave her evidence with great
volubility, stated that as she was going on an
errand, she met the defendant, who picked up a
stone and struck her with it on the mouth, cnt-
ting her lip, and filling her mouth with blood.
She did not give hho any provocation. Defen-
dant alleged that he did not strike her, and that
she WAS constantly in the habit of calling him
names. 'lbis was, however, denied by com-
plainant. Defendaut was fined 64 and costs.
, ALLEGED ASSAULT.—Joset,h Burford, a yonne
man, wits charged with assaulting Joseph Pear-
son, at the Lye, on the 18th inst. Complain-
ant, an old man, whose eye was badly cut and
bruise!, said he met the defendant in a lane at
the Lye, arid the latter knocked him down and
kicked him on the eye whilst he was on the
ground. He had not spoken a word to defen-
dant. It appeared, however, from the evidence
of it witness that. they were both drink, and the
defer • It -.1 • .• the other on
, tits r •. k •.,k, .116 that com-
plainant was drools at the time, end as there

Lord Lyttelton opened the proceedings by call-
ing on Mr. E. Talbot to read a paper on the
subject.
Mr. Talbot then read a paper on " Adult Educa-
tion in the Dis'ziet." le said h must 110.73 St1I1C1:
..:. ern one thet theto 77VS a great destiteCon
curouglicht the dist-act oi any of those means
tchten existed L. enux,b oh: glean
baring U. 4,4 c e.tkocghou, ceases:late-a to
ce.enaenee, to en.ny cn, in any reaeo..•
tale wan, the etiacnt:on el the ....au destined fcr
.
higher prneults she ihose or the sue
elerk, or tne Grammar &heels
were only ;our in nninois., pocony Gado nod., aed
I badly Loaecel. L-stittns with sasythin,g, like
adequate teacnine. • ior either day or enennig in-
ate ectien did net exisin &heals of nit were only
four in number, as were the Grennuuni Schools,
and had not yet been wed wisagn sin ported tc
base 1111'......tl much mail: npan hoe art pi e'ductions
of the ihntrint, nr.doieollegee or sehools for high!):
culture theist was not one. Over t over ...ninsa
Caw tl.ou(pt eseiyone who thought a
1971 Innen sub:lct. " h..on does the education
of tins thceiande of youths between 13 and 20
' yhata no ~.a i" or to li-dt the inquiry to the hun-
dreds isio atest Qin—. :Lott thia district be ie
ocalsti:..i 'niacin' to al nealtioes of trust anti re-
" ffent were we weenie:Ming fo:
nasnt sestesanele, end comjnete instruc-
.ioll,4 te.oBCielided, and in commercial
lite.atnna innst bo of the greatest possible
importneice if tai.dielniet were not to surer in
the coniaetithni seA more ftvoeied localities or
even of those stno outlet io base the nate .n.l and
proper lead if cdaers, weru,4lo-J 10 ho I their own
by enperior nuoinedge nen a higher degree. of
genera cult,siatisn. It Isity looked to evening
rchools and classes as tin/ had, they shculd find
between 40 cal SC eveaun schoels, whose great
work was to teats about 4.30 boys who had been
hitherto neglected, the eisnolest rudiments i 2
learninL;, 75 rer cenit. of -Wein belug actuaLy
under tle fouren standees- a the Education code.
There were, further, a. Sr.. einsses connected with
the entire district, whied, in-pealed to a comewhat
more advaaced class of ktholers, aid in which
they Vaught e9otlie rudinnentsof drawing. There
were giPt) the Schools cl. ,het, which went a step
higher in aenst:e culture, sad inotructed e. 83 ir
day and evenieg classes; and, leatin, they found
815 sehelars—attioding eletieutary courses of in-
struction in various brauenec of science. Theo*
was hardly such a thing an design or direction in
any of the science 1.4. ci classes which were at
present conducted in thee midst. Teachers
taught those subjects, of eciese, in which they
had obtained certificates, &no upon which, there-
fore, they coed elite in grantS; and the conse-
quence Was that, brunches or knowledge were
taken up in Weir elementary stages, which were
never likely to lead to any practical issue in con-
nection with the occutintems of the district.
Taking the eabjeets tannin last year in the science
classes of the district, they found that mineralogy,
metallurgy, and the principles of miniug were
not taught in a c3lit-a7 case; ste&m was taught
only to 5 ; meshenicinboththeoretical and applied,
were taught to In said 6 respectively, and build-
ing conetructien, and practical plane, and solid
geomotry to 6 only. Nine-tenths of the science
classes were carried on in connection with the
elementary schoele of the district. They looked
in vain for anything more systematic and com-
plete elsewhere. None of the grammar schools
were adapted for evening class instruction, and it
was hardly necessary to allude to the inability of
mechanics' and other institutions to supply what
was needed. With one exception, perhaps, there
was not one of them that could undertake anything
like a systematic course of study in any branch of
science. The best scholars in the Grammar
Schools for the meat part, left before the age of
15, and although their education must then be
necessarily very defective, especially in matters
of science and technology, yet there were no pro-
visions whatever, as far as he was aware, made
in any of these schools for any subsequent in-
struction by means of evening classes. Indeed,
in this respect the grammar schools were snore
backward than the national schools, which had
made a very decent strut indeed in the improve-
ment of general and special education. The
scheme of the Society of Arts which at one time,
and tinder the fostering hand of this association,
promised very good results in the promotion of a
desire for higher education, had of late years
gone out of existence amongst them; and that
year six persons only from the entire district had
obtained certificates from the society. He an .-
g,ested that that meeting should approve the
peinciple of nhe importance of establishing, at the
earliest possible moment, in some part of that
district, of a technical or science college designed
to impart the highest facilities for enlarging
their acquaintance with the arts and sciences.
Many of the institutes which existed 12 months
ago had gone quite out of being; others had been
given up in favour of Free Libraries and Reading
Rooms, and jhe few which still kept on their way
seemed to bat incompetent to make any systematic
effort to aitthanee higher education amongst their
members.' With regard to the night schools, the
action of the Government was seriously affecting
them, and the scholars, who were examined in
those which were kept open fell off from about
3,500 to 1,800. The writ mass of employers re-
mained Indifferent to the call upon them, and
there svar, he feared, no hope of improvement,
except mithe future action of School Boards, and
in the hdpe that the Government would in time
put a little more pressure on employers by requir-
ing them to see that their young people under 16
or 18 yearsOof age, under a certain standard of
learning, should receive a certain amount of in-
struction every year. Pending these changes, he
respectfully urged on the association an immediate
and vigorous effort to promote the establishment
of a Technical College. It was a striking and
most satisfactory sign of the times that the miners
of the country were asking, through their Union,
for higher technical instruction; and at Newcastle
the miners there had lately resolved to spend a
sum of money originally collected to raise a tomb
over the !roily of one of their number whom they
considered to have worked and suffered in their
behalf in the erection of a place of education in
honour of his memory. Other districts not more
highly favoured thanthis were all moving upwards
towards this higher education. Birmingham had
its Midland Institute, its Queen's College, and
would soon have its Technical College, and, it
might be hoped, its Grammar School and branches
open for advanced evening instruction. Newcastle-
upon-Tyne had one of the finest mining colleges
in the world. Manchester had spent £lOO,OO on
its Owen's College, and its laboratory for chemistry
and allied sciences was now declared to he equal,
if not superior, to anything to he found in Ger-
many. The Government Institute for the Royal
Engineers at Chatham was said to be complete in
all its details. Iu conclusion, he recommended
that question to the consideration of .he associa-
ti. in, and directed attention to the amount of funds
which were now invested in charities in the dis-
trict and suggested that the committee shou'd
obtain information as to whether some of their
funds might not be utilised in the di-ection of
scholarships and exhibitions.
The Chairman then invited discussion on the
subject. He said he was not prepared to enter
the general subject then, but there were one or
two points mentioned by Mr. Talbot which he
might touch upon. He did not think Mr. Talbot
was entirely correct in speaking of the giammar
schrols in the distr;ct as poorly endowed and ill-
housed, but he supposed Mr. Talbot orly referred
to the larger schr AR at Wolverhampton, Walsall,
Stourbridge, and Dudley. It could not be sail
that all these were poorlw endowed or badly
hoieuel, Welverhainpton was certainly very ill-
housed, but it Isa,l an endowment of over A 1,009 a
year, and the buildings were about to be removed.
He hoped that, 'inee the schools had in most iii.
etaces been reconstructed, they would be the
mean's of doing greater good in the district. Mr.
Talbot was substantially correct in saying that
the endowed wheals did not do very much work
in what was commonly called adult education. It
was also outsede the province of those schools to
support evening (lessee. It was not correct to
state that the boys in sech schools left before they
arrived at the age of 15, because it WAR re fact that
they remained in school tip to the ages of 17 and
18; and, as far as these schools went, the Endowed
Scho Commissiorers hoped that, in no long
time from the present, they would do a great deal
more in promoting scientific teaching. They had
hitherto been classical schools, and he hoped that
very Boon a great stimulus would be given to
physical science—(hear, hear). Th, other subject
he wished to refer to was one which Mr. Talbot
had brought before the committee that morning,
but which he was afraid the committee disposed
of rather too nipidily, viz, the suggestion to
establish a scientific college in the diets let. The
Birmingham and Midland Counties Institute n as,
in his opinion, a much more ambitious title than
stehoepoopoefratthiaotnserocfeltlehnet liinstsittiitiutete
juivßtasifinedone too The
large for the enormous population, so that it was
quite possible the requirements of South Stafford-
shire were not supplied in that association. There
was a practical question which would, beyond all
doubt, interfere with the present carrying out of
the suggestion mile by Mr. Whet ; he referred
to the great and liberal undertaking of Sir Josiah
Mason in establishing a techrical college in or
sear Birmingluom It was impossible as yet to
state what tho resources and appliances of that
college would be with a view of meeting the wants
of South Staffordshire, and therefore he could not
go heart and soul with Mr. Talbot inthinkin.g that
the present time was quite ripe for the erecuon of

such a college in this district. He confessed that
his experignce in connection with such colleges
was not favourable to the establishment of the
suggested college. In Yorkshire—that large and
pirited county—an influential committee
was ,Ity_a_ed 50,13 two years ago, and application
was in.fle to the EndownedSchools Commissioners
to dtlz..bllsh a cc:lege for tha whole
Lslids. No instution could have been pro-
joJteu with bete: prospects than that. He told
lie could on:y aeal with existing endowments,
ib.dess they Lai fee consent of the present govern-
ing bodies; but they told them if they could get
Lold of such en,lown..,:its, many of which existed
at Waarefie.u, thot If they could go to Wakefield
aid rouse public opinion they should be very happy
to do all Ejes they could for tiler encouragement.
iltaidly any p ogress had yet been uffide in the
work, awl he feared, from what he knew of the
energy and fublic spirit of the people of the
"Black (ioin.lry" iu connection with such subjects
that if a scheme could not be carried out in York-
shire It not receive that public support
v-hich wout.: miry the work to a successful issue.
it Mr. rialbot prasscsl his proposition to a vote
the i4carncoe he (the speaker) confessed that he
sheado i.ove some difficulty in giving an affirmative
vote. '.i hen could be no doubt, howeter, that
E.a cussidon,l_,ow that it had been mooted, would
no lAA/WI. g.:.nd in the district, and if the great
faspitalisis wonld only bear the subject in mind it
aod result in something practical.
The Rev. I). Robertson (The Lye) said that the
association had establ,shed schools and examina-
tions, and prizes, and yet they had failed—from
the want of interest in and the desire for educa-
tion. This was the most difficult thing the as-
sociation had to deal with. As to the establish-
taent of a college for the district, he thought they
had better wait and see how far the college to be
erected in Birmingham was successful before
action was taken in this district ; and especially
as the ccuimunity were really uninterested in
the snhject. If their schools in Stourbridge and
neighbourhood were crowded at the present time
perhaps they might come forward in the matter.
M. John Jones (Middlesborough) detailc I what
was being done in the norfh of England in regard
,0 scientific instruction. Perhaps the time was
not ripe for a college in South Staffordshire, but
meantime the Association might do a i;tood work
in encouraging institutions to teach science in a
better way than was the case at present.
The Rev. Hugh Sherrard said that Bton-bridge
seemed to be almost the only place that had
actually taken advantage of the grants offered by
the association, and yet he could not but Bay that
the attendance at the science classes wasdecreas-
ing. It was evident that the great thing was the
deplorable want of desire for learning and informa-
tion, the matter seeming to be based on the utili-
tarian prin2iples of cut bone. The people did not
appear to interest themselves in anything but that
in which they could see some advantageous results
in every-day life.
The Rev. T. Williams said all that had been ad-
vanced showed that dist let was not yet rips for these
higher advantages, and he thonght more attention
should he given to stimulating the night schools.
The Rev. A. Girdlestoue said an cilia t should be
made to utilise larger portions of the scholars' time.
A good deal of time was spent ii the worship of
"Saint Monday," anal he was endeavouring to pro-
sle for his " Saint Monday" its suitable scholastic
occupation.
Mr. Zachary Lloyd said there was no demand for
science classes at present, and he thought the asso-
ciation would do more good by confining its attention
to the lower subjects taught in the right-schools than
by paying attention to science schools.
The discussion was continued by the Hon. and
Rev. W. H. Lytteltou. the Rev. Lloyd Hai-is, Mr.
J. Pagett, and Mr. Bland.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Talbot for his paper was
passed on the motion of tie Rev. D. Mal.,innis,
seconded by the Pay. H. Sherrard, and the confer-
ence terminated. _ _

„,

The Executive of the Assoeiation.and a number of
gentlemen interested in its work afterwards &nod to-
gether at the Talbot Hotel. Mr. H. 0. Firmstoue
presided. The dinner was not a speech-making one,
and the only toast given was the health of Lord Lyt-
telto.l.