The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-20 00:00:00

GREAT FLOODS IN DERBYSHIRE.

Scarcely had the low-lying lands of Derbyshire
become thoroughly drained and evidences of the de-
structive character of the recent floods been removed
than more serious storms and floods have occurred in
the county. The heavy downpour of rain on the even-
ing of Saturday the 13th, followed by the exceptionally
beaNy rain of Sunday, almost without intermission,
caused the rivers Trent and Dervvent again to overflow
their banks in sl! nnprecedently brief period, and as a
result the lower portions of the country were again en-
tirely submerged. Rain continued up to Monday after-
noon, with alternative showers of snow, and the floods
threatened- at one time to be of a more disastrous
character than at the end of last month. In some
parts of the rivers Trent and Derwent the waters rose
upwards of a foot in four hours, and in the shallower
parts even more. The Midland Railway Company -
will again suffer much loss and inconvenience, as several
portions of their low-lyin,g system are under water—
notably the Erewash Valley section. On leaving
Derby by the Midland Railway for Trent, an immense
volume of water stretched on either side, and is
down to Derwent's con-
tinuedjunc-
tion on the left Tight In some places it was
with the Trent.
impossible to discover the whereabouts of the stream.
All cattle had to be removed on Sunday v, ith the
greatest despatch, and if any were left in the meadows,
they must necessarily have been drowned. In several
instances the lower parts of haystacks situated in the
444.0 wm flooded, while various articles of property;
were to be .seeri
Derby town flag h.isp been threatened again with
floating down the course of the rivers.
serious consequences. ).n flip north part of the town
a great many of the residents have been labourrng
under the same discomfonts which they experienced so
very recently. At Chester-green the water crosses the
road at one point, while on either side there is a con-
siderable amount of flooding. The race-course and
cricket ground are likewise tn ft, large extent sub-
merged, and all the pasturages along the river side are
covered. The eanal has also overflowed.
In North Derbyshire-the storm and floods have been
most serious. The storm which passed over Buxton
and district caused considerable damage to property.
The new portion of the Devonshire Hospital in course
of erection was damaged to the extent of about £5O ;
newly-glazed windows were blown out in every direc-
tion, besides other damage being done during the
pight of the 12th. The rivers ih the Peak rose several
feet, and the meadows at Bakewell on Saturday were
one sheet .ef water. At Rowsley and Darley the
farmers were out before daylight looking after the
cattle, some having to wade several fbet deep, to reach
their sheep.

The Earl of Sheffield has granted a reduction of 15
per cent. on the half year's rod.

TRIAL OF A BOY FOR MAN-
SLAUGHTER.

At the Winchester Assizes, Albert Clark, aged 10, was
indicted for the manslaughter of William MeHersh, at Steep
on the Ist of August last.
Mr. Temple Cooke and Mr. Greenwood were for the pro-
secution; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Charles
Mathews.
A bill for murder was preferred on the previous day
against this boy before the grand jury, but they
ignored it, and found a bill for manslaughter only. It
appeared from the evidence that on Sunday, the Ist of
August, at about seven o'clock, the prisoner and some
other boys came out of Steep Church and joined
another party of boys, among whom was the deceased.
The prhoner and some of the smaller boys began
throwing stones, and the deceased, who was nearly 15
years old, told them not to do it, and, as they refuvd
to stop, he chased them away. They subsequently
returned and recommenced the stone-throwing, and
thereupon the deceased and another boy chased
the prisoner into a field. Here the prisoner fell down
and the deceased struck him a blow on the eye. The
prisoner then came out into the road, threw stones at
him, and pulled a knife out of his pocket, threatening
to stab him if he touched him. The deceased then
appeared to have attempted to wrest the knife from
him, and some sort of struggle occurred, which ended
in the prisoner's stabbing the deceased in the left
breast. The knife peraetrated the heart, and the boy
died within a very short time, Ta the course of the
case certain questions were proposed to be put to the
master of the school which the prisoner had attended,
with a view to showing that the boy was capable of
knowing that the act was a mischievous and wrong
act.
Mr. Mathews, for thp defence, objected that they
were inadmissibls, and ,conteped that the question
of the capacity of the boy was one to be cl,?fzided by
the jury from the circumstances that surrounded the
, . ,
case,
The learned Judge admitted the evidence, saying
that he would consider whether the point. ws one to
be reserved, if the objection was pressed.
Mr. Mathews, for the defence, contended that the
prisoner was a boy of an inoffensive character, and of
no very great intelligence, being, as was proved by the
schoolmaster, somewhat below the regulation standard
of a boy of his aga in his school work. He further
urged that the evidence of intentien was very slight,
the threats used by the prisoner being pi an ex-
aggerated description and merely spoken in bra,vade.
The deceased had acted with roughness to the prisoner
and unjustifiably, and the evicLnpe with regard to the
actual stabbing was quite consistent with the wounds
having being inflicted by accident in the course of the
struggle caused by Mellersh's attempt to secure the
knife and without any wilful intention.
The I.earn,ed Judge. in summing up the case, told
the jury that although proud facie a child between
seven and fourteen was in 4.w donsid#r6d incapable of
malice, yet this presumption varied with thQ ii4nre of
the offence. It was a question purply fpp thcrc, afOi•
considering all the circumstances of the case' to say
whether or not the prisoner had, at the time the blow
was struck, such a discretion as would enable him to
know that the knife would inflict a wound, and that
he had no right to inflict it.
The jury, fter a short deliberation, Acquitted the
prisoner.
The learned Judge ordered him te be isebArged,
first cautioning him as to his future conduct.