The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-02-28 00:00:00

"SIIMMERFIELD v.THE EAST LONDON

RAILWAY COMPANY."

In London, on Tuesday, the above cause was tried In the
Sheriffs Court and was • claim for c ,mpensation, and the
cue disclosed some peculiar features as to opium em
and confirmed the descrlpitun given by Dickens In his Edwin

Mr Garth, Q C , and Mr. M Coen appeared for the claimant;
Sir John Kerslake, (ix., and Mr. Leg mid represented the

The claimant, • tailor at Pentsinvil'e, London, had
an interest of 18i years in a 1-ace of eeveral email
houses, let out at 45. per week, containing two morns,
one upstairs and one down. Two of the houses were
let to pusons whose places were visited by opium
smokers, and in the house opposite was the room
engreved in Edwin brood. The places had been visited,
as described by the ctaimant, by many gentlemen to
see the oplumamokinf, and his mother, who was culled,
said the Prince of IN ales had been to the spot to wit-
ness the opium smoking, also other noble persons.
Sir John Kerslake and Mr. Garth said they had
been to the locality in reference to the present inquiry.
The mother of the claimant asked Sir John if he had
seen the woman opposite who kept the smoking de-
pertruent, and he said he had not on which she replied
that he had lost • "treat" The learned counsel
added that he was not disposed tn go back again. It
appeared that Chioamen and other foreigners resorted
to the two houses in sew-court to smoke opium.
The houses were old, in New-coort, formerly nailed
Blnegatedields, and afterwards Vieoria-street.
The claim on the part of Mr. Summerfield was to
about £3OO by damage done so the mull houses by
the tunnelling of the company, by which c uniderable
damages had been done, and he had loot a number of
lodgers, who paid him 2a. per week for each room.
Two Englishwomen, one of whom had married a
Chinamen and another a "gentleman from Madras,"
were the only persons kiep!ug houses iu the court ti
which foreigners went to smoke opium.
The case on the part of the claimant was that since
the operation of the railway works the houses had been
much damaged and the tenants were afraid to stop in
them. Even the opium smokers hail declined to come
on account of the condition of the place.
On the part of the company the case was that very
little injury bad been done to the bowies ia queAion,
and it was alleged that by age and the want ii rcoairs
they were in a dilapidated cuuditiorsbefure the rad way
works were commenced. -

Severe witneseeo were ca:led on Ite.th Rid., and the
Inquiry occupied the day. One of the witnesses who
was examined for the claimant said he had sidted the
place and seen the room engraved in Edam fired
where the opium .moltiog went on, and &hi° the woman
descrikei In that work.

--ii;:;"6"aii-h—c;riten7l;l that considerable darcage hal
been done by the railway worka, and that the claimant
was entitled to compensation to complete the repairs.
Sir John Karslake, who produced • photograph of
the place before the railway works were commenced,
submitted that very little damage had been done, and
that the houses were in • bad condition before the
works were bes un. The company was not bound to
pay for the damage to which the property had been for
years exposed. On one aide the expen. was con-
siderable, and his witnesses showed that from £3O to
£4O was all that cupid by required for the damage done
by the railway.
Dir. Garth, in reply, maid he only asked reasonable
compensation for the injury done, and he thonght the
matter might have been settled without bringing the
powerful aid of Six John Karslake on the part of the
company.
UndeuSheriff Burchell, in placing the case
before the jnry, who had in the morning paid a
personal dint to the spot, told them it was for them
to r ecide on the evidence they had heard on both
sides what was • fair compensation for the
actual injury done to the property. On one side
£O3B was allegsd as the amount of damage, and on
the part of the company from d',3o to M. The ques-
tion was to what extent had the company damaged
she property Another question for compensation
was the lots of rent by tenants leaving the houses, and
hail they left in cmsequence of the works of the rail-
way company?
The jury retired, and at five o'clock awned the
compensation at £220.

MARIN E DISASTERS. The monthly statement
leeuei by the Bureau Veriters of Paris shows that
during the month of January last 108 sailing vessels
were totally lust, Of these 81 were English, 25
American, 12 German, 10 French, seven Dutch, seven
Italian, five Greek. four Russian, three Norweiso,
two Austrisn, one Swedish, one Turkish, and nine of
unascertained nst'onality. Daring the Caine period 1S
steamers were lost-11 Eneish, three Arnericuir, one
German, one Danish, one French, and one Spanisos