The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-04 00:00:00

MICHAELMAS "GE' SE."
(From P11)1Ch.

Those who are taken in by puffing advertisements.
Those who demand encores at concerts and other
inimical entertainment&
Those who turn up their noses at Australian meat.
Those who believe that the ale !Laic fluid they buy
at eighteenpence a bottle is sherry.
Thoee who take a railway journey without insuring
their lives.
Those who eat and drink what they know will dis-
agree with them.
Those who wear a high black hat when they have
the chance of being comfortable in a low white one.
Those who drink green tea.

mumical

Those who paint—themselves.
Those who persist in airing fees and gratuities at
theatres where they are strictly forbidden.
Those who encourage street beggars, street minstrels,
street mountebanlce, and street organists.
l'hose who fancy that wib a little care they can
live as cheaply at the seaside as at home.
Those who imagine that coals, meat, and other
luxuries will ever again be reasonable in price.
l'hore who wear thin b .ots in wet weather.

Those who enter into converhati a with etrangere in
the streets of London.

Those who lend umbrellas.
Thome who look to gee h )sv a novel im going to enrl,
before they are half-way through the first volume.
Those who propose without feeling sure they will he
accepted.
Thome who believe that they shall live to we the New
Law Cones finished, Leicester square beautified,
Temple Bar removed, Vegtrydom abolished, London
properly governed, and the streets kept clean in winter.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE
1 HUSTON STATION.
In London, on Monday, an IegURI wee opened by Dr.
Unkester at the "Prince Allred," Crowndalwroad, on the
body of Mr. Berry, aged 53, cashier to the firm of Messrs.
Quinn and C,. of the Golden-Mil India Rubber Works,
Preston, who was killed at the Poston 'lambi*, of the Lon-
don and North Western Railway on the night of Thursday In
last week.
Mr. Gibbon., of Chichester, said he was a passenger in
a third-class carriage of the Scotch express on Thursday.
On the train arriving at Willesden, the dammed, it would
seem, had got out of the carriage in which he had been
travelling, and entered thecarriage iv which witness was,
in great Mate, saying he had left hie bag in another
carnage. When within half a mile of Buxton Station
the train stopped to allow another train to shunt,
Deceased got up with the object of getting out, but
witnea told him the position they were in, and warned
him not to attempt it. He appeared very anxious about
the bag, and as soon as the train arrived at the beginning
of the Easton Station platform he again got up, saying
to witness, "Pray allow me to get out first, I wish
to fetch my bag." He opened the door and stood
upon the step before the train stopped. The
door opened towards the engine, and witness was
sitting facing it. The deceased got out with hI. back
to the engine, and almost se soon as he put his foot on
to the step he fell, and put his hand on witness's
knee to save himself, but before witness could assist
him he dropped down, and witness saw no more of
him until be saw him on a stretcher. At the moment
he believed tbe train was going at seven or eight
miles an hour. In &newer to Questions the witness
said the step of the carriage was not • continuous
step, but • small iron step. Had deceased Jumped
on to the platform he must have fallen, but his life
might have been saved.
Charles Holman. a porter, said he was at the bottom
of the up platform on Thursday night upon the arrival of
the Scotch express at 1.30 p.m. When four or five
carriages had passed him he saw a door open and a
gentleman trying to get out, and he suddenly dropped
between the carriage and the platform. It was
rather dark, although all the gas was lighted. He
informed the guard, who put on the brake and the
train was stopped. Me ran to the spot and saw
deceased lying between the near rail and the plat-
form. The train was divided and part shunted back to
get at him. He was not dead, but gasping, and died
In two or three minutes after. The steps vary in sine,
some are short and others long, from eight inches to
three feet; there are long steps -lower down, but they
would not prevent • person falling between the car-
riages and the platform,
Another porter corroborated the foregoing, and also
admitted that the platform was dark, and that there
were not continuous steps to the carriages running
level. _ _ _

After hearing further evidence, the Coroner said it
was exceedingly to be regretted that the railway com-
panies did not do all they could to save life. Since the
death of General Wl,eod, and the introduction of con-
tinuous steps, the Metropolitan line bad been free
from accident with one exception, and that was a car-
riage belonging to the Great Western Company. No
doubt this gentleman lest his life by his own imprudence;
but still companies had aright to take proper precautions
for the safety of the travelling public. Government,
through the .Board of Trade, could compel the intro-
duction of continuous steps to railway carriages, with
a proper adjustment of platforms to meet them, and
they ought to exercise their power. So far from the
railway companies becoming losers, they would, on the
other hand, save immense sums, which they harikow
to pay as compensation for lose or maiming persons for
life. They ultimately returned the following verdict :
That the decessel, Edward Berry, died from the effect
of injuries caused by accidentally falling between a railway
carriage and the platform of the Ruston-square Station and
the jurors further say that had the carriages of the London
and North Western Railway been provided with continuous
footboards such accident would not have occurred'