The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-15 00:00:00

OUTRAGEOUS ASSAULT IN A RAILWAY
CARRIAGE.

At the petty sessions for the Sharnbrook division
of Bedfordshire, held at Bleteoe on Tuesday, before Lord
SL John (chairman), and Mews. Stcerey sad Paine, sitting
magistrates, Mr. Whitbread Roberta, of King's Walden,
Hertfordshire, and Mr. William Howell, of Nether Crawley,
Luton, gentleman farmers, appeared to a summons taken
out by the directors of the Midland Railway Company, to
answer a charge of having committed a breach of No. sof
the bye laws, on Sunday, the 13th of November. The case
had been postponed in consequence of the illness of the
principal witness, who seemed to have suffered in • fearful
way front the attack which was made on him. Mr. John
Jeffery. traffic inspector of the Midland Railway, repre-
seated the company. Mr. Shepherd, of Woe, appeared
for the defendants.
_ _

Mr. Henry Martin, who seemed to be very ill. deposed—
I was a passenger on Sunday evening, November 13, from
Leicester, in a second-class carriage, having passed the day
at the be'dside of a son who is now past hope of recovery.
I was alone its far as the hamster station, and there the
two defendants entered the compartment in which I was.
1 believe they were the first to speak. Those two present
are the two gentlemen. One of them mid, " Halloo, muter, •
we mean to smoke here, whether you like it or not." My
reply was that I had not made any objection to smoking,
And that I had not had time to do so. One of them said,
" Who the hell are you?" I can hardly say which of them
said that, for I was terror stricken, sod they both chimed
in so that I could hardly say which of them spoke brat,
they both chimed in so with abusive language ; but from
that point I can speak to what took place distinguishing
them. The one I now know to be Howell sani
to the other, "Give me a light." Roberts said, " has no
business hen, well throw him out." They then let down
both windows, and oue said, " He's • bankrupt, and
only dares travel on a Sunday." They evidently alluded to
me. I think it was Robert. then said be would throw me
out. Howell said, " We'll serve him as Briggs was served,
and then we throw him out;" sod at that moment I would
have given all 1 possessed to hays bad some means of corn.
municating with the guard. This was on the evening before
the execution of Muller for the murder of Mr. Briggs.
Then came the most terrific part of it. Howell said, "I am
Tom Ring, and I'll make an end of him in three minutes
and • half." lie tucked up his sleeves and said, putting hi.
tut in my face, "I'll/make an end of him, the —." He
stood up in the carriage. I was sitting down, and he said,
"Stand up, you —." Then he sparred up to me, and pat
one list to my face, and hit at me with the other, and at that
moment I became terror stricken.

Mr. Starry (a magistrate)—Do you mean to say be hit
you'
Witness—lle put one fist in my face, sod nude as though
he would strike me in the eye. and thee I became partly un-
coo/rims. The fright has resulted in an increase of deaf-
ness, and I have never been well since so as to attend to my
business ae usual. When I came to myself I found they
were gone. When I got to the next station, Roberts came
to the window and was again abusive, which Mr. Scott over-
heard, and he came into the carriage sod asked me to join
them in the next one. That, I think, was at the station
before we of to Bedford. I did not hear distinctly what
Roberta aaid when he came to the carriage again, but it was
filthy kind of language. He must have addressed it to me
because there was no one else in the carriage. There was a
light in the compartment in which I was, and also is the one
into which I afterwards got. It was not a light night, as it
was raining very hard. The person who asked me to come
into the next carriage went and made the complaint. I did
not make any complaint myself. I was too frightened.
The gentleman who asked me to come into his carnage was
Mr. Scott, of Leicester, and he promised to attend it I took
any proceedings. (A letter was read from Mr. Scott, who
said be could not attend that day.)
Mr. George Vickers, the station master at Oakeley,
proved that • complaint was made that • gentleman had
been grossly insulted by two persons. Mr. Martin was the
complainant, and said they bad threatened to murder him
and throw him out of the carriage, as Briggs was served.
The two persons wen pointed out to him, and he had
noticed them get out of a secood.class carriage and go down
the platform. They got into a thirdolass carriage, and wit-
ness went and asked for their MONA and addresses. They
at first refused to give them, but when witness had asked
twice or three times, Roberta said his mime was Simmonde,
of Baklock, and the other one said, "Mine is the same."
They refused to give any other names. Ha demanded their
tickets, which were given up and handed to the guard, with
direction to deliver them to the station master at Ritchie,
and get the right names of the parties. Witegas could posi-
tively swear that Roberta was one of the two. The guard
was instructed to get the right names and addresses before
they left the station if possible. He the went back to Mr.
Martin and told him be might rest himself contented, as the
defendants were in the back part of the train. Mr. Martin
said they had threatened to do for him when he got out of
the train. _ _

After some further evidence Mr. Shepherd for the defen•
dints urged that whatever had been said was only in
chaff, arising out of the defendants considering that Mr.
Martin made himself disagreeable by objecting to smoking
or having the windows open. The defendants were men of
the highest respectability, and would be guilty oflusing
the disgusting • d disgraceful language which Mr. Martin
had detailed. If the bench would allow his clients to give
evulencs' one for the other, the real facts would be made
manifest, which certainly at present was not the case.
. .

The bile* consulted for a very few minutes. and the
noble chairman said—Mr. Shepherd, you appear for these
parties, and you know we cannot admit them to give Sri-
deem. We are quite satisfied that the case is distinctly
proved, and we are sorry to find that people of such good
character and positaoo should have been brought here
having been guilty of such foolish conduct, not to say worse.
We indict the full penalty, 40s. and fall costa.
Ur. Shepherd at once undertook to pay whatever was de.
mended, and the defendants left the court.

PRINTER.' ORPHAN ASTLCM.—The first general
meeting of the bigot!' and supporters ot this newly este-
' Wished benevolent institution connected with the printing
trade was held last eight at Andertoe's Hotel, Fleekstreet,
and was numerously attended both by the employers and
journeymen in the trade. Mr. Charles Reed, F.S.A., oc-
cupied the chair. Mr. W. Iforrington, the hon. secretary,
then read the report, detailing the operations of the provi-
'Meal committee for the last fifteen months. Their
labours had resulted auoceasfnlly. They had obtained the
promised support up to the present time of upwards of
thirty of the largest master printers in the metropolis, as
also that of a large number of the journeymen, and sub-
scription to the amount of 200/.lhad already been paid io
and promised. It was not proposed to expend any money
in building purposes, hut to devote all the money obtained
to placing out in existing schools as many orphans as the
funds would allow of. It was found that on the average
they could place out a child at a total expense of per
annum, and an income of 2504 would therefore enable
them to place out 12 children. The money actually re-
ceived up to the present time had been s3f. 125., and the
ermines 217. ls. lid— leaving a balance of 561. 114. lid. tin
the motion of Mr. W. Riviegtce, seconded by Mr. C.
Wyman, the report was adopted. The election of offices,.
then took place, when Mr. William Clowes was appointed
treasurer, Mr. W. itiviagton, trustee, sod Messrs. T.
Brettell, W. 11`11 urrsy. T. Galoin, 0. W. Potter, W.
Smalley, C. Whiting, C. Wyman, ten., C. Reed, C. Wyman,
jun., W. Clements. and Alderman Waited°o were elected
a vioe-presideota. Mr. W..Dorrington was elected secretary,
Mr. Seabee as collector, •and a strong working committee
of journeymen was also appointed. Several resolutions of
a practical sod motile character were then discussed and
adopted, and the proceedings of a very enthusiastic meeting
were brought to a clam* by a cordial vote of thanks to the
chairman and to those employers is the trade who had
come forward in support of the institution.
Morons Ct.: I 1.• tT AT A LIBERATION MEET! NB.
An attempt made by one of the clergy to prevent the use of
the Town-hall at Macelestield for the Liberation Society
meeting having failed, the ea of the establishment
secured the services ot a bard of roughs. who, being well
organized and led on, prevented the deputation (Mr. Carvell
Williams and the Rev. P. W. Claydon) uttering more than
a few sentences. Atter the riotous proceelinp had lasted
two hours the meeting was dissolved.
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