The Express.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

THE

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH

ZAISTRIIN RAILWAY.
-4--

DEATH OF ANOTHER OF THE SUFFERERS.—
INQUEST ON THE BODIES.
READING, Mom)Ay, Elzre. 17.

We base now to add to the list ( f the dead Mr..
Norms, lb. wife of Yr. George Nortoa„ clerk In the Goode-
tees at the South-Eastern Station, Reading. She expired
late on Friday night ; and it Is a matter of wonder that She
should so long have survived the accident, considering the
fearful astute of the injuries she bad rec. lett!.
The inquest was resumed this morning, in the large room
at the public ofil e.
Jobs Smith Hathaway, farmer, living at the London-road
Teem, and John Symin, a shepherd, inscribed the accident
of which they were witnesses.
Wilhelm Chaim, living at Reading, who had both cress
in sling., and at pared to be snffeilrg from a late sceidest,
said ha was squint &Jeer, and on Wednesday evening last
he had char.i.jol the 5.25 p.m.traia from Red-i.ill to RA
The train teethed W..kiaehem about a minute before its
time, but it did not leave that station until its neural time, 131
minutes past 7. All proceeded safely until just after.
the train got out of the Tuns euttia •, when be
perceived sousetLing minim but he did not at all think it
was on the some line. When about 10 yards off fetus the!
engird he saw that it was on the some line of rails, and
knew that a c)111.4.41 was Inevitable. He first perceived'
that the ergine was on the wrong line by the mac opening
the door of the fire h,de. He could then me a man on the
south side of the engine, stranding up. The callisiod took
piece almost immediately afterwards. and he (Graham) was
patched ff on to the Op of the boiler of his own engine,
and something fell upon him. He was jemmied in between
tbe lever end the boiler. He 'weeded In extricating him-
self in ab.-ut three Of four minutes.

By the Coroner—lf en engine had been coining to meet
him, be st.cis!ti have received a tel. grepl.ic message to that
effect, acd he should not have been allowed to leave
Wokisighsm valets the line bad been clear. It was an
invariable rule, bef•re they left any station, that they re
reined a telegrapbic message certifying that the line was
c.ter. Tbis war dose before they left Wokinghare.
The telegraphic message received from Red hill, and a
espy of which war found ea the &mimed Croeley, was read
to the witness, end he laid, in answer to various questions,
that Crowley, on getting the ermine prepared, ought to have
eommanieet•d with Mr. Thew. By omitting to report
Mardi to the station master, aad going by the signals,
Crosley acted in oon,rarlicticn to the rules of the eompeoy.
ThiS witn-er, at the alone of his 'gemination, left the
room, evidently in greet pain from the injuries he had
received.

Francis Smith, the Naar& gm similar evidence.
William &nano, 29, Church-street, laid—l am a porter
out the !Lath &tavern Railway. I received a telegraphic
coeseage to convey to Cro•ley, tlt• driver of the pilot en-
gine. Ide ivertd it to him at his own residence, about two
illiolll'l4l tome's. He appeared to be quite sober and not
CO—.

Janus Wall., of Spring•gardens, foreman porter of this
r axis department at the Reading station' said—l wee stand.
tag at the wens., of the (lights house by the pods shed
when I saw Croeley run into the engine house from the
F.rbury, end in les. than two mioutee he tame oat of the
angles shed on his engine, tender first. He went up the
down lit( towaries Wqkioghseo, at the speed of 15 or 16
miles an boar. I meld not see whether the lamps were
lighted. All the danger signals were up. He did not stop
or regard any of those signals. If a switchman had bees in
his p ace he could not hese directed him into the up line,
as he was going too fast. I knew there was a train due at
7 30. He Rea, no signal at all by whistling ea his was oum.
hag oat, which made me suppose he was coming beat. I
cannot @tomtit for his condom.

Mr Thew, the station master at Reedier, said—l am re-,
sponsible for the correct discharge of all the dutim of the
company's servants placed under me at the station. The
porter brought the Meiling produced to me, while I IMO at
home at tea. I sent the person who came down to the
engine shed to look for one of the deacon; and if no
cleaner cost:d be found a porter was to take the message to
Cro sley, in order that he might prepare his engine to pro-
ceed to Ouildford. I did not see or bear of Creaky until
I heard of the accident. It was Crosley's duty to have
Wormed me when he yea prepared to take lie engine out
of the shed. He did not do eo. Is laicism the
station without my authority it was an Weiner-
ment of a great many regulation of the company.
In order to base come out he must have pissed the danger
signal. The fact of his leaving without his lamps was
also an infriogement of the rules. As soon as he passed the
gsgnals be wrs entirely out of my bands, and became re-
sponsible for all the movements of the engine. In my opi-
nion the rules and regulations of the company are suMelent
to prevent all accidents, providing they are obeyed. If be
had reported I imself to me I should have telegraphed to
Wokinghang before I bed allowed him to depart. I have
beim et Migration five or sin seam and always found the
present system work with safety. There hes been no acci-
dent on the line sine* I have been tionneeted with it.
The Comner—Sappeisnc them had been a switchman at
times particular points, would that have prevented his going
Ou the down line ?

Mr. Thew—No, not if there had been 20 switchmen,from
the speed he was going.
The Coroner summed up, and said it was Blear that this
accident happened from tie negligence, careleassess, and
inattention of the mot Crosley, who had certainly paid the,
penalty of his own lire for his rashness. The law was very
clear tenon the point, that when a person took upon himself
the duties of so office, he ought properly to discharge
those dutirs, and if, through negligence, careless-
ness, er inattention tv thole duties, he caused the
death of any of his fellow creatures, that per-
son was guilty of manslaughter. That was clear,
acd however painful it might to to cast • slur
upon • dead man. still, as the evidence was clear, they
could not resist coming to the conclusion that Crudity was
guilty cf manslaughter.
The jury retired, and alter an absence of • quarter of an
hour they Warned, end delivered a verdict of "Man-
slaughter against Joseph Crosley, in referenda to the deaths
of William Thomas Fvarnore, Christopher Mos, Sarah
Norton, add Freed, Beath, and that the said Joseph Cros-
ier killed sad stayed himself." They recommended that a
men be kept eamstantly to attend solely to the signals.