The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-31 00:00:00

THE LATE COLLISION ON THE MIDLAND

RAILWAY.

VERDICT OF THE JURY.

FRIDAY.

The inquiry into the circumstances connected with
the late lamentable collision on the Midland Railway was
resumed this morning.
Mr. Joshua E. Todhuuter, one of the: sufferers by the
accident, who appeared with his arm in a sling and hiss heal
plastered, was the first witness examined—l reside in
Dublin. lam the manager of a cotton factory. I was one
of the first-clam passengers by the train on Monday night
week. Our carriage was the last in the train. Remember
the train coming to a stand near the Clay-cross Station. I
have no remembrance whatever of the collision. 1
can remember well our train having got slowly in
motion. My idea was that we had been stopping five or
seven minutes. Some personspoke to the guard as he paused
our carriage, " How ,ongshall you be stopping ?" I think
it was Mr. Maynell who said this, but lum not cure. The
guard's answer was " About 10 minutes." Did not hear
anything else from the guard after that. It was very
shortly after we had Koppel that he said that. I did not
, see or hear of the guard again. From the time of his say-
ing that to our getting into motion I cannot say whether
. he had time to walk 300 or 500 yards.
By Mr. 51acauley—lt was about 2 or 3 minutes after we
• tame to a stand that the guard gave the answer to Mr.
Mavneli.
liy Mr. Turner—The guard passed us towards the en-
gine, in a minute after the stoppage. The interval before
' his return was not more than a fair time fur him to go to
, the engine, speak to the driver, and return. Did not hear
a cry of " All right." 1 was in the seine compartment
with Mr. Maynell.
Do you think the guard did his duty? I have no facts
' to go upon a ierpt from the newspaper reports.
H. Ashworth, of Wheedon—l was a second class pas-
sewer by the train from helper. Remember the train
coining to a stand at Clayton. In the same carriage
with me were Mr. llorneasile, Mr. Broadbent, and Mr.
Mills. The stoppage seemed a very lung time and very
L wearisome. Mr. Broadbent looked out of the window. Ile
said— _ _

Mr. Turner objected.
Mr. Fretson and Mr. Broadbent himself had not suffi-
ciently reentered to he able to appear. The answer would
not affect any person in particular.
Witness—Mr. Broadbent said, " There is a train coming
—she will run into us." Mr. Mills jumped out of the car-
riage. The interval between the stoppage and the collision
was from five to ten minutes. The guard would have had
time to go :100 or 6411) yards while we stopped.
By Mr. Turner—We had nut been to see a prize fight. I
had been to see a friend.
By Mr. Macauley—My impression is that we stopped six
to eight minutes at least. I would swear positively that we
were there more than five minutes. Will not swear that
we were there ten minutes. It was between five and ten
minutes. Mr. Mills was in the next compartment of the
same earrial;c.
.. . . .

John Iljneastle—l keep the Royal Oak public-house at
Sheffield. I was in tie atone train with the last witness.
Remembered the train etoppiug near Clay-rose. The in-
terra] between the train routine to a stand and the collision i
was from six to ten minutes. I afterwards walked front
the scene of the ace olent to the station. During the time
the train was xtanding a person could have walked to
the Clay-cruss station, and hare rested himself on
the way.
By Mr. Macauley Mr. Broadbent was with as when we
walked froin the place of the accident to the station. Mr.
Brusulhent, who was with WA, was much hurt, and could not
walk fast; but for all that we walked the distance in three
athletes. I wise not hurt myself but much shattered.
The witness Ashforth said he was much hrused, and Mr.
Broadbent woo so ninth hurt that hr was not able to leave
the house yet. Mr. Broidhent was under one of the broken
carriages nt least an hour and a half, and none of the
porters could release him.
Samuel Jennieg, —1 station-master at Duffield. On
the night in question the goods train came up three or lime
minutes after the passenger train The passenger train had
had time to get to Helper when the goods train conic up.
Cross-examined—l go off duty at 3i minutes past seven in
the evening, and no one is left in charge of the station. I
sever know when the train is going to call there. If 1 had
happened not to be there that night after my time had ex-
pired possibly a collision might have taken place there.
By Mr. Turner --Suppl.ing the goods train had come at
its proper *peed, fifteen or riateen minute', ought to have
intervened between the two trains at Duffield.
The evidence being now couclud“l,
Mr. Fretson 'sock"' leave to address the jury, but the
coroner declined to accede.

The coroner the:. ,uaulied up, and
The jute, at a quarter-post 1 o'clock, retired to consider
their verdict. At half pot 3 o'clock, having hs.vu in eon-
, sultativa two hours and a quarter, they returunl the fol-
lowing verdict :
•••lhejory are unanimously of opinion that the deaths of
John MeyaaU and John flake have been caused by the'
reelless speed Salim. I Strettnia was arising the curiae of
the luggage train on the night of Monday, the 19th of May,
and pn 00000 wick. a verdict of manslaughter it,zainst him. The
jury "uncut sufficiently condemn the practice of allowing a
lintgagu train to start tire minutes alter a passenter
train, without efficient int:amens being taken to en-
sure the fonaer keeping its relative dis!..nee front
the other, as marked in the time table. 'lke jury con•
shier the fficials guilty of e,reat negligence in nut placing
be, :6k lichen.' the l••• eurriAle of the pi...WU:C. r train on
the night the acchleut uceurred. It is also their opinion
that a "roper person "light to be on duty at the actil.tphare
..t the flay-erues elation to attn66l to the night signals as
.11 a. those in the day, and strongly reprobate the neglect
of this precaution. The jury consider the practice highly
improver of allowing teeosinger trains to stop at stations not
naraishiii the time tables."
The eyeliner then issued his warrant for the apprehension
and committal of Stretton, the driver of the goods train, to
Derby to await his trial.
The verdict created a decided sensation. Its hearing
against Stretton was det turd the more remarkable after the
enmner's summing up, a, it was calculated to plane his
(Stretton's) conduct in a very favourable light.

THE BELGIANS .IND VIE SCOTCII
xiqrs ('i.Ama—For several years back fishermen from
the coa.t sit Belgium lia.e been in the practice of fishing off
our cotta., within the 3 miles' limit, and in many cues,
especially in the west of Scotland, hate entered our hat-
hours, and taken every advantage afforded by the chore, the'
. same as if they were British subjects. Those .• privileges"
, thus seised upon by the Belgians excited not a link jealousy
among the fishing community, and the more su that the
produce of our fisheries is completely excluded from the
territory of Belgium. The matter was brought under the
, notice of the Board of Trade, and a letter from 31r. Bente.
lit. Primrose, the Sae -lc tory to the Board of Fisheries, states
that the Belgian ',eel. claim the privilege of being al-
lowed to fish from British harbours in right of certain
' charters alleged to hese been granted by King Chub,. the
Second to fifty vs of the town of Bruges, and that in
cou-equenee of the claim put forth under these charter.
has tug calks' for particular inquiry, and thereby delayed
their lordships' det ision, the B.lgiana are to be allowed to
fish in the usual manner fur the season of 18.51 only, but
are thereafter to be restricted as foreigners, except in so
far as any of the parties claiming under the alleged char-
ters shall have sueceeled in establishing the validity of the
charter., and the right. conferred by them in due course
of law in the courts of thi. country.—Sculscian.
A WET I)AT.—Wo do not defend a wet day. We
know that a wet Sunday in a country inn, when the rain
fans perseveringly, between the window and the opposite
haystack—when rustics lounge under penthouse roofs, or in
barn or stable door-way., festooning their smock-frocks with
then pocketed hand., and yawning heavily—when we pity
the people sitting at the windows over the way, and think
a how small and dark their house. look, forgetting that they,
probably, pity us toa, and think no better of the Griffin,
where we have put up—is not promotive of cheerfulness.
W know that the same Sunday in a town or city,
when pattens go clinking by upon the pasing-stones
—when dripping umbrella. make a dismal dance all
down the street—when the shining policeman stops at
the corner to throw the wet off himself, like a
water-clog—when all the boys in view go slinking
past,depressed, awl no boy has the heart to fly over a post—
when people wait under the archwav,peeping ruefully out at
splashed and draggled ,tragglers fagging along under um-
brellas: or at other stragglers, who, having no umbrellas,
are completely varnished from head to foot with rain—when
the &Willey smoke and thu little church weathercock say
ronnd and round, bewildered to find that the wind is
everywhere—when the Hat little church hell seems vexed
that the people vson'tcosne in, and tinkles discontentedly,
while the very beadle at the door is quenched and querulous
—does not inspire a lively train of thought. Still, without
constantly measuring the rain-fall like the enthusiasts who
write to the newspapers about it, or without asserting, like
the oldest inhabitant (who has never been rifht in his life
since his promotion to that elevation), that it never rained
before ss It rains now, we may find matter for a few. =l-
angs..' talk, ena in each weather.—Dickens's Household
Wank."