The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1,

BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH PRISON.

BIRMINGHAM, WF,oxasia.tv.

This inquiry was resumed this morr.,lng. Some of
the eviden?e adduced was with the lie ee to contradict the
shwa*s of cruelty adduced in Dodson!s ease yesterday.
Alfred Wood was a first class w ender in the prison in
1151. He received Hnlson at Vie gaol, and at that time
said to him that he was sorry to see he appeared so ill.
Was present when he told roe surgeon he Wes unwell.
At the time ho came to the gaol he weighed Sat. 9lbs.;
when he left he weighed I.t. go,. At that time he apt
thpeaatrehdisillhaesindththwiuu.
the latter made a remark on
bNiviViv A the prisoner told the surgeon .
his paper. The surg• gott was thre? or four minutes ex-
amining the man, h' it 1 don't remember his feeling his
pulse or examining t AA chest,

Thomas Freer, ti e thief warder, gave a detailed account
on the subject of ' ,),•ilson's illness sad treatment, and of his
attempt to coma-
Alt suicide, which the witncei thought was
a sham, becaus
• he did not see a knot in the handkerchief.
lie me" a° e' :port of this to the governor until the fol-
lowing morn. ag
Capt. Wi' lams—How many hours a day do the prisoners
labour in t
Wither
time th s—Six hours at the crank labour. the longest
st Dodson was in the crank cell was nine-mid-a-
half h. onCa .
A. Williams—Do you regulate the tensity of the
crar ks

tVitnem—l do.
Capt Williams—Then you, in fact, had the sole power of
:crtasing the tensity of the crank labour of this prison ?
Witness—l had.
Capt. Williams—Had you a written authority ?
Witness—No.
Capt. Williams—How long have you cxercibed that
wirer? _

Witness—Ever since 1851.
Capt. Williams—When prisoners are left in the crank
Al after the usual hours are they in the dark, or lo the gas

lighted ?
Witness—They are left in the dark.
Capt. Williams— Has any prisoner ever been detained in
the crank labi.ur cell as late as ten at night ?
Witness—Yes.
Capt. Williams—Any later ?
Witness—l can't recollect.
Capt. Williams—Then you must recollect. You are the
princip.l warder, and I expect von to say whether prisoners
have been kept in the crank cell later than ten o'clock at
night.
Witnese—They have. In two cue', until h ilf-past 11.
Captain Williams—Are there any entries of these things ?
Witness—There are not.
Captain Williams—What is the average crank weight
pat on to a healthy person?
Witness—Ten pounds.
Captain Williams—Has the surgeon ever altered the
tensity to suit the strength of the patient ?
Witness—l think not.
Captain Williams—How long have you known a prisoner
go without his breakfast because he bad not done his first
morning work at the crank ?
Witness—All the day.
Mr. Baly—Then you have known a prisoner go to bcd
having had nothing to eat all day ?
Witness—There was bread and water given at night.
Capt. Williams—Do I understand you that a prisoner was
till night without food ? At what hour at night ?
Witness—At eleven o'clock ; llb. of bread.
Mr. Haly—liow long have you followed this up on one
prisoner ?
Witness—For three days.
Mr. Baly—At what age are boys put to crank labour ?
Witness—About twelve, the crank labour being 3 lbs.
we ie ht.
Mr. Haly—Do those boys frequently go without food all
day because they have not done their crank labour ?
Witness—Yes ; very frequently.
George Harley, formerly a warder in the prison, and in-
firmary warder at the time Dodsen was discharged, said—On
one occasion saw him cleaning his cell. At the time he was so
iU that it was necessary he should be supported. Witness as.
sisted to put him to bed. The man then said he thought
he was dying, and brandy was procured from the surgery.
Dodson was at that time so weak that two sips of brandy,
and-water appeared to intoxicate him. The next day in
was removed to the infirmary.
William Costello remembered Dodson coming to his own
cell from the crank labour cell. He said that he couldn't do
his work. He was unable to eat his food, which fact he (wit-
ness) reported to the doctor. The prisoner asked fir warm
water to dilute his gruel. He was told that none could be
allowed. The man always said that he was unwell. He
was at the crank five days, and then remained in his oell
several days after before he• was taken to the infirmary.
Witness remembered his being so ill in bed that he was
unable to help himself in any way. The prisoner com-
plained to hies of being ill. He said he thought his inside
was coming from him. He told the governor he was un-
able to work, on which the latter replied that he hadn't half
hard work enough.
Thomas Brooks, the night watchman, recollected Dodson
being put to the hard-labour crank; the first day he didn't
perform his work, and was locked in the cell ; afterwards
witness heard him groaning. On going to look with the
chief warder the prisoner was lying on the floor immedi-
ately beneath the hammock iron in the wall, through
which there was the prison handkerchief; he was raised
and removed to his cell. The next and following days pri-
soner got worse till he was removed to the infirmary.
Capt. Williams—Have you any instructions when a pri-
soner is ill in the night to call assistance ?
Witness—Yes, to call the chief warder. I did call him
to Dodson, but he didn't get up, so I gave the man my own
eau.
Kr. Baly—Then if you had not given him your own
mai he wouldn't have had anything.
Witness—He would not.
Capt. Williams—Have you ever brought up boys twelve
yams of age from the dark crank labour cell as late as ten
at nip% ?
Witness-1 have.

Capt. Williams—Suppose a prisoner has completed his
work after it is dark, how is he to know it ?
Witness—By counting.
Chief Commissioner—Then if one of these little Birming-
ham boys is 3,000 turns behind at the time it is dark, do you
expect him to count till he he..
Witness—l have known them do it.
Chief Commissiener—At the time you saw the man lying
on the floor beneath the handkerchief didn't you think he
had been attempting to hang himself ?
Witness—That's a pressing question.
Chief Commissioner—Did you not believe it, on your
oath, that be had been attempting to hang himself ?
Witness—Well, it is a pressing question, but I think I
did believe he had.
Chief Commissioner—Then why not answer before ?
You he behaved disgracefully. Here was amen attempt-
ing to hang himself, and all you warders pretending that
it was a sham.
William Brown, a warder in charge of the juvenile de.
partment, remembered the boy Andrews, who committed
suicide coming in to the gaol. He frequently had the strait
jacket on, and on all such occasions he made a great noise.
When it was being put on the boy screamed " murder "
and begged him to take it off. Once he had the jacket on
on a Sunday morning in the crank cell. Had known a
juvenile have the straitjacket on at night, and all night.
Never remembered an instance in Capt. Kaconoehie's time
of juveniles being kept in the crank cell at night because
they had not done. This practice had sprung up since
Freer came from Leicester gaol.
Lieutenant Austen, the governor of the gaol, tendered
himself for examination in relation to Dodson's cue. Re-
membered Dodson coming in oaths 9th of April. Saw him
on the 13th in the crank labour cell; he said he was an old
man and the labour was lard for him. He was very thin,
and said he could'nt do the work; but the surgeon had re-
ported him fit fer work. The morning after hailed attempted
to commit suit de I saw him again ; he appeared to be
suffering from constipation of the bowels; but from the
surgeon's report I thought him able to perform the reduced
crank labour. I heard of his ringing the bell. I spoke to
him about it. He replied that he was unwell. I didn't
say that he was a " troublesome old fellow," or "an old
blackguard ;" but I did desire him to stand upright. He
was leaning against a window. Everything that has been
said about my threatening to horsewhip Dodson, or about
my throwing off his cap, is untrue. I did give orders for
Dodson not to have his supper until he had finished his
work, and he hadn't an supper. The second night he
finished his work early, aa he had his supper early. I
did tell Dodson that it was disgraceful to him
to be sent there for exposing his person ; but
I was wrong in this —it was another man. Cos-
tello reported to me on the 16th that the man
could n.it eat his food, but the food was not altered
in consequence. I made no entry of the attempt by Dod-
son to commit suicide ; I thought it was not a real attempt,
though Freer had reported to me that he did not know
whether it was a real attempt or a sham one.
Captain Williams—Are the " attempts " never e ntered in
the_journal at all ?
Witness—There are entries, but there is no register kept.
Chief Commissioner—What made you think this was a
sham attempt ?
Witness—From the state of the handkerchief.
Chief Commissioner—ln this return of the magistrates,
setting forth the attempts at suicide, here is one on the 6th
of December, 1661, which is called—" attempt at imposi-
tion ;" from what is this return made up ?
Witness—l think the surgeon supplied those returns.
Chief Commissioner—l see nothing on the subject in the
surgeon's journal. How, I say, was this return made up?
Witness—Partly from the memory, and partly from the
surgeon's journal.
Examination resumed—l saw Dodson lying on the floor
in his rug. He appeared in a strange state, and the chap-
lain said he thought he we. insane. I admit it would have
been better if Dodson's attempt to commit suicide bad been
entered in the journal. I have myself given directions for
juveniles to be kept in the crank Labour cell as late as ten
at night, because they had not dose their work. 1 don't
remember any being detained so late u eleven at night.
Capt. Williams—How long has this practice been going
on of keeping prisoners in the crank labour cell till they had
done their work

. .
Witness—lt was done in Capt. Maconoehies time. The
established discipline of this prison when I VIM to it WY
that nrisoners should not have their food until they had
completed their work.
Copt; Williams—Wu that so is Capt. Maconochies
time ?

Witness—Yes; but not SO much so as under me. I in- I
troduced tl'a strap and jacket, but I trays known in Capt.
Msconoofnie's time priaonera sleep in the mill cell all night
becao..e they had not done theit work.
C'.,ief Commissioner--Very well; be particular shout
I this, becawe Capt. blaconocbie will be here.
[The hooks were examined, and no entries were found of
prisoners being kept .n the cells at night to finish their work
during Capt. Idaconochie't governonhip.j
Examination resumed—l recommended whilst Captain
Ittaconechie was governor that the number of cranks should
be increased. I can't charge my memory that I ever made
use of any opprobrious epithets to Dodson. To the best of
my recollection I never called him an old blackguard.
Capt. Williams—Was there ever any corporal punish-
ment inflicted on boys in Capt. Maconochie's time ?
Witness—There was.

853.

Capt. Williams—Show me it in the book.
The witness looked at the book. There was an entry—
" For neglect of weak, four cuts on the breach, and to make
up fur loss of work on the previous day one thousand
rounds a day extra." This was in 1851. Lieut. Austin
said that he did not know under whose authority Capt.
liaconochie ordered this punishment.
Capt. Williams—Did you, Lieut. Austin, upbraid Dodson
for having attempted to commit suicide ?
Witnesa—l can't remember.
Chief Commissioner—You must not shelter yourself in
this way; what is the fact?
Witaess-1 can't charge my memory. I might have up-
braided him. I think I did say something. Perhaps
said that I considered it was a feigned attempt.
' Chief Commissioner—Tell us What you said.
Witness—l Vild him I thought it was a feigned attempt.
I didn't threaten him with punishment if he repeated it.
or use harsh language.
William Lawson, formerly tailor trade instructor, sworn
—He said: I was dismissed by the visiting justices on the
20th of April. On the 14th of April a prisoner named
'fhomu hung himself; on the 16th the governor sent for
me, and said he had heard that I had been questioning his
character on the subject of the discipline of the gaol, and he
said that if I repeated it he would get me dismissed, and
persecute me. I told him that I had seen tyranny going on
for a loos time, and that I should make charges before the
visiting justices from memorandums in my possession of the
cruelties in the gaol. Afterwards I told the lodge porter
that I should absent myself in the morning after, that the
goveraor might send for me; the governor did send
for me; and I then told him that I should'nt do any
more duty till I had seen the visiting justices. He said
that if I would take the keys and go to work lie would be
a friend to me. I refused, upon which he threatened to
put me in gaol. Ultimately he let me out, and then the
governor reported to the visiting justices that I had neg-
lected my duty, and I was dismissed. I remember
Hodgette, who wu s prisoner in July last. On a Sunday
morning I and a man named Rathbone found him lying
un the floor of his cell foaming at the mouth, and appa-
rently dying. There were three loaves lying on the floor.
I made inquiry, and ascertained that the surgeon had not
seen the man. I told Freer, the chief warder,
that I believed he was dying, and that a sur-
geon should be sent for. Freer said he would report
to the governor, and we made up the man's bed on the
floor. Itathbone' one of the warders was with me at
the time we found the man, and he said that eighteen loaves
had been taken from the man's cell. Sometime after the

governor came down, and told me to give tlitimana little
water, for his teeth were set together, and on going to his
can I found that it was full of gruel. Dr. Green came an
hour and a half afterwards; he said ho thought be was in
a fit, and ordered him medicine ; subsequently the man
was removed to another cell ; I remained with
him all the time they were in chapel. A little
white bread and soup was begged from the kitchen for him.
He took • little and threw it up. When Cotterill, the
warder, returned from chapel and saw this, he said, " what
right have you to give that man white bread ? " I said,
" I think it no harm to give it to a dying man." Cotterill
replied, " he be d—J, he 's ' pecking it ; ' he's afraid of see-
ing old Atkins, the governor of Warwick gaol." I re-
mained with the man until half-past five in the afternoon.
No surgeon came to seo him after Mr. Green left, and in
the course of the night the man died. I was not called at
the inquest. The verdict was "Died by the visitation of
God." 1 have been a taller in the Royal Artillery.
Chief Commissioner—Did you report to the visiting jus-
tices with regard to Hodgett's case?
Witness —No, I did not. The governor would never let
me see the visiting justices.
William Rathbone, the shoemaker at the gaol, corrobo-
rated the evidence of the previous witnesses as to the state
in which Hodgetts was found, and also as to the fact of
eighteen loaves having been taken from his cell, which had
been accumulating for days. Hodrtts had (he said)
rolled off the bed, and was bleeding at the mouth.
Witness said that when the man was in this state,
Cotterill, the elder, the warder, laid hold of him
and with an oath, shook him; Cotterill, the son, said "If
I had him three or four days on the crank wheel I'd bring
him round." On the morning after Hodgett's death,
witness saw Lawson and Cotterill together, and then said to
the latter " It won't be good for some of your healths if I
go on the inquest." I said this because I thought there
had been gross neglect, inasmuch as so many loaves had I
been taken out of the man's cell on the morning before. I
beard Jefferies, one of the officers, say that he would give
five pounds if he could get Lawson dismissed. I have
known men lie ill for seven days together and the doctor
not see them.
Freer, the chief warder, was re-called and examined re-
lative to his conduct in connexion with the death of
Hodgetts. He prevaricated, and contradicted almost en-
tirely the evidence he had given at the coroner's inquest.
He admitted that he saw the man in a fit and unable to
speak, but notwithstanding this he left him without obtain-
ing medical advice, though, on being pressed, he now swore
that the man was not in a state fit to be left ; and although
he did give the governor some information of the case, he
teak no such steps as its emergency required.
At five o'clock the inquiry was again adjourned.
In the course of the day Mr. Adderley, M.P., and Mr.
M. D. Hill, Q.C., the recorder, were present; the latter
said he came to pay his respects to her Majesty's commis-
sioners, though he knew nothing of the inquiry on which
they were engaged.

COLLISION ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAIL-
WAY.-SEVERAL PASSENGERS SERIOUSLY
INJURED.

Yesterday evening a frightful collision, resulting
in serious injury, in the shape of broken limbs and cuts and
contusions to several fint•class passengers, and is all probs.
Wit), in fatal consequences, took place on the line of the
Great Northern Railway, at throaty. The collision was
of that fearful character, and the alarm created thereby so
great, that anything like a thorough detail of the circum-
stances was unobtainable. The following, however, will be
found to be a correct outline. It appears that shortly be-
fore five o'clock, the period for the departure of the down

express from the King's cross terminus, then was a break
down of a coal train at Horny on the ',up line, a portion
of the train being left behind, and a pilot engine, driven
by a man named Paddington, was sent down to bring
it up. About two minutes after the express had left
King's-cross a telegraphic message was received that
the line at Hornsey was not clear. The express
dashed on at its usual speed, and the driver seeing
the stopping signal on at Homey, shut off his steam, and
reversed his engine 200 yards on the London side of the
signal post, but having ten carriages attached, so great was
his impetus, that the express dashed into the pilot engine,
which was at the time shunting across the line, and the
carriages of the express were thrown one upon the other,
and a frightful scene presented itself. Several passengers
were taken out in an apparently lifeless condition; three or
four have broken legs; Maxwell, the guard t • the express,
lies at the Railway Tavern, in a hopeless condition ; and
two ladies and a gentleman, a solicitor of Lincoln, are also
so seriously injured as to be unable to he removed; and
two or three gentlemen who have their legs broken and
limbs fractured, were brought up to London. The Lord
Mayor, the Bishop of Lincoln, and Mr. B. Denison, the
chairmen of the company, were in the train, and with the
exception of a slight contusion received by the right rev.
prelate, they escaped.

ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND NORTH

WESTERN RAILWAY.

On Tuesday morning a fearful accident occurred at
the Euston-square terminus of the London and North
Western Railway. Several workmen were engaged on dif-
ferent portions of the rails close to the station, and just as
the half-past six down train was on the point of starting
seven or eight men were in the act of carrying across the
line, close to the terminus, a long portion of an iron rail at
the very moment that the engine which accompanied the
train emerged from the engine shed. The men imagined
that they could effect their transit before the engine arrived
where they were engaged. The result, however, unfor-
tunately proved that they were wrong in their calcula-
tion, for before they could clear the rails the engine came
up, striking the iron rail that they were carrying, and
knocking the men about right and left. Notwithstanding
this frightful collision four of the men succeeded in getting
out of the way of the engine, while two others, named
Edmund Woodland and Abel Robertson, were not so for-
tunate, the engine and tender having passed over them.
They were instantly pick?.l up and conveyed to the Univer-
vereity College Hospital, where they were attended by Dr.
Quoin and Mr. Graham. In addition to serious internal

injuries, Woodland's shoulder and ankle were dislocated.
Robertson, besides many internal wounds, suffered about
the back and head.

THE MALDON BRIBERY CONMISSION.—The oom-
minienen report that open and direct bribery prevailed at
the lut and previous elections for this borough; that a
large portion of the electors, consisting chiefly of the poorer
clam of freemen, are in:Gentled not by the political or per-
sonal recommendations of the candidates, but by the money
habitually employed to corrupt them, and that the blame
of this does not so much rest with them its with their
superiors who tempt them.

RAILWAYS.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERIIAMP-

TOV RAILWAY.

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of thin company
took place yesterday at the London Tavern.
Mr. W. H. Tuuteae presided.
The report states :
" The expenditure charged to capital account during the
first half of the present year was 267,556/., and the total
outlay on the undertaking, up to the present time, is nearly
3,050,0001. The result of the last application to Chancery
mad* by the Great Western Company may be considered to
have finally decided in favour of this company its right to lay
down on the whole of the r ilway the narrow in addition
to the broad gauge. its freedom from any engagement to
lease or sell the undertaking to the Great Western Com-
pany, and its right to work either or both gauges. Imme-
diately after the decision of the Lords Justices the Great
Western Company intimated that they would perfect the
narrow gauge from Wolvercot into and at their pasrenger
station in Oxford, and would give to this company the use
of the intermediate piece of line and station, upon terms to
be settled by the Board of Trade. This offer your direc-
tors accepted, and the result was the opening of this coin-
play's line en the 4th of June for passenger traffic between
Oxford and Worcester; since which time every reasonable
facility for the interchange of such traffic hes been afforded
by the Great Western Company. The mileage worked be.
fore that day during the half-year was 45 miles; subse-
quently, including the line of the Great Western Itiilway
Company from Wolvercot to Oxford-89 miles. In your
directors' estimation the receipts are very satis-
factory, considering the unfavourable circumstances
under which the line has been worked. Additional
capital will be required—fur completing a double
line of mixed gauge ; for finding • certain portion of the
working stock ; for worksht ps and additional station ac-
commodation; and, in 1856, for purchasing the canal from
Stratford-on-Avon to the neighbourhood of Birmingham.
Under the company's act passed this last session, it will be
also requisite to raise capita! for making the Stourbridge,
the Kiogswinford, and the Stratford branches. The

amount require d kir these several matters it is intended to
spread as nearly aa possible equally over a period of tour
years. During the ;list half-year the Stratford and
Moreton tramway was closed fur some weeks, and a consi-
derable outlay was incurred in order to adapt it to the pas-
sage of carriages for passenger magi° between tho main
line and the towns of Stratiord and Shipston-on-Stour, and
also fur waggons and trucks of the gauge of the main line.
The closing of the tramway has materially diminished the
half-year's receipts; and the expenditure upon works the
directors have carried to capital as permanent alterations.
The traffic is now increasing, and as soon as the works in
progress at Moretou, connecting the tramway with the main
line, arc complete, a considerable improvement in the re-
ceipts may be expected. The directors are of opinion that
half only of the total debenture charge for the hulf year
should he debited against revcnue. if the proprietors en-
tertain the same opinion there will be a balance of
7,3251. 16s. 6d. to be divided amongst the preference Aare-
holders, and a resolution fur the division of this amount will
be proposed. The directors regret the loos of the Mid-Western
and the Cheltenham and Oxford bills. The loss of the former

measure is the more a matter of regret, that the committee
of the Commons passed the Tring and Oxford as a means of
effecting the same object more economically, whilst the com-
mittee of the Lords rejected the Tting and Oxford because
it did not accommodate the districts between Theme and
London. They congratulate the proprietors on the passing
of the Bucks Juaction ; which will place the undertaking in
actual connexion with the lines of the London and North
Western Railway at Oxford ; they also congratulate the
proprietors on the passing of the Worcester and llereford
and the Severn Valley Railways; the former being 'practi-
cally an extension from this company's has at Worcester
into South Wales, and the latter an extension from this
company's line near Kidderminster to Coalbrooke Dale and
Shrewsbury. Parliament has granted to this company the
right to use the line of the Great Western Company be-
tween Wolvercot and Oxford (including both the passenger
and the goods stations of that company in that city), upon
either gauge ; and the Great Western Company are bound
to afford all reasouable facilities for the interchange and
transmission of traffic; the period for completing the corn
pany'a line between Priestfield and Wolverhampton has
been extended to November next. The effect of this last
year's legislation is to place the Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton Railway in connexion with the narrow
gauge systems of railways at Oxford, Worcester, and Kid-
derminster, in addition to the narrow panne junctions pre-
viously sanctioned at Abb.itavrood, Stoke near Droitwich,
Dailey, Tipton, and Wolverhampton. These numerous
narrow gauge junctions demonstrate the necessity of con- '
tinning to work the Oxford,Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Railway on that gauge. Amicable relations exist between
this company and the Louden and North-Western and
Midland Companies."
The revenue account showed receipts, balance of traffic
account, 13,249/. 17s. 2d. ; Stourbridge Cana1,1,7161. 35.2 d. ;
recta, 3731. 3s. ; total, 16,3391. 3s. 44. Payments—Strat-
ford and Moreton Railway account, 7951. Is. 6d.; moiety
of interest on debenture debts, 7,218/. bs. 6d. ; balance,
7,3261. 16s. 6d. The total payments on capital account
to the present time are stated at 3,045,2801., and the re-
ceipts at 3,066,679/. 71. 9d.
The report was adopted.
A reit dution declaring the dividend at the rate of 11. 14s.
per annum per share on the 6 per cent. preference shares
was then agreed to.
The usual compliment having been paid to the chairman
and the directors, the meeting separated.

MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLN
SHIRE RAILWAY.

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the proprietors
of this railway took place yesterday, in the Manchester Corn
Exchange, the Earl of YARBOROUGH, chairman of the
board of directors, presiding. The report, an abstract of
which has already appeared in the Express, was taken
as read.
The report and accounts were agreed to unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN moved a dividend, of 6 per cent. on the
6 per cent guaranteed stock, which was also agreed to.
A motion for consolidating the 41. paid up on the Lin-
colnshire stock was agreed to.
Mr. C. CUMBER moved that free passes to shareholders
to the meetings of the company be discontinued, and said
the consultation committee had found great evils to Arise
from the practice, by such passes being used for business

purposes.
Mr. DALTON seconded the motion.
Mr. ili.cocr moved as an amendment that passes be
given to ell shareholders with above 2501. stock.
Mr. WILES seconded the amendment.
On a show af hands both motion and amendment were
lost, but a poll was demanded on the motion, and was pro-
°ceding when our report left.