The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-06 00:00:00

MIsLIKEN IDENTITY.

Oa Tuesday Mr. Wm. Carter, coroner for East
Farm, resumed and concluded the inquiry at the Queen's
Head Tavern, Rotherhithe, relative to the circumstances
attending the death of Elisabeth M'Donald, aged 41, who
sou found lying, on the 27th ult., in an insensible state in
the roadway near the Canal-bridge in the Old Kent-road,
and who died while being conveyed to the Itotherhithe
police-statioa. On the former investigation, a boy
_named
Tackpectively id, ended a man named James Ward, •
carman in the employ of Mr. Brooker, a fruit-grower, as
being the driver of the van from which the deceased fell or
was thrown, sad afterwards run over, by which she re-
ceived several 'cure injuries which caused her death. The
boy Tuck also stated that he heard the deceased say is the
" Oh, you wretch, you have pushed me out of the
van, sad run over me ;" and also that he heard them
quarrelling before she fell out of the van. Mr. Tilley,
'mean, deposed that when he made the post 1110YteNS
examination of the body be did not open the head, but
he tad sine* done so, in accordance with the coroner's
orders. From the state of the brain he had no doubt the
deceased had been subject to giddiness, but that had no
affect on the death. Mr. Inspector Steed, of the M divi-
sion. deposed ttia' on Monday night last he apprehended •
teas named William &ails at Byreford, Kent. Witness
asked when he was on the morning of the 27th ult.,
aao be said he was going to market with his master's fruit-
Sala He (Sesils) also stated that he took a woman up is
Lieu, and that she eat in the fore part of the van, en the
star side. The woman was very drank, and fell out of the
tan Limo the road near the canal bridge in the Old Kent-
Pied, sad that he, in attempting to save her, also fell out.
He asked a boy to help him to drag the woman to the
Pavement, but he refused, and he (Stalls) did 110
him-
telt. sad then left her. Ile als• said that Ward was quite
hancest, and that the boy Tuck's statement was all false,
lucent that he saw the woman fall out. lie (witness) had
as doubt that the boy Tuck had been mistaken in his idea-
hg of Ward, as the description of Sails and Ward was
surly the same. From the fact of several duplicates and
"se papers being found on Tuck Whinging to the dee
anised, there was very little doubt bat that be had robbed
the untortsiate deceased of them when she was first found.
Kr- lidless said that the boy Tuck (who was apprehended
64,44:1ag • cap), while in one of the cells of Southwark,
mid to another prisoner, "If it lad not been for my own
saisfeetune, I should have made a good thing of the woman's
/ob.'. The jury, after about half an hour's deliberation,
warned a verdict of "accidental death," adding that they
.Tilted no reliance whatever on the statement of the boy
644

STATE Of NAVIGATION ON 7116 LOWER D.tNUBL.—
TM Milano mouth of the Danube would ;appear to be is a
wine condition than ever. A Berlin letter, of the 2nd,
ssr that—On the 9th of September the Russian dredging
riaci.ine had entirely stopped work, and was declared to be
spilled sad totally unfit for further service. The Swaim
unseen an said now to pass through the Kills mouth of
the bansbe with every confidence and safety. The neviga-
LOS Of the Danube is now fallen to a lower ebb than bas of
late beta chronicled ; the depth of the water at the Selina
*is now oil y sin feet. The vessels coming from Coates.
twilit are, of count, still obliged to unload and convey
their cargoes by lighters on board the Lloyd steamers,
which do the same by the goods and passengers they have
br,u;ht down the stream. These steamers in their tura
sot main unload at ()alit:, end again at the Irongate,
where the depth of water is now reduced another half foot,
so that cot even ton boats without cargo can be towed over
the rapds. One steamer plies from the Iroitgate to Galata,
md another from there to Salina, sad a third from there to
Coastantinople.
rhoPoakti SHIPWRECK ASYLUM AT Till GOOD-
WIN Sax is proposed to establish by subscription an
asylum for shipwrecked crews and vessels near these eel.-
timed sande, by constructing a breakwater a 2,000 feet,
test high, with • tower of 100 lest, a lighthouse, and
**Pas.

IVENT KENT RAILWAY.
•

A numerous and influential meeting of noblemen
sad gentlemen, proprietors of land in West Kent, was held
yesterday, 11. the large room of the Crown Hotel, Seven.
oaks, to consider the expediency of forming a line of rail-
way frcmlenham to Brumley, by Otturd to Maidstone,
with branches to Lewisham, Greenwich, &them. and New.
ington-causeway, tor lo.el and suburban tragic, and with
duplicate lines, and independent termini fur the Crystal
Palace traffic. Among the noblemen and gentlemen pre.
sent were the following:—Thu Most Noble the Marquis of
Camden, Viscount Homesdale, the Right lion. Mr. Ber-
ries, Sir John Lubb ick, Bart., Sir Samuel Hancock, Sir
John B. W. Muunsell, Burt.' Mr. Peter Cater, Mr. W.
Lunburde, Mr. J P. A!kies, Mr. 11. Hughes, Mr. I. N.
Hargrave, Mr. W. Il cks, Mr. Robert Main, &c.
On the motion of Viscount HONESDALE, the Marquis of
Commix was called to the chair.

The CHAIRMAN having stated that Viscount fitydney, Mr.
Olendining, Mr. Mildmay, and other gentlemen in ed
in the project, were unable to attend, observed that the
' district of West Kent was the largest and most popul 'us in
'any of the home s,unties which was unprovided with rail-
' way accommodation. It was only natural, therefore, that the
landowners of West Kent should be anxious for direct rail-
way communication between Maidstone and the metropolis.
The E.st Kent Railway Company having last session suc-
ceeded in obtaining pliers to construct a railway from
&rood to Canterbury, it occurred to many of the lanaowncrs
of the western division of the county to inquire into the
modes by which they had accomplished their ..'•!ect. Having
bees informed that Sir Charles } ox was mainly instrumental
in procuring the East Kent Railway, he (the chairman),
Lord Horseedale, and other gentlemen, hought it desirable
to communicate with that gentleman, in order to ascertain
how far it might be in his power to assist them to mike
their line. At their request Sir Charles Fox met them at
Sevennks, and stated the terms upon which he felt
inclined to assist them. Ile had favoured them with the
outline of a project, and it now remained for the laud-
owners of the county to say whether they would approve of it.
(Hear, hear.) Sir Charles Fox estimated the expense of
the line from Byolenham to Maidstone at 500,0001., which it
was now proposed to raise by 20,000 shares of 251. each.
Of this sum it aas proposed that one-fourth, or 5,000
shares, should be taken up by residents in the district, and
three-fourths by non-local capitalists. This was the sub-
stance of the proposition which Lord Homesdale and him-
self were anxious to consult the gentlemen of the county
upon, and it appeared to them to be so reasonable and
advantageous to the district proposed to be served, that
they were prepared to give it every support in their power.
(Hear, hear.)
In reply to queAions from Lord Homesdale and Mr.
Dent,
Mr. COBB stated that the proposed direct line would com-
mence by a junction with the Brighton line at Sydenham,
and thence to a point at Beckenham-lane, when there would
be a station, and then by Bromley to Orpwood, Farnborough,
and °Hord to Maidstone, allowing the old line as laid down
by Sir William Cubitt. It was considered desirable that
land at St. Faith's-green should be secured for the purposes
of the Maidstone st.tien. and arrangements bad been made
to purchase it. The line would take a somewhat different
count to that of the landowners' line of 1860, and would in
some part be a groat improvement upon it. There would
be no gradient less than 1 in 132, instead of 1 in 103, and
the line would be the most direct and speedy that could be
laid down. The average cost would be 18,0001. per mile,
which would include the purchase of land, stations, par-
liamentary expenses, and every outlay, with the exception
of rolling stock.
The Right Hen. Mr. finals& said that the landowners
of \Vest Kent were deeply sensible of the disadvantages un-
der which they laboured from the want of railway accommo-
dation. They were, therefore, desirous to remedy the pre-
sent state of things as soon as possible ; but, before they
subscribed their capital to the extent of the one-fourth re-
quired, they were anxious to knew from Sir Charles Fox
whether the direct line from Sydenham to Maidstone was to
be dependent upon the capital being subscribed for the short
lints, and whether they could depend upon the remaining
portion of the capital being subscribed. He should also like
to know what arrangements could be made with the
Brighton Company to carry their traffic.
Sir CH•RLIII Fox replied that, although the intention
was to apply for three acts of parliament, the main line
from Sydenhana to Maidstone would be perfectly indepen-
dent of the others, and would in no way he contingent upon
their success or failure. (Hear, hear.) He had had a con-
versation with Mr. Laing, the chairman of the London and
Brighton Company, and that gentleman had informed him
that they would only be too happy to ,take up the traffic
from Sydenham to London. The promoters of the Crystal
Palace line were also friendly to them, for, feeling as they
did their own inability to carry the *sermon number of
passengers going to the palace, they were anxious to have
feeders in all directions.
_ _

After some further conversation,
Lord ROMISD4LI proposed a resolution to the effect,
that the meeting approved of the projected liar, and
pledged itself to support it by subscribing towards the
proportion of shares to be taken up by the landowners of
' the county.
Mr. Huila fluortis seconded the resolution, which was
earned unanimously.
A list of share subecriben was then opened by the noble
chairman, and in a few minutes a large proportion of the
shame was subscribed for by the gentlemen present.
Resolutions were then pissed, that a copy of the list of
shares subscribed, as entered into at the meeting, be circu-
lated among the landowners and residents generally in the
district, and that an application, signed by the chairman
on behalf of the meeting, be addressed to each soliciting
their to-operation and support—that a provisional com-
mittee be appointed to carry the undertaking into effect,
and that the members for the boroughs of Maidstone, Green-
wich and Southwark, and for the county of Surrey, be re-
quested to cooperate with them.
After some other routine business was disposed of, a vote
of thanks was 'named to the noble chairman for his conduct
while presiding, and the meeting separated.