The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-18 00:00:00

he said that the train had been started without his 'litho-
--

rity, but I think so. He led me t understand that
he had started the train. The only two persons at Bletch-
ley authorised to start trains are the foreman, porter, and
myself. There is an assistant porter who Karts trains if
we both happen to be away. The guard on receiving
orders to start gives the signal to the driver to de so by a
whistle. Neither the guard nor the driver ought .to have
started without orders.

Mr. Blots (recalled)—l consider the precautions taken by
means of the telegraph quite sufficient to prevent the
starting of the 5.30 train before the line is clear. It is not
a regular thing for the signal man at the bridge to know
that the coal train has lest Islip. I did not think it possible
for the train to bare started without further orders

from me.

A Juror—Have you been on the platform a sufficient
number of times to know whether the practice has been for
the train to start while the red light is up ; or whether it is
the custom for the green light to be put up before the train
starts ?

Mr. Illott—l believe the custom is for the red signal to be
up, and the moment the driver sounds his whistle to show
that he is in the act of starting, the red signal is lowered, if
the line is clear as far as the man nt the bridge can see.
Owing to the position of the engine it would have been im-
possible for me to have stopped the train that night, even if
I had been on the platform. The only thing I could have
done if I bad known that the driver meant to start, would
have been to have taken him by the collar and pulled him
off the train—

A Juror (interrupting)—But you are begging the ques-
tion altogether that it was the driver's fault.
Banks Farrand (who made the affirmation required of
quakers)—l am employed at the book-stall of the North
Western Railway at the Oxford station. I was there on
the afternoon of the 3rd instant. I saw the 6.30 train pre-
paring for starting. I did not hear any directions given by
aay one to the guard as to starting. I was not near enough.
It was a short train, and the engine chimney was just out-
side the station. The guard's van must have been about
100 feet or more from my stall, where I was. The usual
order to start is the guard's whistle, but I did not hear that
sound before the 6.30 train began to move. Immediately
before the train started I heard the whistle of the engine,
but it was unusually weak. After the train started, Ser-
geant Gwynn' rushtd into Mr.Blott's office, and said, "Did
you start the train, sir ?" I then noticed general anxiety
on the part of the officers of the company. I went up with
them to the scene of the accident, and I found the brake
screwed down; for I had to undo it before the carriage
moved nearer the wounded.
'this being the whole of the evidence, the coroner, at the
request of the jury, despatched his officer to the North
Western station, to bring the first engine-driver he could
find before the court.

In the interval,
John Smith, the foreman of the engines, said—l wish to
state that the driver of a train is justified in starting before
the red light is removed ; he is only forbidden to pose the
bridge before the signal is changed.
Alderman Browning begged to take this public opportu-
nity of acknowledging, on the part of the Bucks Railway,
ei which he was a director, the great obligation which they
mere under to the Great Western Company, who had
seisrded them every possible assistance by =eau of their
staff and electric telegraph. He was the more anxious to
this on account of the mistaken evidence (as he had no
doubt it would turn out) which had been given by one of
their servants.
Mr. Thompson inquired whether he might be allowed to
make a few observations on behalf of Kirsch.
The Coroner—No. I caa't allow that. No one is placed
on his trial here; this is merely a court of inquiry.
The coroner', messenger here returned, and announced
that all the engine-men were absent on ditty, whereupon
The Foreman asked his fellows whether they would
adjourn previous to the commencement of the coroner's
sumanink up ?
A Julor—Certainly. We may be here all night, and I
should like my dinner first. (Laughter.)
The court then adjourned till Wf-yast one.
On their re-assembling,
Wm. Small, an engine-driver In the employ of the
North Western Railway, was then examined. Ile said—l
have been in the habit of driving out of the Oxford station.
It is my invariable practice to start before the red light on
the bridge is lowered. I then sound my whistle and expect
the signal to be changed. If it is not changed, I sound my
whistle again, unless I see any obvious reason why it Is not
lamed. If I do not see the signal lowered!, of course, stop.
I have been in the service of the company 13 years.
The Coroner then proceeded to sum up. He thought he
V irsetnciam congratulate them en the fact that, as far as the
was mod, their labours and his own had
gentheil• esmslaisn. It would now become his duty, if
they required it, to read over to them the testimony he
bad collected ; but he tbseght that they hadp all paid
such attentiou to the are as it had
as would reader it unarrisry to go through the wised-
NM detrains whisk le bad takes. They might at tree
dirties various wahlests from their newidlaratior mid he
should think that that would be the best mode of sharing
the way to a calm end disprisurte onshasisu apse those
points which required move serious investigation. They
had been summered there to inquire into the Noss of the
death of serer individuals, and they could have no doubt
that in the awe et each it had resulted in eassequence of a
million whisk lad taken plea on the railway ; and that
swept in the case of Wilcox (whose desesee happened very
elsortly after) their deaths had all Waniestaitaasolu. As
10 the identity of six of the unfortunate plum there was
aeitte ; but the body of the sevestblid wither been
rzd nor claimed; no penes had bra mimed'
no intelligenee whatever had been received ; sad
so they still remained, as they probably would re-
main for ever, in doubt upon the subject. Another point
might also be dismissed at once, namely, that • colftron
had taken place between a coal train from Islip and a pas-
senger train from Oxford ; and they would likewise concur
with his in thinking that there appeared to be no blame
imputable to anybody connected with the former. The
coal train arrived safe at Islip, was telegraphed to Oxford,
and acknowledged. It then passed on sate to the Oxford-
road Station, where it was agar' telegraphed, and again the
answer of " all right" was received. Afterwards it pro-
ceeded on its way until it met the other train, and the un-
fortunate collision occurred. This morning's Investigation
had &ewe, by the evidence of the station-master at Bletch-
My, that no unnecessary delay bad taken place there; for
if they referred to the time-book which was given to the
lard, they would find that the coal train was not to leave
until after the 2.40 train, and the evidence showed that
there had been no unusual or unnecessary delay in
starting the latter. Perhaps, however, before they
dismissed the subject from their consideration, they
might think it necessary to inquire whether or not it
was right that three engines should be despatched with
ere tram so much longer than sou allowed by rule 18 ; and
whether, although this rule, so stringent in its terms, was
still in force, and although there were no written instruc-
tions to depsrt from it, the explanation given by Mr. John-
son, the station-master, was satisfactory—namely, that it
was for the advantage of the Us/fie, now that it was con-
ducted on one line, that more engines should be attached,
and a larger number of waggons sent, rather than that the
train should be ed, and that the delay which such a
plan would occasion should accrue. That was a matter which
they would talk over when they came Ca discus' what their
verdict should be. But the great question for them to con-
s der would be as to the starting of the 5.30 train from Or-
ford ; and then, he thought, they should begin at the be
ginning, by inquiring seriously with whom that starting
rested? They had heard from a series of witnesses
that the guard was the person to start all
the trains ,• and that he should do it by
his whistle. The book of instructions bail been put in to
show that; and Captain Wynn had very properly drawn
attention to the fact that the regulations only applied to
roadside stations. Now, certainly they could not call Ox-
ford • roadside station; but it had been shown all through.mt
the Case that the custom bad been for the guard to start
the trains by his whistle ; and, although some of the wit-
nesses (Hayes and 0 wynne in particular) had said that they
had known trains started by the words " all right," or by
a wave of the baud, yet they mot recollect the evideme