The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-16 00:00:00

CURIOUS LIBEL CABS

At the Greenwich Polioe-court yesterday, Mr.
Joseph Hopgood, of Wyton.house, Laurie-park, Ryden-
ham, appeared to a summons before Mr. Trash,
which charged him with having written and published a
libel concerning Mr. Alfred Watson, solicitor, of Cannon-
street, City, he knowing the same to be false.
Mr. F. H. Lewis attended for the prosecution, and Mr.
Sleigh (instructed by Mr. Fryer, solicitor, of Gray's-inn),
appeared for the defendant.
Mr. Lewis, in opening the case, said that the libel which
was the subject of complaint had been written on the
lining and on the glass of windows in first-clan carriages
on tbe London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway. The
complainant was an attorney, one of the firm of Watson
and Broughton. Unfortunately he became acquainted
with the defendant about four years ago, the
latter being known as a promoter of public com-
panies, among others that of the Cleveland Iron
Company, of which the complainant was the soli.
eitor, and was to receive • certain amount of money
when the company was floated. The defendant was also
the promoter of the Albert Club, of which the com-
plainant was a member, and in the years 1,463-4 he un-
fortunately engaged in card playing with the defendant,
paying him for losses the large sum of 1101. At games at
" cribbage" the complainant also subsequently lost with
the defendant to the extent of 3301. but from something
which came to complainant's knowledge he refused to pay
this money unless a settlement of accounts took pha.
between him and the defendant, he (complainant) having
money to receive in respect of the Cleveland Iron Com-
pany, and other business.
The complainant was then called. He mid that in
November, 1861, he was shown the canvas lining of •
first-class carriage belonging to the London, Brighton, and
South Coast Railway Company, on which was written,
in pencil, "A. Watson, IS, Cannon-street West, is a
m,r&liarper." These words he would swear were in the defen-
dant's handwriting. The canvas lining in question was pro-
duced in court, as also six of the door windows of railway
carriages, on the glens of which had been cut with a dia-
mond the complainant's name, and the expressions " thief,"
"blackguard," "card thief," and "cheat and forger."'
The complainant swore that these were in defendant's
handwriting three of the windows being discovered so
cut in March, 1865, and the others in January last. The
defendant, it was said, wore a diamond ring which he
represented he had given sixty guineas for.
Charles Chabot and Mr. F. S. Netherclift, experts, gave
it as their opinion that the libels complained of were
in the handwriting of defendant.
In answer to the charge defendant denied being the writer
of the libels, and called the Rev. A. Goalee, of Brampton.
Middlesex, and Mr. K P. Tweedie, formerly manager of
the Falmouth Bank, who said that in their opinion the
libels were not in his handwriting.
Mr. ffib said there was an important witness he should
wish to and for whose attendance he should apply for
a summons. He had, therefore, to ask for an adjournment
of the case for that purpose
Mr. Traill said he had
L:objection to an adjournment
until Thursday next, but he should require the defendant
to enter into reoognizances of 2001. for his appearance on

that day.
The required recognizance' having been entered into, the
parties left the court.

THN LATE FIRE AND Lone OF LIFE IN biARTLE-
-11155--The adjourned inquilyrespeding thedeaths of the
six persons who lost their lives at the tire in Bryanstom•
street, Oxford-street, last Monday, was resumed yester-
day evening, when a verdict of " Accidental death" was
returned.

-----
ACTION AGAINST AN INSOLVENT RAILWAY COY-
PANT.—Au application was made at Shrewsbury yesterday,
before the deputy-sheriff and a special jury, in the matter
of the Bishop's Castle Railway Company. The line in
question runs from Craven Arms, on the Shrewsbury and
Hereford Railway, to Bishop's Castle, with a projected
continuation to Montgomery, where it was intended to
form a junction with the Cambrian system. In December
last, however, at a time when the traffic on the authorised
portion of the line was in full working order, the railway
was seized for debt by the sheriff's officers, and its rolling
stock impounded. On the 23rd January the claim under
which the writ was issued not having been satisfied, the
whole of the railway plant was sold by auction, and the
proceeds applied in settlement of the debt sued upon.
Immediately after this event Mr. Williams, another credi-
tor, also obtained • judgment against the company, but
when the writ was issued it was found that there were no
goods or chattels whereon to distrain, and the present
action was accordingly brought to obtain a writ of eligit,
whereby Mr. Williams would be empowered to obtain and
bold possession of the lands of the company until his
claim was settled. Several witnesses were called to prove
the acreage and annual value of the surplus and other
lands held by the railway company, and ultimately the
writ as applied for was ordered to issue. Mr. Willnuns's
claim is for 966 i.

THE THEE AAA A D STRIKE OF ENGINE-DEIVERN.
—At a meeting of engine-drivers and firemen held last
evening, it was stated that the proposed concessions of
the directors of the Midland Cornpaey, in answer to the
memorial addressed to them some time since, were not
sufficiently satisfactory to suit the requirements of the
Urge body of engine-drivers and firemen, and that the lat-
ter, in anticipation of their requests not being
further complied with, had prepared their notices
to leave the company's service. It was also stated
that no further arrangement having been come
to with the directors of the North Eastern Railway, the
notices of resignation of the men were to be sent in
yesterday. Deputations from three of the large companies
have already met, and judging from the meagre in-
formation obtained as to the results, there is little doubt
but that in two cases, at least, there will he no neces-
sity for the men to hold out. The drivers employed
on the London and North Western Railway have
had an interview with their locomotive superintendent
at Crewe, who on behalf of the company entered readily
into all the grievances of which they complained. Mr. Rams-
bottom, after some discussion, considered the claims of
the men separately, and granted many of them. He,
however, wished them to accept sixty hours as a week's
work, which would be at the rate of ten hours per day,
what the men require ; but as the latter think that the
concession framed in this =inner would not alterthe exist-
ing long hours, and that sometimes probably they might
have to work sixteen and eighteen hours one
day and only a few the next, they deferred
their decision on the question until the opinion of their
society had been taken upon it. The deputation will
meet the superintendent again next Tuesday. The inter-
view between the engine drivers of the Great Western
Railway and the chairman of the company, Sir D. Gooch,
took place on Wednesday at the Paddington Terminus.
After considerable discussion, from which good results
are anticipated. it was resolved that the deputation should
wait on the board of directors next week.

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