The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-16 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE.

SERIOUS OBSTRUCTION ON THE RIGENT.B CANAL, AND LORA

OF LI7L,

Jost ph Sharpe, described as a captain of a barge, was
brought up oo a warrant chaged under the 520 d of Geo.
!IL, chap. 495, sec. 32, for "that be did unlawfully by
misplacing a certain barge obstruct the navigation of the
Regent's t?anaL"

Glasse, solicitor to the company, attended in
this case to prosecute, and said the prisoner had originally
been summoned, but sa he failed to attend awarrant was ob-
tained for his apprehension. This was the first time that
such • prosecution as this had been instituted since the
establishment of the company, in 1812. It would appear
that the prisoner was in the employ of Mr. Lacey, ship and
barge owner, and had the charge of a barge of the value
of 4004, laden with sand to take from Limehowe
to the Marylebone wharf. He took her safely
to within • half mile of this wharf. when be deserted her,
through, as he now alleges, her being too heavily laden to
proceed any further. It she had been so heavily laden it
was his duty to have either turned back or taken steps,
to lighten her, The consequent,e of his deserting
her for two or three days wee that she was run into by
another large, and sunk in such • position as to completely
impede the traffic on the canal, both going from and coming
to London. He had no business out of his_ barge, as there
was a good cabin and plenty of firing. He should have sent
for assistance if he had got into any difficulty. He knew
be ought to have done this under the company's bye
laws, which are posted at every lock. Mr. Lucey
felt bound to take up this matter, as it had become
a common thing for men to desert their barges
now. They take their barges from Limehonie up
to • certain part of the canal, instead of taking
them on to Marylebone wharf, than return and after being
paid retnni for another barge. They then take the two
up together. They get paid • barge up to Meryl,-
bone. and taking one barge at • time on to its
destination, they can earn Ws. a week, making
two journeys a week. In this case, Mr. Ware, the
traffic manager, with • staff of men, was engaged seven hours
in raising the barge from the middle of the canal, sod
there were from 18 to 20 boats all waiting to go by. When
the barge was got up there was such a general rush by the
boatmen to get on again, and such scrambling, that one man
was knocked into the canal at the bridge hole of Maids-
bill tunnel, and was drowned. The prisoner, when he left
his barge, did not even so much as put his lights up, and when
he was spoken to about it he said be did not care whether it
sank or swam. He was not going to stick to it. The learned
gentleman concluded by asking the magistrate to inflict
the full penalty as • warning to other..
_ _

Ncitneeses were called who full;—supported the above
statement, and

The migiatrate indicted a fine of 51. and 46. cods, or in
default of payment, one month's bard labour.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
KICKING a LAN DOWN A PLIGHT OF NUM.
- - -- •

FraUer Walters, • butcher. was charged before Mr.
Tyr whitt, on remand, with kicking Mr. Daniel Lewis,
undertaker, of No. 7, Little Bt. Andrew-street, down •
flight of stairs.
Mr. Edward Dillon Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street,
appeared for the defence.
On the last occasion the prosecutor, who for some time
past has been suffering from bronchitio,was unable to attend.
He was in stteadanre today and stated that while going
up the stairs of his house the prisoner first struck him and
thee kicked him down • flight of stairs. He had no recol•
lection of what afterwards occurred, hari•g become Wen-