The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-20 00:00:00

A CLERGYMAN FINED FOR DRUNKENNESS.

TEIGNMOUTH, FRIDAY.
A bench of nine magistrates, Mr. E. Gulson in
the chair, were engaged six hours yesterday in hearing an 1
extraordinary charge of drunkenness preferred against the
Rev. Thomas Borne (generally known as " Father") Simp-
son, incumbent of Fast Teignmouth parish church. The
case had been previously heard before six magistrates, I
and as they were equally divided in opinion, it was ad-
journed to this day. The court and its approaches were
crowded to excess, the general feeling prevailing that the
defendant was being prosecuted on account of his I
ritualistic practices, which have recently been brought
before the Privy Council, and defended by the English
Church Union. Mr. Collins, barrister, of the home
circuit, prosecuted ; and Mr. M. Fryer, of Exeter, de-
fended. The alleged offence took place as far back as No-
vember 3, and the information was not laid until three
months afterwards, the parties who had taken up the
case promising not to proceed with it if Mr. Simpson
would cease displaying his ritualistic tendencies ; but
the reappearance of Mr. Simpson bearing a gilt crow in
the church caused them to take out a summons. The
principal evidence was that of Sergeant Coles, who
had been ten years in the force. He said that on the
evening of November 3, about half-past 8. as he was
standing at the corner of Wellington-street, the de-
fendant approached him from the direction of the
Market-house Hotel ; he was rambling and unable to
walk straight, being under the influence of drink. His
voice was thicker than usual, his face was unusually red,
and he could not stand stilL He offered • florin to wit-
ness, who would not take it, and he made • rambling
story about the sth of November, expressing • fear that
his efilipr would be burnt in public on that day, and •
desire that extra police ahould be put on duty. William
Born, • retired smith, of East Teignmouth, who had first
laid the information, said he saw the defendant in the
company of the sergeant ; defendant was so drunk that he
could not walk in • straight line. In cross-examination
witness strongly denied that the expenses of the prosecu-
tion had been guaranteed to him. The Chairman—Why,
he is worth five or six hundred • year. Mr. Fryer—l am
very glad to hear it. (Laughter.) Alfred Hamlyn, • gar-
dener, in the employ of the chairman, deposed to the de-
fendant staggering about in a tipsy condition. For the
defence several ladies were called who attended Divine
service at the church on the evening in ques-
tion. According to custom they delivered flowers
to the defendant at the end of the church, and he
carried them in each hand to the super-altar at the other
end. He was perfectly sober. The bench took objection
to the term super-altar, as it was not recognised in the
Articles of the Church of England. The witnesses ex-
plained that they meant the communion table. Defend-
ant was convicted, and fined ss. and costs, in all If. 125.,
in default of payment seven days' imprisonment. The
, chairman having given the decision, the three magistrates
who were against • conviction each expressed in strong
language his opinion that it was not justified by the evi-
dence. Mr. Gideon—As chairman I adjourn the court.
Three of the magistrateshad been subisenaed es witnesses,
and on the opening of the case application was made that
they should retire from the bench ; but they had taken
the opinion of the Lord Chancellor on the question, and on
his authority adjudicated on the case.

THE NORTH-EASTERN RATLWAY.—An alarming
collision occurred in a tunnel upon the Newcastle and
Tynemouth branch of the North-Eastern Railway on
Thursday afternoon. The tunnel runs under North
Shields, and as the passengers at the station at that place
were waiting for the 3 o'clock train from Tynemouth to
Newcastle, to emerge from the tunnel to take them on,
they heard a fearful crash, followed by a locomotive coming
outof the tunnel. and they lied in all directions. They thought
an explosion had occurred; this was not the ease, but a pas-
senger train had run into a heavy goods train. It seems
that a goods train left the Tynemouth station shortly before
3 o'clock ; bat from some cause—it is said for want of water
--the driver had lost his steam, and the consequence was
that the train, a long one, had stuck in the middle of the
tunnel. Through some blundering of the signal men the
tunnel had been signalled clear for the 3 o'clock passenger
train from Tynemouth, and the result was that it ran
with tremendous fore. into the standing goods train.
Four goods wagons were completely " smashed up," and
the line was entirely blocked. The goods engine by some
means was got out of the tunnel, and the accident was
telegraphed to Newcastle. A large staff of workmen were
brought down and the line was cleared to allow the 5.10
train to proceed to Tynemouth. Several of the passengers
in the train which ran into the waggons were hurt, but no
Geneve injuries occurred. The signalman at the North
Shields station has been suspended, and the cause of the
collision is being carefully inquired into by the railway
authorities, the accident being • very unfortunate affair
for the company, on the ere of the Easter holidays and in
the fevered state of the public mind with regard to the
enene-drivers' strike.SUICIDE OP A FARMER Ill' POISON.—A shock-
ing case of suicide by poivon took place on Saturday in
Teesdale, near Barnard Castle. A respectable fanner
named John Hind, residing at Highwood Farm, Teesdale,
left home about 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon to
go and see his sheep on the allotment, some distance
from his house ; and his wife becoming uneasy
through his long absence, went out to look for
him, and saw him fall off hie horse. She ran to him
and told him to get up, to which be replied, " Don't
be in a hurry." Assistance was then procured, and the
man was conveyed to his house, where he died on the
following morning about 3 o'clock, haying only lived
about seven hours after his wife had seen him fall. It
appeared that deceased had • short time previously per.
chased three ounces of laudanum at the shop of Mr.
Richardson, at Copley, and it was the opinion of the me-
dical gentleman who was called in that the taking of this
had been the cause of death. It seems that deceased bad
been for son.e time in a depressed state of mind.—York
Herald.

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. —A letter from Elphino-
ton, In Victoria, Australia, dated Feb. 22. my* :—" We
have had very warm weather here. On more than one
occasion the thermometer has been 116 in the shade.
Snakes have been very numerous. We have bad three
fires near here this year ; one, about three weeks ago,
burnt 1,000 arms of grans; but some heavy rains have
fallen, which will put • stop to fires. I have been stop-
ping at Melbourae. I find that Sir Manners Sutton is
very popular."