The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recor3er.)
Ilenry Coe Coupe, a well-dressed gentlemanly-looking
man, surrendered to take his trial upon an indictment
for obtaining, by false pretences, from Henry Porter
Smith the sum cf. 4,0007., and from Sir John Wilson a
like sum of 4,0007. by a similar false pretence.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Sleigh prosecuted, and Mr. Bal
lantine and Mr. Parry defended.
The facts of the case have already appeared at length
in The Sun, and it is expected that the trial of the
prisoner will occupy the court the entire day.

DEPARTURE OF A DETACHMENT OF
ARMY WORKS CORPS.-(THIS DAY.)

At half-past 9 o'clock this morning a detachment, con-
sisting of 200 of the Army Works Corps, as organised
by Sir J. Paxton, took their departure for the Crimea
by a special train from the Bricklayers' Arms Station of
the South-Eastern Railway to Dover, and will
thence proceed to Marseilles and the overland
route. The men looked remarkably well, and
were loudly cheered on the departure of the
train by several hundred persons, who had assembled
in the vicinity of the station. The train also carried a
vast number nf the gallant artificers' tools, with several
large tents to accommodate 60 men each, from B.
Edginton's, made of strong canvas, and other necessary
articles for the comfort of the men. This body of men
will he fllowed by 250 others, all first-rate workmen,
on the 25th of the present month. Sir J. Paxton, and
a vact number of influential gentlemen were present at
the station to witness the departure, and were evidently
well satisfied with the good spirits and satisfactory ap-
pearance of the men.

CURIOUS FOST TRANSIT.—A live lizard, measuring
19 inches in length, was posted in Sornersetshire, di
reeled to Dr. Pettigrew, in London, and actually arrived
safe and lively after having undergone no less than eight
procegses of post•olfice stampings. Four postage stamps
covered the weight. A live bluebottle that was placed
as food for the lizard was dead at the journey's end.
GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic
re-
tarn for the week ending Sept. 15, 1855 £6,109 9 3
Corresponding week last year 5,619 5 1

Increase in 1855... 2290 4 2
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for
the week ending Sept. 9, 1855 £6,793 0 1
Corresponding week last year 6,149 14 0
Increase in 180 £6-13 6.i 1

TilE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH.
EASTERN RA I LIVAY.

DEATH OF ANOTHER OF THE SUFFERERS.

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.

READING, Sept,. 17.—We have now to add to the list
of the dead rs. Norton, the wife of Mr. George Nor-
ton, clerk in the Goods-office at the South-Eastern
Station, Reading. .She expired late on Friday night ;
and it is a matterbf wonder that she should so long have
survived the accident, considering the fearful nature of
the injuries she had received.
The inquest was resumed this morning, in the large
room at the public office.
John Smith Hathaway, farmer, living at the London-
road Farm, and John S mm, a shepherd, described the
accident of which they were witnesses.
William Graham, living at Reading, who had both
arms in slings, and appeared to be suffering from a late
accident, said he was an engine-driver, and on Wednesday
evening last he had charge of the 5.25 p.m. train from
Red-hill to Reading. The train reached Wokinghatn
about a minute before its time, but it did not leave that
station until its usual time, 13 minutes past seven. All
proceeded safely until just after the train got out of the
Tuns cutting, when lie perceived something coming, but
he did not at all think it was on the same line. When
about ten yards off from the engine he saw that it was
on the same line of rails, and knew that a collision was
inevitable. He first perceived that the engine was on
the wrong line by the man opening the door of the fire-
hole. He could then see a man on the south side of the
engine, standing up. The collisiou took place almost
immediately afterwards, and he (Graham) was pitched
off on to the tsp of the boiler of his own engine, and
-omething fell upon him. He was jammed in between
the level and the boiler. He succeeded in extricating
himself in about three or four minutes.

By the Coroner—lf an engine had been coming to
meet him, he should have received a telegraphic message
to that effect, and he should not have been allowed to
leave Wokingham unless the line had been clear. It was
an invariable rule, before they left any station, that they
received a telegraphic message certifying that the line
was clear. This was done before they left Wokingham.
The telegraphic message received from Red-hill, and a
copy of which was found on the deceased Crosley, was
read to the witness, and he said, in answer to various
questions, that Crosley, on getting the engine prepared,
ought to have communicated with Mr, Thew. By omit-
ting to report himself to the station master, and going
by the signals, Crosley acted in contradiction to the rules
of the company.
The witness, at the close of his examination, left the
room, evidently i❑ great pain from the injuries he bad
rioeived.

Francis Smitb, the guard, gave similar evidence.
William Sansom, 29, Church-street, said—l am a
porter on the South-Eastern Railway. I received a
telegraphic message to convey to Crosley, the driver of
the pilot engine. I delivered it to him at his own resi-
lence, about two minutes to seven. He appeared to be
quite sober and not confused.
James Wallis, of Spring-gardens, foreman porter of
the goods department at the Relviing station, said—l
was standing at the corner of the engine house by thi
goods shed when I saw Crosley run into the engine house
from the Forbury, and i❑ less than two minutes he came
,ut of the engine shed on his engine, tender first. He
went up the down line towards Wokingham, at the
speed of 15 or 16 miles an hour. I could not see whe-
ther the lamps were lighted. All the danger signals
were up. He did not stop or regard any of those signals.
If a switchman had been in his place be could not have

directed him into the up line, as he was going too fast.
knew there was a train due at 7.30. He gave no signal
At all by whistling as be was coming out, which made
ne suppose he was coming back. I cannot account for
his conduct. _ _

Mr. Thew, the station master at Reading, said—l am
responsible for the correct discharge of all the duties of
.he company's servants placed under me at the station.
The porter brought the message produced to me while I
.vas at home at tea. I sent the person who came down
to the engine shed to look for one of the cleaners ; and
•f no cleaner could be found a porter was to take the
message to Crosley, in order that he might prepare hi,
ngine to proceed to Guildford. I did not see or hear
Crosley until I beard of the accident. It was Crci,ley's
luty to have informed me when he was prepared to take
he engine out of the shed. He did not do so. In
eaving the station without my authority it was an in-
fringement of a great many regulations of the cote any.
In order to have come out ho must have rased the
!anger signal. The fact of his leaving without his
snips was also an infringement of the rules. As soon
is be passed the signals he was entirely out of my hands
ind became responsible for all the movements of the en-
gine. I❑ my opinion the rules and regulations of the
company are sufficient to prevent all accidents, provided
hey are obeyed. If be had reported himself to me I
-hould have telegraphed to Wokingham before I had
allowed him to depart. I have bee❑ at this station five
or six years, and always found the present system work
with safety. There has been no accident on the line
since I have been connected with it.

The Coroner—Supposing there had been a switchman
At these particular points, would that have prevented
his going on the down line?
Mr. Thew—No, not if there had been 20 switchmen,
from the speed he was going.
The Coroner summed up, and said it was clear that this
accident happened from the negligence, carelessness, and
inattention of the man Crosley, who had certainly paid
the penalty of his own life for his rashness. The law v.as
very clear upon the point, that when a person took upon
himself the duties of an office, he ought properly to dis-
charge those duties, and if, through negligence, careless-
or inattention to those duties, he caused the death
of any of his fellow•creatures, that person was guilty of
manslaughter. That was clear, and however painful it
night be to cast a slur upon a dead man, still, as the
ovidence was clear, they could not resist coming to the
conclusion that Crosley was guilty of manslaughter. •
The jury retired, and after an absence of a quarter of
en hour they returned, and delivered a verdict of
" Manslaughter against Joseph Crosley, in reference to
the deaths of William Thomas Fynmore, Christopher
Bilton, Sarah Norton, and Francis Beart, and that the
said Joseph Crosley killed and slayed himself." They
recommended that a man be kept constantly to attend
solely to the signals.