The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-23 00:00:00

ing in deliberation long after the court bad adjourned.
Ultimately they returned a verdict fur the plaintiff for
the amount of both pins, 2/. 4s 6d.

CROWN COURT..
(Before Mr. Baron Alderson.)

William Crow, aged 18, and Ihobicts.Hortock, aged
13, were indicted for having wilfully and maliciously
cast stones at a train on the Newmarket Railway, with
intent to endanger the lives of the passengers.
Mr. Metcalf prosecuted ; Mr. Naylor defended the
prisoners.
The facts were that the defendants and some other
lads and boys were playing at " cat " on a bridge over
the line just as a train was approaching at the rate of 18
miles an hour to pass under it. The elder cried out,
"Here comes the train ; I'll throw a stone at it," then
took up a stone and threw it at the train, but missed it.
The younger prisoner took up another stone, placed it
on the parapet of the bridge, and as the train was emerg-
ing from beneath the arch pushed it over. The stone
fell on to the lead of the guard and struck him a smart
blow. For the defence it was contended that the evi-
dence showed very silly and thoughtless conduct, but not
an intent to endanger the lives of the passengers.
Mr. Baron Alderson told the jury that the prisoners
were responsible for the natural consequences of the act
they had committed. Whether it was the stone or the
train that was proceeding at the rate of 18 miles an hour
was perfectly immaterial, if one of them was, ; because,
in either case, the contact of the train with the stone
was likely to endanger life. The defendants might not
have intended to endanger the lives of the passengers ;.
but they could no more be heard to say so than could
a man who should put a redhot-poker into a barrel of
gunpowder round which a number of individuals :night
be collected.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty.

The learned Judge said that the offence committed
was one so serious that the legislature bad invested the
judges with power to punish it by transportation for life,
and it ought to be known that such a power existed. In
this instance he should sentence the young prisoner to
be imprisoned till the rising of the court, and then to be
handed over to his father, who had undertaken to give
him a sound whipping. The elder prisoner was beyond
the reach of such parental discipline, and, moreover,
bad actually thrown the stone. The sentence on him,
therefore, would be that he be imprisoned and kept t•
hard labour for six weeks.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.
YORK, JULY 21.
(Before Mr. Baron Platt and a special jury.)

THE ACCIDENT AT THE LEEDS RAILWAY STATION
DAMAGES, 4,5001.-HALL T. GREAT NORTHERN RAIL-

WAY COMPANY,

The plaintiff is the Recorder of Doncaster, and he
brought the action to recover compensation in damages
for very serious injuries which he sustained while riding
as a passenger in one of the defendants' trains.
Mr. Knowles, Q.C., Mr. Serjeant Wilkins, and Mr.
H. Hill, Q.C., appeared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Wat-
son, Q,C., Mr. Hardy, and Mr. West, for the defendant.
The trial commenced yesterday (Friday) morning,
and occupied until this afternoon.
It appeared that on the evening of the 3d of last Jan.
the plaintiff was proceeding from Leeds to Doncaster
for the purpose of presiding as Recorder at the sessions
of the latter borough. He bad taken his seat in a first-
class compartment of a composite carriage, his clerk,
with four or five other passengers, being in the adjoining
second-class compartment. The train (the engine being
in the rear) was propelled out of the central station, as it
was alleged, at an unusually quick speed ; it had not pro-
ceeded more than 300 yards or so when the break van,
which was at the head of the train, the plaintiff's car-
riage being next, left the rails at some points, and struck
a waggon. In consequence of the great strain upon the
coupling, caused by the engine at the rear continuing to
force on the train, the chain broke. The carriages then
went on, and shortly went off the metals and crossed the
line, and the carriage in which the plaintiff was, being then
the first one in advance, broke down a wall, and for a time
was suspended over the viaduct. The coupling which
held it to the other portion of the train left on the line
at last gave way, and the carriage dropped some 27 feet.
In falling, however, the carriage in some way turned
over, and the end compartment, which was not occupied,
came in contact with a waggon, which broke the fall,
and so prevented a serious sacrifice of life, which would
otherwise have taken place. As it was, however, the
carriage was much shattered, and it was with some diffi-
culty that the plaintiff could be extricated. He was found
to be most shockingly hurt. His head and face were much
cut and bruised, the right thigh was fractured, as also the
left leg and both his right and left arms. His clothing
had to be literally cut off him, and his sufferings were
most severe. Ho lay on his bed for eight weeks, without
scarcely being able to move, and he was unable to leave
his room for some weeks afterwards. The cost of his medi-
cal attendance amounted to between 4001. and 5001. In
addition to being Recorder of Doncaster, it was stated he
had had considerable practice on the Northern Circuit, and
that he sustained serious loss in not being able to pursue
his profession and by his businesss going into other hands.
It was admitted that self acting forcing points (where
the train had gone on) required the constant attend-
ance of a person to watch them, and that it was negli7
gence on the part of the company in not having them SQ
cared for. The pleintiff having been examined, and
other evidence adduced as to the unsafe character of the
points.
Mr. Knowles addressed the jury for the defendants,
and contended the points were not of a dangerous cha-
racter, but otherwise that the company had been guilty
of no negligence, and that it could be shown that the
points were in a • safe and proper working condition ;
that the company had exercised all the care they could,
and, however much they might regret the shocking ac-
cident which had befallen the plaintiff, still the defend.
ants were not to be held liable if they had not contri-
buted to it by any neglect on their part.
Mr. Seymour Clarke, the general manager of the Great
Northern Railway Company, Mr. Fowler, and other
parties were examined as to the character of the points,
and stated that there was no danger in leaving the points
unattended. It was a constant thing to back trains out.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff. Damages
—4,5001.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE PAST WEEK.

Receipts.

NAME OF RAILWAY.