The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-13 00:00:00

FRENCH POLICE CASES.

(From Galignani's Messenger.)

A man named Levent, who, from having lost a leg, is
obliged to use crutches, was on Monday placed at the bar
of the Tribunal of Correctional Police of Leon (Aisne) to
answer the charge of mendicity and rupture of ban. The
President, after hearing the charge, told him that, owing
to his infirmity, he ought to have remained in the Men-
dicity Depot at Montreuil, in which he had been placed.
On this the man flew into a violent rage, and cried,
" Don't talk to me of Montreuil ; I have had enough of
it !" He then launched into gross abuse of the Presi-
dent and the other judges, and declared he would burn
down the village of Monceau lee Wast, where he bad
been arrested. The President attempted to calm him,
but his fury increased every moment, and at length,
-breaking one of his crutches in two, he flung part of it
at the judges, bat fortunately it did not reach them. He
was then seized and prevented from doing further mis-
chief. The Public Prosecutor demanded that he should
be punished for the outrage to the court, and he was sen-
tenced to five years' imprisonment ; be was also sen-
tenced to a year's additional imprisonment for mendicity.
Two brothers named Nicod, one a soldier in the 10th
Regiment of Cuirassiers, the other a corporal in the 16th
Battalion of Masseurs (rifles), were on Wednesday tried
by court-martial for robbery. The cuirassier was met,
on the 6th October last, at St. Denis, by a gendarme,
and as he seemed anxious to avoid the officer's observa-
tion, the latter deemed it right to call on him to show
him his written leave of absence. The man very reluc-
tantly produced a written leave, but it had expired two
days before. The gendarme accordingly arrested him,
and when he was taken to the guard-house a pack-
age of ball cartridges fell from his helmet. Questioned
as to how he became possessed of the cartridges, he
stated that they had been given to him by a friend at
Vincennes; but on inquiry it turned out tbat they had
been stolen by his brother, the corporal, who was em-
ployed in the Boole de Tire of that fortress. The two
brothers were severally sentenced to three months' im-
prisonment.

M. Ribsllo, a wealthy Brazilian, who arrived in Paris
some time ago, ordered a carriage of Mine. Masson, Rue
du Chateau of d'Eau, for 3,2001., but subject to the con-
dition that it should possess all the latest improvements,
and that he should not be obliged to take it if he did not
like it. When the carriage was delivered, he refused to
receive it, on the ground that it was not lined with the
stuff which he had selected, that it was badly varnished,
that the doors did not close well, and that it had other
defects. Mine. Masson thereupon took proceedings
against him as a foreigner, and he was arrested for the
3,200 f. Having deposited the money he obtained his
liberty, and or. Wednesday he applied to the President
of the Civil Tribunal, sitting in chambers, to order a
practical man to examine and report on the carriage, iu
order that he might take proceedings to recover his
money. The president granted his application.
A. dressmaker of the Faubourg Poissonniere lately de-
manded from ter landlord 80,000 f. under the threat of
murdering him. It appears that, with her husband, she
svab• recently declared bankrupt by the Tribunal of Com-
merce, this caused such an impression on her that
became affected. Her motive for assailing the
it appears, that she thought he was one of
high a rent, Before starting in business in the Faubourg
landlord
mind
maino' r
causes vas,
of her ruin by having made her pay too
Poissonniere' the woman and her husband had saved
up 40,000 f., but they soon, by mismanagement and tins-
fortune, lost the whole of it. In addition to a second
pistol found on her, she had in her pocket a letter ad-
dressed to her husband, in which she announced her in-
tention of murdering the landlord if he would not give
her 30,0001.

ALDERMAN SALOMONS ND THE JEWS
OF BIRMINGBALL

On Wednesday, last a deputation from tLse Jews of
Birmingham waited upon Alderman Salomons to pre-
sent a congratulatory address on his election as Lord
Mayor of London. The deputation, which consisted of
the minister, the Rev. A. P. Mendes, Messrs. Phillips
and Danziger, the wardens ; and several other gentle-
men of the community, was most courteously received ,
by the worthy alderman, who warmly acknowledged the
compliment paid him by this unexpected demonstration.
The address was as follows :
;;sedsrsischarge
of
civil: and
"To D. Salomons Esq., Right Worshipful Lord
Mayor Elect of the City of London. ,
"Right Worshipful Sir,—We, the 'officers execu-
tiveand
council of the United Hebrew Congregatiomn of
ost Bir-
mingham,cor-
desire respectfully to offer you our
dial congratulations on your recent eleetionteoitt,l;
and important office of Lord Mayor of the eoafntieennt.
Lon-
don,
" While we feel that the dignity
of their appre-
ciation fallow-citizens is mainly . conferreduoitna lch,ra,o)ri I
ninaveiyatnelo:u
another
point ciation of the manner in which
at a
given weight and autho.ribtyttoyure
otherdist an publicc d'i'stance from i
theuti e sin,
metropolis, 0-61 is,nasttouur.ladi
.rtebgaatr regard
i co• religionist, for the first
time in history, to the chief magistracy of the first city
therefore, we recognise one of the re.
point of view the elevatiot? -
in the world.
usefulness ; but chiefly
wards of a id it as a tribute paid by
do we regard
to e selected as the embodied the enlightened
to those efforts which, "In yourrefleeocftiboenn,evolence
and
spirit of the ago in yearsprotest
o gone
tboye,
people of oYrEngland against the continuance on the statute
which in matters of citizenship recognised
between Jew and Christian.
hook sikffer of e
ie laws,
i, placed, sir, as you are in a position which will afford
enlarged scope and augmented influence to your active
philanthropies and exertions on behalf of civil and reli-
gious liberty, you will find a pleasing satisfaction in con-
tinuing a career which has earned for you the respect
and confidence of all good men, and in accelerating the
approach of the period when the last vestige of Jewish
disabilities shall disappear from the statute book of
England.
"Influenced by these considerations we address you
our felicitations on the past, and our hopes for the future.
Additionally will our prayers attend you, that the God
of Our Fathers may shield you from all harm, and pre-
serve you-for the honour of ilia chosen ovea, and the
glory 91 XIII Dace.';

of KaTioDiennEllillaaieNts,l‘tEllue' g°iica.7;:d 7thire4pll44.'kjitt4.t °tl:aitni".l%
Oxford rue ter, aid Wol verbal:in:Aunt Ratlwaysewhn
was killed by an accident on the tsneSeioeasionecleieree
collision-with- the goads train,- asebrieflyernticed is The
Stta a few days ago, was resunisd 4;o:eley at tee Town-
hall here before Mr. Docker, cneof the: coroners for
Worcestershire. The only evidence taken at the opening
of the inquest oa Monday was that of a •witness to idea tify the body of the deceased. The jury had already in-
spected the locality of the accident.
Mr. Sanders, solicitor, attended the inquiry on be.
half of the railway company. There were also present
—Mr. Adcock, manager of tee line ; Mr. Critchley, the
superintendent ; Mr. Whitton, engineer of the perma-
nent way ; Mr. Joy, of the locomotive department (on
behalf of Mr. Williams, the contractor for working the
railway) ; and Mr. Haller, solicitor, on behalf of the
contractor. Mr. Senders produced apiin pf the line at
the place where the accident happened. Mr. Whitcomb
appeared for Mr. Burbury, one of the sufferers by the
accident.
Mr. Critcbley, being sworn, produced a raps, of the
rules arid regula,tions of the company, and the timetable
of the passenger trains.
Lloyd, carpet-weaver, of Kidderminster, de-
posed that be was on the Chester-lane bridge over the
railway on the evening of the accident (Friday last).
This was the second bridge from the Kidderminster sta-
tion. It was about a quarter past nine in the evening,
and witness saw a goods train approaching from Wol-
verhampton at the usual rate of speed. As the train
passed under the bridge towards Kidderminster witness
saw a passenger-train following it, at a distance of per-
haps a quarter of a mile. Witness, saw the white light
up (all right) at the distance signal, and as the passenger
train approached, and about two seconds before it passed
under the bridge witness saw the white light changed
for a rec.' one (danger). The passenger train was going
at a "tidy" rate ; as far as he could guess, he thought at
the rate of 20 or 30 miles an hour. He thought a colli-
sion would take place between the two trains, and said
so to a person who was standing with' him on the bridge.
They listened as the passenger train moved on, and
heard the expected eel is on take place, on which he ran
along the side of the line to the spot. The first thing
that he saw was a man (the deceased) with both his legs
twisted in all forms and broken, lying by the side of the
line. He was alive, and epoke once or twice when his
pain allowed him. Witness rendered what assistance he
-could, and helped to carry him to the Kidderminster
Infirmary on a door. The night was darkish.
By the jury—Tbe accident happened at about a
quarter. past 9, and the man was brought to the infirmary
at about 10 o'clock. The passenger train ewes travelling
faster than the goods train.
Mr. Critchley was recalled, and, producing the time-
tines, said the goods train should have left the Bush-
bury Junction, a mile and a half from Wolverhampton,
at 330 p.m. That train, was due at Kidderminster at
630 p.m. The passenger train left Wolverhampton at
8 15 p.m., and arrived at Kidderminster at 9 16 p.m.
When a train was behind time (as this goods train was)
no extra signals were employed. The ordinary signals
were used.
Mr. Hillman, surgeon, deposed that he atteeded the
decade(' within ten minutes or a quarter of an hour
after the ac ident occurred. He was being brought on
a door to the platform of the Kidderminster station.
His pulse was nearly gone, and hi- hands and face were
e dd. He directed him to be taken at once to the in-
firmary. On examination at the infirmary he found
both legs smashed to pieces like splinters, compound
fractures of both legs, aid the left thigh was also broken.
He was pi rtectly sensible until two minutes before his
death. He gradually sank, and died in about three-
quarters of an hour after he was taken to the infirmary.
The injuries described were sufficient to cause his death.
Witness believed the deceased was aware that he must
die. He said, "Oh, Lord ! my poor. wife," but did not
say he should never recover.
Mr. George Jackson, 'station-master at Kiddermin-
ster, was in the stationlard at the time of the collision,
and went at once to the spot. The collision took piece
at the elbow of the curve of the line at this point. The
collision had arisen from: a passenger train having run
into a goods train. Found several of the luggage trucks
had been thrown over both lines, and further on about
20 yards from the break-van of the goods train upon the
render of the passenger train, which preceded the engine,
and which had been forced through. the bottom of the
break van of the goods train. Found the deceased, who
was the guard of the goods train, lying on the embank-
ment near to the remains of the goods van. Looked up
to the distance-signal at the Chester-lane bridge, and
found the red light was exhibited. The distance-signal
could not be seen from the station. The signal could be
seen the other way (cowards Churchill) at least half a
mile. No extra precautions were taken in the case of
a goods train being two hours and a half behind time,
with the exception of se sing that no train followed within
a certain time. Had not ascertained the cause of the
delay of the goods train, and did not at the time of the
accident know where the goodattrain was. The passen-
ger train on approaching the station should travel at
about 12 miles an hour, and the goods train at the rate
of about four or five miles an hour. The distance from
the Kidderminster station to the Churchill station—the
next station from Kidderminster towards Wolverhamp-
ton—was three miles. No train was by the regulations
to be allowed to follow a nother on the same line bf
rails within five minutes. ' tut time should have allowed
the goods train to get to 7 Eidderminster before. the pas-
senger train could "come up The passenger trains were
telegraphed forward as the y arrived at the principal sta-
tions. The passenger trai in in question had beau tele-
graphed to Kidderminster' from Stourbridge, the next-'
telegraph station. The goods train bad not been tele-
graphed. He did not know that the goods train had not
arrived at the time of the accident, though overdue two
hours and a half. If they 1 tad known when the engine
of the goods train appeared in sight that it was a goods
train they would have haste; aed it on by a "to and fro"
motion of the signal, in order to get it out of the way of
the passenger train, which, was due. It was not cuato-
tomary in the case ofi a delay in agoods train to telegraph
the fact on to other statitoi is. The signalman, Johiah
Lacey, kept a book, in whieh were entered the times of
the arrival of the trains, b ut he did not give information
to the stationmaster when they were behind time, as in
the case of the goods trai ain this instance There was
not sufficient siding accoosmodation at Kidderminster to
shunt all trains upon, and when this was the case a goods
train would be got out of the way of a following passen-
eer train in order to allow it to pass, and would be put
upon the other line. This occupied more time than if
there was more siding accommodation. A luggage train
would be four to five ininu tea coining from Churchill to
Kidderminster, and a pas senger train three to four
minutes. Five minutes' grace would be sufficient for a
goods train to arrive from Churchill at Kidderminster,
and be shunted out of the Pray of a passenger train fol-
lowing. It was the duty of the goods manager to look
after the goods trains. The stationmaster was the su-
perior officer at the station. t.
eqohn Rea, foreman of the porters at the Kiddermin-
ster station, having been c autioned by the Coroner that
his evidence might be used agaistst him, was sworn, and
stated that at 9.15 he saw a train approaching the sta-
tion round the curve, and saw Lacey, the signalman,
put on the " danger" signal. The first he knew of the
accident was from the stoker of the goods train, who
came up to him and said, `Qsay, John, they've pitched
into us." He (witness) sa " Never," but he said,
" They have ;" and then told him how it had happened.
Witness went to the spot, and described the nature of
the accident as already reported. 'All the precautions
were taken that could have bison taken. The trains were
regularly telegraphed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The tele-
graph clerks left the stations at 8 p.m. Three trains—
one up and two down—passed the station at Kiddermin-
ster after 9 p.m., between goodie trains. There were two
goods trains due at Kidderminster at the time of the ac-
cident--one due at 3.30, and the other at 6.30. The 9
goods trains were generally behind time.
By the jury—A goods train would oocuPY
minutes coming from Churchill, and a passenger train
about eight minutes. [The stationmaster had given the
time as between three and four minutes.]
At this period a short adjournment took place, and
the inquiry was still proceeding when the last available
train for London left Kidderminster. Bto 10