The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-30 00:00:00

the meetings of shareholders, but I was not one of those who
spoke at them. I did not give Terryauthority to release a debt
of Bunyard. I was present in Feb., 1864, at a meeting, when
Mr Eyre, looking at a book that was produced to Mr Mechi,
noticed that the names of Lowenthal and Sterne there were
indebted to the Unity Bank, and the defendants were
spoken to on the subject. Burch was asked a question
about the irregularity of the circumstance, and he said
he would rather that Terry should answer the question
for himself. Terry then came in, and said, "I admit it's
wrong," adding that ha had been working Lowenthal's
account in order to reduce the debt to the London and
Middlesex Bank. He did work it, with a loss of £4,000
to the London and Middlesex.
This witness was not cross-examined.

Mr Lewis said that this was all the evidence he pro-
posed to produce on the part of the prosecution, with the
exception of some little formal testimony respecting pro-
ceedings in bankruptcy ; but this he could do at the trial,
and due notice of its nature would be given to the defend-
ants.

Mr Sleigh said ho could not help feeling that, after this
protracted investigation, it was the:intention of the Lord
Mayor to send the case for trial before another tribunal.
if he thought that anything he could say on behalf of
Terry would have an effect upon his lordship's mind he
would address himself at once to the merits o' the case.

The Lord Mayor said it Was his intention to commit the
prisoners for trial.

Mr Sleigh hoped that, under these circumstances, the
public would suspend their judgment in regard to Terry
until the verdict of the jury should have been pronounced
—a verdict which Terry anticipated without fear. The
learned counsel then tendered his thanks to the Lord Mayor
for the great patience, care, and courtesy he had mani-
fested throughout the inquiry—an inquiry the importance
of which could not be overrated in a commercial commu-
nity.
Mr Metcalfe observed that Burch was entirely innocent
of the charge, and that at tho proper time he would tho-
roughly substantiate his innocence.
It was then agreed that the whole of the depositions
should be read over and signed, and the formal evidence
taken, on that day fortnight, and that the prisoners, who
were now again liberated on bail in the sum of £B,OOO,
should be tried at the Old Bailey Sessions,which commence
on Monday, Jan. 30.

The Accident in the Blackheath Railway

Tunnel.

Yesterday afternoon Mr Carttar, coroner for West Kent,
resumed the inquiry at the Railway Tavern, Lee, into the
circumstances attending the deaths of the six unfortunate
men who were killed by the fearful coll'aion which took
place in the Blackheath tunnel of the North Kent Railway
on the evening of Friday, the 16th inst.
Mr Freeland, solicitor, Mr Eborall, general manager, and
Mr Knight, traffic superintendent to the South-Eastern
Company, appeared to watch the proceedings on the part of
the directera of the company; and Mr Woollett attended on
behalf of Jones, the signalman at Blackheath station.
At the commencement of the proceedings,
Mr Freeland said he had observed, from letters inserted
in the newspapers, that an opinion appeared to prevail that
the ballast train in the tunnel was uncoupled before the up
passenger traia ran into it. He wished to state that the
evidence previously
_taken proved the contrary to be the
case.

The Coroner said Mr Freeland was correct, so far as the
evidence had gone at present.
The witness Lancaster, guard to the ballast train on tho
night in question, was recalled, and in reply to the Coroner
stated that the ballast train left Chaelton at 4.14. It took
about four minutes to go from Charlton station to the mouth
of the tunnel. The train a few minutes afterwards came to
a standstill in the tunnel. He got off the engine, and al-
most immediately afterwards the collision took place, He
was certain the collision took place before the carriages wore
uncoupled. Witness uncoupled the carriages, and sent the
front portion through the tunnel to Blackheath. His own
foot slipped, and he was left in the tunnel with the rear part
of the train. His instructions are not to depend on signals
only, but to go back when a train cams to a dead stop.
By Mr Woollett—He did not know that the stoker had
got down to throw sand on the rails. He might easily have
done so just before the train came to a standstill. He did
not ask the driver why he was going so slow. He was guard
and breaksman ; but iu this case there was no man at one of
the breaks, lle could, howev:. r, have got to the break easily
had he wished to do so. There were two breaks to this bal-
last train, but they were not both worked. He would persist
in saying that oa this occasion his proper place was on the
engine. to give directions to the driver as to setting down
and taking up men.
Joseph Wells, of Lewisham, a platelayer in the service of
the company, said on the night in question he was in the
ballast train. He was in the same compartment with Wade,
Seeley, Jones, and Pledge. About three-parts through the
tunnel the train, after proceeding very slow, came to a
standstill. Lancaster came back and asked witness if he bad
any matches, and almost immediately alter the collision
took place, and witness was injured and remembered nothing
more. He was in the last carriage of the ballast train, and
that carriage ought to have had a light on behind. He did
not know whether suca a light was on or nor. lle gave
Lancaster a match and he lit a lamp, and then went and
conversed with the uudcr-guard, Randall. Tha collision
then took place, and witness afterwards managed to crawl
out from under one of the carriages.
By Mr WoolLtt—They made two or three attempts to
get on before they came to a standwill.
Richard Pledge, a bricklayer, residing at Cooper's-cot-
tages, Old Kent-road, sail on the night in questiou he was
in the second compartment from the break, with 'Wells,
Jones, Seeley, and Wade. The train went very slow and
nearly stopped, and ono or two attempts were made to get it
on its way again. When the train stopped he heard some
one ask Wells for a light, and a lamp was lighted. At that
time the train had come to a stop, and it did not move on
again. After the collision witness found himself lying on
the up line, and managed to crawl out. From the time he
entered the tunnel until he loft it was about ten minutes,

Joseph Squares, of 8, Phoenix-place, Bermondsey, said he
was head guard of the up passenger train which left Maid.
stone at 2.40 on the afternoon of the 16th inst. The train
arrived at Charlton station at 4.20, and left at 4.34. The
train, without any previous warning, ran right into the
ballast train. Witness was thrown from ono end of his car-
riage to the other. He immediately flow to his break. no
was quite certain that his train was not off the line. The
train remained at Charleton about 14 minutes. Whilst re-.
!naming at Charlton some of the passengers complained of
the delay, as the train had previously arrived at the Dock-
yard station in such good time. The station-master at
Chariton told witness that the delay was caused in conse-
quence of a ballast train having just gone up. Witness's
break was smashed and broken, and after the collision he
found himself lying on the permanent way. The result of
the collision was to throw a portion of the passenger train
across the six foot way,or the result must have been much
more fearful. The tunnel was at the time very dark.
Whilst witness was lying on the ground he was accosted
by Mr Ware, travelling inspector, in the employ of the
company,and as soon as
in
intormationwas sent of the
accident to Blackheathon order to stop all the up and down
traffic.

In reply to questions, the witness stated that the under-
guard acted under his instructions, although the under-
guard knew the duties he hid to perform as contained in
the printed regulations and rules of the company. 'Wit-
ness had been in the service of the company upwards of 12
years, and well knew his duties. He had never before
come into collision with a ballast train.
The witness Lancaster was then recalled, and strongly
denied the statements of previous witnesses—that just pre-
viously to tho collision he had asked for and obtained a light
from Wells, or that he went to the rear of the train and
spoke to Randall. He would not say that the witnesses had
sworn falsely, but he supposed they were so frightened that
they scarcely know what took place.

The witness Wells was recalled. and confronted with Lan-
caster. He persevered in his previous statement as to
giving Lancaster a light. Ho ktiew Lancaster intimately,
and could not have been mistaken.

Lancaster, re-examined by the Corontr—He lighted hie
lamp a considerable distance down the line, somewhat near
Belvedere.

Dowsett, the driver of the train in question, was recalled,
and stated that after the train stopped Lancaster got off the
engine with a light, and returned with the same lamp. It
was the gauge lamp belonging lo the engine. That lamp
had been burning from the time that the train left Dartford.
Lancaster did not light a lamp lower down the line than
Charlton. There were tail lights at the end of the break.
By Mr Woollett—When Lancaster got off the engine he
said, " I will go and tee what the breakeman is doing, and
take some fog-signals,',

Henry Malcolm Ramsey, of Paddington, said he is a
builder, and was a passenger by the train which left Maid-
stone at 240 on the afternoon in question. Shortly after
entering the Blackheath tunnel witness felt a sudden and
severe jerk, and immediately found that the train was in
collision and had left the line of rails. He felt a great con-
cussion, and was thrown severely across the carriage and
out of the window. Ho distinctly felt that the wheels of the
carriage were gr inding over the ballast, and believed from
this that the train had left the rails, and that was before
the collision took place. Witness, after the collision, pro-
ceeded along the np•line to the Blackheath station, in order
to give information of the accident. Whilst doing so the
witness Lancaster came up to him. Ho had a lamp in his
hand. Witness put a question to him, but he scarcely an-
swered. Witness saw the Blackheath station-master, and
told him of the accident.

By the Coroner— He was still of opinion that the pas-
senger train went off the rails before it ran into the ballast
train. He felt certain it must be so from the position of the
carriages. They were on the six-foot way and travelled on
that way off the tails before the collision tcok place, The
collision was not so violent as it would have been had not
the passenger train previously got off the rails. He be-
'loved the passenger train travelled a quarter of a mile off
the rails before it struck the ballast trucks.
The Coroner—l dont think that could bo the case. The
guard of the train, who has had many years' experience, has
given evidence entirely contradictory to that opinion.
The head guard of the pasnger train, Joseph squires,
was then recalled, end in reply to the Coroner said he was