The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-29 00:00:00

TIT S N, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENUNT G, OCTOBER 29, 1S 5 211

RAILWAY AMALGAMATIONS.

CENTRAL CRIAI A TNA I, CO URT.—Oct. 28.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

--~--.

(Frorr the Daily It7ezvs.)
NotwUstanding the strong expree,ilons of public
nvitioa against such combinations, proposals for great
railway an a'gernations go on, ai if there were no
interests in itio matter worth consideration bat those
of the particular co:npcfnies concerned. On the Zed
of November three important northern companies—
the York and North Midland, the York, Newcastle,
and Berwick, and the Leeds ar.d Northern—meet
to consider the terms on which their directories pro•
pose to unite ; and next day tl:e London and North
Western and the Midland proprietaries assemble to
resolve (if they follow the advice given them by their
Boards) on effecting—what the motion to be proposed
modestly calls—"a permanent union of interests."
In the one case, the amalgamation of capital and loan
stock will involve some twenty-four millions, and
664 miles of locomotion ; and in the other, no less a
sum than fifty millions sterling, and more than 1,000
cni:e3. It is not s light matter, therefore, that is in
hand, but one affecting the public interest and conve-

OLD COURT.

ytI~NSION- OUS Gievan!ii: Maraschovi, an
rwarnen, charwil by 7.he Consul
Ander ;2,11 Act of Palliamcnt jut e.:;rne into opei stion,
which enables her Majt)sty t: carry into effect arrangc-
xneut3 with foreign bowels for the rpproher icn z,f sea-
men who desert from their ships when in British ports.
The conduct of the defendant excited some as!onLh-
nient.

I.3Jore the Lard Chief Baron Mr. Justie
jam Lewis, 19, who as convlcted on 'Wednesday of
the cztzte inanslatee;h,,er, was placed nt thelbar to re-
ceive., jurlgnent.
Ttn. Chief BaTor, in passing sentence, said that the
jury had taken a very meteiful view of the prisoner's
case, and they lisd acquitted him of the chal•ge of murder,
which was the one originally preferred against aim; and
they had also recommended him to mercy, on lu:count of
his geed character, and the provocation he had received.
To a certain extent he coteurred in the view. th.e jury
had taken of the matter. There was no doubt that,
originally, he had no intention to destroy life, but that
having been continually subjected to insult and annoy-
arce from the deceased and his fellow-workmen in the
shop, ho had committed the act under the influence of
sudden excitement; and if he had only made use of his
fists, or any other weapon of offence with which nature
had furnished him, and death had been the result, he
should have considered the case one which called for
little more than nominal punishment. The prisoner,
however, had made use of a knife, a most dangerous
weapon; and in every case where such an instrument was
resorted to, it was impossible that the Court, having re-
gard to the safety and security of human lie, could allow
such a case to he passed over without some severity of
punishment. The learned Judge then sentenced the
prisoner to be confined in the gaol of Nowgate for nine
months.

Vinciczo Sapnich, mate of an Austrian vessel called
the Rosa Maria, now lying in the London Docks, said,
through the medium of so interpreter, the defendant
signed the ship's articles, by which he engaged to navi-
gate the vessel from Constantinople to Venice, in the
course of which voyage she was to touch at certain
ports. Arrived at London he left the ship without con-
sent either of the captEln or the mat?, and refused to re-
turn, by which conduct he subjected the vessel to great
inconvenience.

The defendant, with fierce gesticulations, swore that
he was determined not to return to the vess,l, what-
ever might happen to him. no could accommodate
himself more to his own taste in some other ship, and no
one should attempt to compel him, if he had any regard
for hi 3 life.

nience and economy quite as much, though ❑ot quite
as immediately, as it does those of shareholders; and
though on former occasions the public and its concerns
have been a good deal overlooked in legislation on
these subjects, it will be the public's own fault if they
are similarly treated now that a new opportunity
serves.

The Lord Mayor (to the interpreter)—Tell him that
sort of language earl have no effect hero, and that we
are bound by the law between this country and Austria
to give him up as a &stater.
The defendant said he did not earn about any rr,gula-
tiers ; that he was determined to make the most &s-
-p+ rate opposition to any person who should attempt to
force him on board ; and that he' nniCier cared about his
own life nor about the lives of others.

The general welfare in this question of railways
is not, however, concerned in low rates of profits and
poor dividends. On the contrary, setting aside the
public in its capacity of railway proprietaries, and
regarding it only in the light of railway travellers
and customers, the public wi 1, the chances are, be
much better provided for when railway profits shall
increase, and dividends be more substantial, than they
now are. The public has, consequently, far more
real and permanent interest in the prosperity than in
the adversity of railway companies; and to legiti-
mate and reasonable plans for restoring prosperity it
ought to give every encouragement. No doubt these
proposed amalgations aim at the restoration of such
prosperity ; but the objections to them are two : first,
that the amalgamations are an alternative resorted to
because of the unreasonable and absurd competition
into which it has pleased railway boards and officials
to fall—and which it must be far better to correct;
and second, that their tendency is to deprive the public
of such competition as the legislature intended should
exist for the public benefit.
Take the case of this Northern Amalgamation.
The Leeds and Northern Railway is clearly and ob-
viously a line which Parliament intended should—
and which in point of fact did—compete with the
York, Newcastle, and Berwick. Had the official
people of these two lines conducted their rivalry on
sound principles the country through which they ran
would have been permanently benefited, and the two
companies would, in all probability, have been fairly,
remunerative. But, instead of reasonable competi-
tion—competition in moderation of fares, sufficiency
of rolling stock, punctuality of trains, cleanliness of
carriages, civility of attendants, and safety of locomo-
tion—instead of indulging the public in this proper
description of rivalry, they choose to lower their
rates to points which would hardly defray grease to
the wheels of their engines and carriages. And, be-
cause neither party would first give way and come
to terms as to fares and rates, they both determine
that this sort of ruinous rivalry is unavoidable except
by amalgamation, and proceed to " effect a permanent
union of interests."
Now, this sort of rivalry is a mere abuse of power
by the officials who work railways; an unreasonable,
absurd, discreditable indulgence in their passions and
prejudices ; carried on, first at the shareholders' ex-
pense, and now to be remedied at the public cost. A
test of good management of any railway in these
matters is the amity of its relations with competing
lines. Where all is wrangling and disputes, conten-
tion and litigation, scheming and planning, allaying
and leasing, there may be a great deal (perhaps far
too much) of cleverness in the managers concerned ;
but there is very little good administration. And
the great practical truth our railway administrators
have not yet realised is the worth and value of sim-
plicity in their external relations, and of good faith
and honour in their own bargains. It may be that
the present generation of railway officials are too far
gone in the present system of management to be
cured, but if so, than the time has come for pro-
prietaries to consider whether the very best thing to
be done is not to make a clean sweep of the principal
offenders.

FORGERY.

Lewis James Coleman, who was brought to this court
by habeas from the Queen's Bench prison, Joseph Gur-
ney, 60, described as a merchant, and Henry Birch, who
surrendered to take his trial, three respectable looking
persons, were indicted for feloniously forging and utter-
ing a bill of exchange for 1871. 18s. 93., with intent to
defraud.
Mr. Clarkson, in opening the case, said that the pri-
sont rs were charged with forging a foreign bill of
change, purporting to have been drawn by a firm passing
under the name of Francis Bottin and Co., at Nicaragua,
in South America, and accepted by the firm of Coleman
and Bottin, of Mark-lane. Upon looking at the depo-
sitions, however, ho and his learned friend were of
opinion that the charge could not be made out against
Birch, but that he appeared merely to have been made a
tool of by the other prisoners. Under these circum-
stances, he should offer no evidence against Birch, but
would at once consent to a verdict of not guilty as re-
garded him, and he should then call him as a witness
for the prosecution.
The jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not Guilty
with respect to Birch, and he was then removed from
the dock.
Mr. Elias Isaacs, an attorney, residing in Jeffrey-
square, St. Mary-axe, deposed that on the 26th of July
Birch brought him the bill in question, and asked him to
discount it. The bill purported to be endorsed by
Gurney and Co,, of St. Mary-at-Hill, and he requested
Birch to get a written communication from Gurney and
Co. respecting the bill, and he brought him a letter
written by the prisoner Gurney, offering to take 100/.
for the bill. He had bis suspicions respecting the in-
strument, and while he was making inquiries respecting
it he pat Birch off from time to time, and made different
excuses for not discounting the bill. He at length
received a letter from Gurney, in which he stated that
the bill had been fraudulently obtained, and demanded
its restitution ; and be then said he would not give it
up unless Mr. Gurney came to his office, and gave him a
receipt for the bill. On the 30th of July, accordingly,
Gurney and Birch came to his office, and after the
former had written a receipt and acknowledged his con-
nexion with the transaction, an officer was called in snd
he gave them both into custody, and at the same time
gave instructions for the apprehension of the other pri-
soner, Coleman. The witness added that his daughter
had unfortunately married the brother of Coleman, and
this was all the connexion between them.
Mr. Parry cross-examined the witness with a good
deal of severity, and endeavoured to show that he had
been connected with some transaction of a disreputable
character.
Mr. Issaes, however, denied most positively that there
was the slightest foundation for any of the insinuations
that were made against his character. He also denied
that he was a bill discounter, or that be had ever had
in his possession any bills that had been stolen from
Prince Louis Napoleon. He said ho was aware that
some years ago a charge of bill stealing was preferred in
that court by Louis Napoleon, but he was not in any
way concerned in it, except by assisting the Prince in
the prosecution, and he was paid fur so doing. He did
on one occasion, he said, discount a bill for 500/. for
Prince Louis Napoleon, and it was paid in duo course.
Mr. Shotter, clerk to Messrs. Nis,eu and Parker, en-
gravers, in Alark-lane, proved that the prisoner Gurney
ordered' the plate to be engraved from which the printed
portion of the forged instrument had been taken. He
also said that Coleman called for a proof :rom the plate,
and he was represented to be Mr. Coleman, of the firm
of Coleman and Bottin, of Mark-lane.
Evidence was then given that Coleman had himself
hired the counting-house, and that no such person as
Bottin was ever seen there ; and a Spanish merchant,
well acquainted with the state of Nicaragua, named
Antonio Math 6, was called to prove that !here was no
such Arm as Francis Bottin and Co., carrying on busi-
ness in that state. _

The Lord May.,r then directed the officers to put
handcuffs on the defendant it they found he was (1 inger•
ously inclined, and to place him as soon as possible
under the authority of his captain.
Giuseppe Losiah, a seaman on board the same vessel,
was charged with having committed a violent assault
upon the mate on the high seas. The complainant was
anxious that the defendant should be detained, but as
the vesiel was to sail next morning, the necessary
evidence could not be produced. It was stated that
Giuseppe Losiah was ton times more formidable than
the former defendant, and that the rest of the crew were
actually in constant dread of his violence.
The defendant said no power on earth should prevail
upon him to return to the mad ho had left. He was
determined to attack all who opposed him.
The Lord Mayor said that as he was prevented from
going into the case from the absence of necessary evi-
dence, he should treat the defendant as a deserter, and
deliver him to the captain to be dealt with according to
the merchant seaman law of Austria.

The defendant was then conveyed on board.

GUILDHALL.—SamueI "'Eaullis, of 131, Banbill-
row, and Jacob Hyams, of 130, Petticoat-lane, general
dealers, were charged. the former with robbing Mr.
Baumann, of 25, London-wall, cap manufacturer, of
property to a very large amount, consisting of cloth,
velvet, and cap trimmings, and the latter with receiving
the said property knowing it to have been stolen.

John Mark gull, one of the City detective police, said
that in consequence of information he received a fort-
night ago from Mr. Baumann, in whose employ
the prisoner Michallis was as cutter and foreman,
he watched him in company with another officer,
and on Wednesday night, a little past eight o'clock,
he saw him leave his employer's and proceed
across Fore-street to Milton-street, where he met
the prisoner Hyams. Before they entered into con-
versation they both looked cautiously around several
times. In a few minutes they parted, and Michallis
went to 131, Bunhill-row, where ho lived, Hyams fol-
lowing him. When Hyams got to Bunhill-row, he
walked to and fro in front of the house for ten minutes,
when the officers lost sight of him suddenly. Soon after
they saw him coo out of Miohallis's house with a car-
pet-bag, which was now produced. He went up Chis-
well-street to Finsbury-square at a rapid pace, when he
was overtaken by the officers, who asked him what he
had in his bag; to which at first he made no answer,
but on being told that they were detective officers, after
some hesitation he said it contained cloth. On being asked
from whom he received it, ho again hesitated, but said,
if the officers would go back with him to ganhill-row, he
would show them; that his name was Hyams, and that
he lived in Middlesex street, At the station he told
the inspector that he received the bag from Michallis,
but that ho did not know for whom ha worked, but he
believed he was in the cap lino ; that he did not know
whathe was to pay for the goods, as he was to meet Mi-
challis later in the evening. tie gave up the key of the bag
to witness, who found it to contain two pieces of cloth,
four pieces of velvet, two pieces of glazed calico, six
pieces of leather, two pieces of dark ribbon, and a piece
of tape. Ho was subsequently asked, in the presence of
Michallis, it ho was the man who gave him the bag, and
be said " Yes, he was."

In crois-exarnination by Mr. Lewis, who appeared for
the prisoner, Hyams, the witness said that llyams' an-
swers were found to be correct, and that the house in Bun-
hill-row was a respectable om,.
Mr. Loomis said ho could not resist a remand in this
case, but he would apply for Elyaws to be admitted to
bail.

It is obvious, on the very surface of things, that
railway amalgamations, as at present proposed, are
mere devices by railway managers to enable them
creditably to retreat from positions dangerous to their
constituencies into which they have rushed ; to cover
their past bad policy, and to save themselves the
trouble of reforming and amending it on sound prin-
ciples.
And at whose cost is this to be done ? Why, at
that of the public, to be sure. The Leeds and Nor-
thern, and the York, Newcastle, and Berwick amal-
gamated, there is, of course, an end of all competition
—either in fares, rates, speed, punctuality, cleanliness,
civility, or safety—in that district. And when these
two united lines north of York are joined to the York
and North Midland, then there will be a great and
powerful northern confederacy, prepared to operate
adversely to the public interests on the lines competing
for the southern traffic.
As at Normanton, this northern amalgamation—
representing 24 millions sterling—will meet the
southern amalgamation of the North Western and
Midland,—representing 50 millions—why should these
in their turn not unite, and so overpower and destroy
all competition for the traffic between London and
York, as they will previously have done between
Leeds and Newcastle-on-Tyne ? If the proposed
amalgamation be sanctioned by the legislature, there
is no possible reason why Parliament should not next
session go further and consign the whole traffic from
London to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, the York-
shire and Lancashire towns, York, Newcastle, and
Edinburgh, to one huge, cumbrous, lumbersome cor-
poration :—all to avoid irrational rivalry and to save
railway managers the trouble of finding out a system
of civilised competition. Nay more ; when once
Parliament has sanctioned this principle of railway
amalgamation the difficulty will be to show cause why
it should not be fully carried out, and all the railways
of the kingdom placed under one control. Aud if so,
the whole tendency of these schemes is obviously to
place the entire railway property of the empire in the
hands of the executive government ; when either the
shareholders would have to be content with smaller
dividends than they even now get, or the public would
have to consent to make up better dividends out of
the general taxation of the country.
In the proposed Amalgamation Bills there is a great
public principle involved, and it must be discussed
and be settled by the legislature on public grounds.
It is impossible therefore that these measures can be
permitted to go through Parliament merely as private
bills. The general question of their policy should be
considered by a select committee composed of the
most eminent men of all parties unconnected with
railways, and committees of shareholders must be pre-
pared to act vigorously on their own behalf for the
salvation of their property and the reformation of their
officials.
Without some such examination of the great ques-
tion involved, neitner shareholders nor the public can
be safe. Shareholders : because in assenting to the
amalgamation they are advis d and urged on by those
very cfficials whose former recommendations have
only led their constituents and their companies into
deeper and deeper disasters. The public : because in
the very face of these schemes of unions, it is intended
to remedy those disasters at the expense of the general
community. In the long run, the interests of rail. ay
companies and the public must be identical ; and the
leading vice of the propositions now made is, that they
involve diversity and variety of interests. This—
shareholders may rely upon—is not the way to right
railway property, and the sooner they teach their
Directors that they must find out some other plan of
remedying their own past mismanagement, the sooner
will higher dividends be realised.
Rail way shareholders must take the matter in their
own hands, and see that their officials do not ruin
their property. We want railway competition—we
must have no close monopoly of the iron highways—
but the competition we want is one of sefety, punc•
tuality, comfort, cleanliness of carriages and moderate
fares. It is no wholesome competition that brings
danger and often death to the railway passenger and
ruin to the railway shareholder.

Sir It. W. Carden said—Nothing you can say, Mr.
Lewis, will indvce me to accept bail; for this is one of
those cases that the magistrates are ever anxious to en-
tertain when brought under their notice, and for my
own part I would very willingly let off the thieves it I
could make sure of convicting the receivers.
The prisoners were then remanded till Wednesday
next.

This was the case for the prosecution.
➢dr. Parry addressed the jury on behalf of his client,
Cc.leman, and he contended that there was not a tittie of
evidence in the ease to show any intention to defraud on
his part.
Mr. Dearsley also addressed the jury for the other
prisoner, and,
Mr. Justice Cresswell having summed up, the jury
retired to deliberate, and, after being absent nearly an
hour; they returned into court and gave a verdict of
Guilty against both prisoners.
Sentence was deferred.

From a statement subsequently made by the officer
Packmln, it appeared that the property found in
liyams' house formed a much larger stock than was
required in that business, and consisted of large quanti-
ties of ribbons, buttons, leather, coloured and plain,
black leather for hat-linings, waterproof canvas, sorges,
and sewing silk, three-fourths of which ho believed to
have been stolen, us ho found some concealed behind a
knife-board in the cellar or kitchen, and other portions
crammed into every hole and corner in the house.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
William Martin, 19, clerk, and Edward Graves, 20,
turner, was indicted, Martin for forging an order or re-
quest for the delivery of seven pairs of bracelets, valued
at 81., with intent to defraud Charles Wild, and Graves
with uttering the same order.
The circumstances, the investigation of which occupied
the Court nearly all the day, were these :—The prose-
cator is a jeweller in Hatton-garden, and the prisoner,
Martin, had been a clerk in his employ, but had for
some time previously left his service. On the 28th of
September a man brought an order, purporting to be
from a :Mr. Troup, a jeweller, also living in Hatton-
garden, requesting that the bracelets might be sent on
approval, which was done. Within a few minutes of
the same time, the same man went to another jeweller
In Hatton-garden with a similar order, who did not give
him the goods, and he went away. The gentleman to
whom the second order was given, going out shortly
afterwards, called on Mr. Troup, and then found that he
had not sent the order in question. lie then made a
call on the prosecutors, and he found that he had been
imposed upon, and upon looking at the handwriting he
recognised it as the handwriting of the prisoner Martin.
Information was then given to the police, and they
knowing him to be the associate of Graves, took him in
custody, and, being seen ineompany with other prisoners,
was at once identified as the same man who had pre-
sented the order, and received the bracelets. The hand-
writing of Martin and the identity of Graves were
clearly proved by a number of witnesses.
The jury found them Guilty. Martin was ordered to
be imprisoned for 12 months, and Graves, being well
known to the police, was transported for seven years.
The Court sat considerably beyond the usual time of
rising.

CLERKENWELL.—James Phair, a ruffianly-look-
ing fellow, 27 years of age, was charged with having
violently assaulted his wife, by which her life is in dan-
ger.
Several witnesses deposed that yesterday afternoon
the neighbourhood of Dean-street, Holborn, was alarmed
by the loud screams of the complainant, when the in
jured woman made her appearance at the flrst.l)or
window of No. 14. Dean street, bleeding profusely,
whilst the prisoner was beating her over the head with
a heavy bludgeon. Police-constable Selby, 137 F, and
several other persons entered the house, when the
prisoner seized a poker, and made a ferocious attack on
the officer, and, after a desperate resistance, was se-
cured. He was taken to the station-house and his wife
to the hospital insensible. Her life was pronounced to
be in danger.
The prisoner said nothing in his defence.
Mr. Ty r whitt remanded him fora week until the fate
of his wife should be made known.

THIRD COURT.
(B fore the Common Sergeant.)

George Holyhead, 39, firework•maker, was indicted
upon the Coroner's warrant for feloniously slaying and
killing John Howes and Cornelius Crowley, on the 4th
of October.
Mr. Carleen having stated the case, called
_

Solomon Pigott, a toy dealer, of Little Norris-street,
Whitmore-road, Iloxton, who stet( d that being himself
a (haler in fireworks, he went on Sunday, the 3d of
October, to the prisoner's house, 30, liose and Crown-
court, Eldon street, Little Moorfields, to purchase some
fireworks. He got there a little before eight in the
evening. Holyhead was then in the back parlour.
When witness went in he left the room two or three
times. Witness heard a noise in the room overhead.
When Holyhead came batik, witness made some remark
about the lads being at work, knowing that be had one
at work there whom they called Jack. Mrs. Holyhead
alid they had not left off yet. Witness said twat no
good ever came of Sunday work. Holyhead made no
reply, but went upstairs, and when he came
down, ho said the boys might as well leave off for
the night. His wife said it would be as well, for it
was then half-past eight. She then went up stairs, and,
coming down again, said they had only a few to finish,
and Jack would stop to finish them. In about ten
minutes after that they heard a terrific explosion in the
room overhead. Prisoner, his wife, and two young girls
all ran out into the court, and witness was so alarmed
that he ran round into the back street. In about five
minutes he came back, and, looking through the win-
dows into the shop, saw something on the floor burning,
and Holyhead standing by the side of it. Mrs. Holyhead
then came out with dome burning but exploded fire.
works in her apron, and witness helped to get the rest of
the fireworks out of the shop. They then got the two
deceased boys, who were dreadfully burned, on to a
shutter, and conveyed them to St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
When they got back they examined the room, and
found the window frames entirely blown out, and the
partition of the walls blown down and burnt. There
were a quantity of empty cases lying about the room.
The prisoner was dreadfully agitated, and said the shop
was lighted with a flat candlestick and a glass globe
over the light. Holyhead said this matter would bo his
ruin. The boys were too much hurt to give any account
of how it took place.
George William Callender, house surgeon at St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, said the two boys were brought
in about nine o'clock on the Sunday evening ; their in-
juries were such as to preclude the chance of recovery,
and both died the next day. Their bodies were burnt
all over in a most fearful manner.
Mr. Sleigh, in a most able address, contended that
there was no evidence to show that the prisoner had
been guilty of wilful neglect.
The Common Serjeant having summed up, explaining
the law to the jury,
Tbey, ftpr a abort deliberation, returned a verdict of
Not

FLIGHT OF A SWEEPSTAKE HOLDER.—At The Man-
chester Borough Court on Tuesday morning, a licensed
victualler, named David Duckworth, was called upon to
answer a summons charging him with permitting
nßegam-
blingDaetrionrthh did ishonuoset,
stphpeeaMr,ahnocwheesvteerr, Arms
and ,
Mrn.B
wk,
chief superintendent of police, stated that he had left the
icM
town, that he was a man that had dealt largely with
racing "sweeps," and had gone off with some hundreds of
pounds. He had in his possession the proceeds of a sweep
for the Cambridgeshire Stakes, to be run at Newmarket
that day—a sweep to which the members had paid half-
a-crown each. He was reported to have gone to Aus•
tralia.
A FEMALE RAILWAY PICKPOCKET.--A very stylishly-
dressed female, of ladylike manners, was brought up in
custody at the Leeds Court-house on Tuesday last,
charged with robbing the lady of the Rev. John Ward,
rector of Wath, near Ripon. On the previous day Mrs
Ward arrived in Leeds by the express train of the Great
Northern Railway, and at the station in feeds was mot
by her husband. A cab was engaged for her, and just
as she was entering it her husband observed the prisoner
in the act of withdrawing her hand from his wife's
pocket. Mr. Ward at once seized both arms of the de-
linquent, and she then dropped the purse just abstracted
from Mrs. Ward's pocket upon the pavement. She was
given into custody, and, after a full examination before
the justices, she was committed for trial at the next ses-
sions.

A Bunn or TALENT I—A Yankee, being asked
to describe his wire, said, 0 Why, sir, she'd make a re-
gular fast, go a. head steamer, my wife would—she bas
such a wonderful talent for blowing up." --Punch,