The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

HAMMERSMITH AND CITY.

The half-yearly general meeting of this company
was held yesterday, at the London Tavern,—Mr.
John Parsons in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN said he had not much to say in
addition to the report on the ordinary business,
because they were at the present time constructing
the railway which was sanctioned by Parliament in
1861. They were progressing satisfactorily, and
from Mr. Fowler's report they might see that the
railway would be opened for traffic in the course of
a few months. There was one thing that might
prevent it, and that was they had not yet come to
an agreement with the Great Western Railway as
to the mode of forming a junction with that line.
The report having been adopted the meeting was
made special, to consider the circumstances under
which certain of the directors of the company had
purchased and were about to sell to the company
land required for the company's works, and to de-
termine the course to be pursued by the sharehol-
ders thereon.

Mr. SURGEY went into the whole question, and
concluded by moving, " That the conduct of Messrs.
Parson and Blake as directors, in purchasing land
part of which they knew would be required by the
company, and their subsequent demand from the
company of an enormously enhanced price for it,
was, in the judgment of the meeting, inconsistent
with their position as directors of the company,
with their duties in their fiduciary condition as
directors, as guardians of the interests as share-
holders, and with their retention of office as direc-
tors."

Mr. TAYLOR seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN said the fact was that Mr. Blake,
as a resident in the district, had bought the estate,
and finding it too much for him, induced him (the
chairman) to join in the purchase. The whole
affair had arisen out of a refusal on his (the chair-
man's) port to release the contractor from his land
contract unless he paid £15,000, and Mr. Surgey
was the contractor's nominee.
Mr. PAYNE and other proprietors deprecated
such conduct as had been disclosed on the part of
the directors of public companies.
Mr. FoAKES and Mr. STAUNTON, directors, de-
clared that they, although sitting at the Board, had

Mr. Billing produced a piece of rotten wood
taken from the end of the carriage he came out of.
Mr. Robert Howlett, of Stowbridge—l remember
the 3d of August. I was travelling by the train
from Cambridge. As we were getting near Lynn,
I observed either a bullock or a heifer on the line. I
did not communicate to either guard or engine-
driver, or any one. It was feeding by the side of
the line. It did not appear to take any notice of the
train, and I looked at it until the train was quite by.
By the Jury—l was about midway of the train,
and I did not observe that the engine-driver whistled
or took any notice of it.
John Thompson, the shepherd, said he had had
bullocks in the fields since Michaelmas last, and
they had not got on the line. Both at Mr. Blom-
field's and Mr. Hammond's fields there never was a
fence since it was put up. He complained of the
fences to the workpeople, and to "our squire," and
to " Lawyer Swatman likewise." He had never
seen above a foot of water in the ditch.
Mr. T. R. Mills, station-master at Lynn, said—
The servants have never complained to me of stock
on the line, not in one single instance.
By the Coroner—Fifteen minutes is ample time
between two trains ; we consider ten minutes
enough. The second train cannot be called a fast
train. It was a special train, which knew the cir-
cumstances under which it started, and it had to
stop at two places on its journey.

By the Jury—The driver should report to his
foreman at the finish of his journey, and also at the
next station he passes if he sees any obstruction on
the line. The driver of the Cambridge train nor the
driver of the next train from Hunstanton did not
report that a bullock had been seen on the line. I
believe the drivers of the first of the two trains
might have pulled up with perfect safety, supposing
he took immediate precautions to protect his train.
I should certainly consider a bullock a dangerous
impediment. The driver was guilty of a dereliction
of duty if he did not report that ; but he did not
arrive at Lynn in time to do so. The accident oc-
curred while he was coming into the yard. There
was certainly time for him to have reported the ob•
struction to me.
Mr. Edwards said it was not in evidence that any
driver or guard had seen bullocks on the line.
Witness continued—The Cambridge train only
coming to the junction ought not to make any differ-
ence in his reporting to me: I think the driver of
the first of the two trains did the best thing in not
stopping to put off the bullock.
James Beaumont
said—l drove the train from
Hunstanton to Cambridge on Monday. I saw no
obstruction on the line. I saw a bullock partly in
the dike, and
partly out on the other side of the
fence. I just caught a glimpse of it as I went by.
I had nothing to tell, and I told nothing.
Mr. Howlett, recalled. I was sitting with my
back to the engine. The bullock was to my left.
Another person, my wife's sister, saw it as wzll as
myself. The bullock that I saw was feeding by the
side of the ballast.

Thomas Wakefield was also examined. He had
turned out many carriages for defects, but never any
for rottenness.

Mr. Wm. Attock, superintendent of the carriage
department at Stratford, said—My attention has
been called to carriage 272. The last time it was
in the shop was in December last. It went through
a thorough repair and painting in 1856. [The
witness gave the dates of several repairs and alters
tions of the carriage.] The other carriages were
firmly built, and the decayed part of 279 no one
could have detected if it had not been knocked to
pieces.
Timothy Wilson, foreman to Mr. Attook,said the
facts which Mr. Attock had stated that he could
corroborate.

Mr. Alan H, Swatman said,—After the line was
made Thompson came to me at least six or seven
times to complain of the difficulty he had in keeping

Yesterday an inquest was held at Maunsell House,
near Bridgwater, by W. W. Munckton, Esq., coro-
ner, on the body of Sir F. Slade, who expired sud-
denly on Sunday morning. It was mentioned
.in
the course of the inquiry that the deceased L'-‘ the
death of Sir Cresswell Cresswell exceedingly, and
mentioned the circumstance to Mr. Fitzgerald in
the assize courts at Wells on Friday morning last.
In the course of conversation he said that no one
knew who had a diseased heart, and God only knew
who would die from it next. About two years ago
a favourite servant of his died from diseased heart,
and that circumstance also affected him. On Satur-
day, during his walk in his garden with his medical
attendant, Mr. Summers, he repeatedly referred to
the death of Sir Cresswell Cresswell.
Marcus Slade, sworn, said—l am the son of the
deceased. He returned to Maunsell from Wells
Assizes on Friday night last, apparently in good
health. The following morning, about half-past
seven, he rode out on horseback, and on his return
he walked to the dairy. On his way back, when he
got to the coal house, he said he had a pain in his
chest. He returned and had his breakfast with
Lady Slade and the family. He did not eat much.
He drank a cup of lot coffee, and said that it did
him good. After breakfast the pains came on
worse. Mr. Summers saw him between ten and
eleven o'clock that morning. After he left he went
upstairs and lay down on my brother's bed, where
he remained until half-past three o'clock, when ho
came down stairs and went out into the garden,
and said that he felt better. At half-past seven
o'clock he came into dinner, but did not eat any-
thing excepting some dry toast and hot brandy and
water. He said that he felt better during the
evening. He had a cup of tea about a quarter-past
nine. He said he would go to bed early, but he
changed his mind and did not go until after we had
gone ; at dinner time he said his left hand was cold,
which he considered as a sign of gout coming on.
About halfpast ten o'clock that night I last saw
him alive. I was then in the drawing room. In
the night I was awoke up by bells ringing and
mamma screaming. I ran into his bed room. He
was lying near the edge on his left side. Mamma
and a gentleman who was staying with us (Mr.
Cantillo) were with him. Cold water was applied
to his head, but it fell down again. He never spoke.
Mr. Summers was sent for immediately. I felt
him and he was quite warm.
William Alexander Summers deposed—l am a
surgeon residing at North Petherton. On Satur-
day morning last, about ten o'clock or a little
after, I was sent for to see the deceased,
and found him at Maunsell in the drawing room.
He complained of an intense pain in his chest and
stomach. His face was much flushed, and he was
in a great perspiration. His left hand and arm were
considerably colder than the right ones. I examined
his heart, and found its action very laboured, al-
though regular. I attributed the symptoms to in-
digestion. I gave him some remedies, ordered a
mustard poultice to be applied, and his arm to be
rubbed. I saw him again at about half-past five
o'clock in the afternoon, when he told me that the
pains in the stomach and chest were almost
gone, but that he had a slight headache. I found
animation in the arm quite restored. He walked
about the garden with me for upwards of three-
quarters of an hour and seemed very cheerful. I
ordered the medicine to be repeated and left.
About a quarter to twelve o'clock at night I had a
message to come to Maunsell directly, Sir Frederick
k, fro m
his
which he soon recovered. Lady Slade informed me
e b
hisle making
ea aboutking
a it.r rattling
Iring attended
noise
was in a fit. I immediately went down and
i ,
and
att attack,
that found him in his bed-room, lying rather on his
left side, and quite dead, although still warm. I did
tnhoatt see
ee
awnyasznaawrkoks
ofi on
inh his imabtohurtoaltsams ohnethweas lyingagofor ne dasimilar
face and neck were ff su used with blood; when I
saw him he was very pale, as he had been dead some
20 minutes. I • •
am of opinion that he had fatty de-
generation of the heart, and that the immediate
cause of death was apoplexy, the result of natural
causes.

-----
Itomain Bouroon sworn—l am the butler at
Maunsell. The family went to bed on Saturday
night at 10 o'clock. Sir Frederick Slade remained
up sitting in the drawing-room reading the 2 imes:
directly the family went to bed ho called me to
put out the lights, which I did and left him in
the drawing-room. I heard him go to his bed
room about 10 minutes to eleven o'clock. About
forty minutes afterwards her ladyship's bell rang.
I went to the bedroom and found Lady Slade out of
bed, and Sir Frederick lying in bed on his left side.
He was insensible. I sent immediately for Mr.
Summers.

Sir Alfred Frederick" Adolphus Slade, Bart.,
sworn—l am the eldest son of the deceased. The
letters which I now produce are in the handwrit-
ing of the deceased. They were delivered to me by
Lady Slade. They were sealed and stamps put on
them. I opened them :
Maunsell, Bth Aug. 1863.
" My dear Sampson,—Will you be so kind as to send me
hero the name exact of the preparation of taraxacum, and
the address of the shop in London where it is to be had.
You will remember having told me that I ought to take it
for a series of weeks or months. I have lately had a severe
bilious derangement, which brings your advice to my mind.
We are looking very beautiful here now, all the flowers out
and the harvest in full progress. We go to the sea at
paignton, near Torquay, for three weeks on the 19th of the
month, after which we shall be here, and hope to see you.
and Mrs. Sampson—Yours very truly,

(Signed) " F. W. SLADE.
" George Sampson, Esq., Fisherton, Salisbury."
" Maunsell Grange, Bth August, 1863.
"My Dear Lord Bishop,—l was in Wells on Friday, but
so busy in court that I could not pay my respects to Lady
Auckland and yourself as I had wished. Business over, I
returned here, leaving everything at my lodgings, ready for
me to return to-morrow to have the honour of dining at the
palace. E homme propose, male Dieu dispose. I got up as
well as any man this morning, rode out early before break-
fast, but was seized with what they call indigestion, but
what I call the pains of hell, and have been in all day.
Under these circumstances will you and Lady Auckland
kindly excuse me, and believe yours very truly,
(Signed) "F. W. SLADL.
" The Right Honourable the Lord Bishop,
Palace, Wells, Somerset."
The Coroner, in summing up the case, considered
the jury could not have the slightest hesitation in
coming to the conclusion that the deceased ijiel
from natural causes, and it appeared to him that the
proximate cause of death was similar to that of Sir
Cresawell Cresswell's—fatty degeneration of the
heart. Possibly faintness came on, the heart put
in increased action, more blood was sent to the brain
than was normal, and a bloodvessel gave way, pro-
ducing apoplexy, which, as the surgeon truly
stated, was the immediate cause of death.
The jury returned a verdict of "Death from
Natural Causes."