The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-17 00:00:00

PRICE 4d.
STAMPED sd.

The Fatal Accident on the South Eastern

Railway.

STAPLEHURST, Friday.

The adjouited inquiry into the deaths of the lb persons
who were killed by the oversotting of the tidal train on
Friday, the 9th inst., was resumed this day, at 12 o'clock,
by Mr. W. T. geve, the coroner for West Kent, at the
South-Eastern public-house.

Mr. Eborall, the general manager ; Mr. Knight, the gene-
ral superintendent; Mr. John Harris, deputy-superinten-
dent; Mr. Cudworth, locomotive engineer; Mr. Freeland,
the solicitor, and other officials of the company, represented
their interests. Mr. Vining, solicitor, of 4, Moorgate-
street-buildings, appeared for the family of Mrs. Whitby ;
Mr. Abrahams, solicitor, of Gresb am-street, for the relatives
of Mr. Mercer (killed), and two of the injured; and other
legal gentlemen were also present.

Capt. Ruston, the chief of the county constabulary, was
also in attendance ; Capt. Rich, from the Board of Trade,
was also present.

The prisoner was brought up in custody of Superinten-
dent Ovenden, from Cranbrook, and was defended by Mr.
John Minter, jun., solicitor, or Cranbrook.
The jury having answered to their names (with the Rev.
Mr. Moore as foreman), the evidence was proceeded with
as follows :

Edward Coleman deposed—l am a carpenter, and live at
Willsborough. I have been in the permanent employ of the
South-Eastern Railway Company for nearly three fears.
I have worked in a gang of four carpenters and one labourer.
I know Henry Benge, who was foreman of the platelayers.
We have lately been repairing the rails and works at the
Stourbridge viaduct. Ido not know whether it is called
Beult-bridge. I have seen the platelayers at work taking
up the rails and putting in new ones after we had done
the timbers. We assisted each other. The work had been
going on about three weeks or a month ; but I cannot say
exactly the time. The carpenters took out the old timbers
and replaced them with new. Dawson was the leading man
of the carpenters. We had nearly completed the work to
the viaduct. The taking up of the two rails and the timber
and putting in new wood would take sometimes half an
hour, depending on how the work came out. On Friday
afternoon the platelayers took up two of the rails on the
up-line--the outside rail. One timber had been taken out.
We were not supposed to break any road without Daw-
son's sanction ; and we therefore removed the timberunder
his direction. We commenced taking up the rail on Friday,
after the up-train due at Staplehurst at 2.50 had passed. I
do not know whether the train was up to its time. Ido
not know who took the rail up, but when they had done so
the carpenters began taking the timbers out. We had got
ono piece out outside the girders, but none inside. The
rails were two 21ft. rails, and the timber we took out was
about 13ft. We were in the act of taking out a piece of old
timber inside the girder when the tidal train approached,
but Ido not know anything about the time. My attention
was drawn to the train by one of the men saying the train
was coming. I cannot say who said that. I heard no whistle.
We could hardly tell what it was at first, whether engine or
train, at that distance, as near as I could judge a mile off.
A signalman, John Whiles, had been sent back before the
rails were taken up, in fact before the other train, the 2.50
came to us. Ido not know how far he had been ordered to
go back. He had a red flag with him. I saw him wave
the flag as he stood by the side of the four-foot, and Mr.
Mansell, who has since measured the distance, said it was
554 yds. 6 in. Whiles appeared to me to be on the inner
rail on the four-foot on the up-line. I will not swear as to
the distance, but Whiles himself pointed out to me where
he was standing. I saw him wave the flag in the front of
the engine. I heard the whistle when the train was nearer
to me than the signalman was. It was a continuous whistle
after I first heard it. I should think the train was three or
four telegraph post lengths past the signalman. I did not
hear any fog signals, but there might have been some with-
out my hearing them. The train did not appear to slacken,
as it came on very fast indeed ; but you could not tell in
the confusion. We ran towards the train when we first
hoard the whistle, making all the signs we could to stop
the train.

Did you hear Bongo say anything about having made a
mistake ?—I cannot swear I did.

Did you hear him say anything ?—He said, " Oh, dear !
here's the boat train—what shall we do ?"