The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-12 00:00:00

WILTON.

For this borough it is not anticipated that there
will be any opposition to the re-election of the pre-
sent member. Mr. Antrobus in his address to the
electors avows himself a constant but independent
supporter of the policy of Lord Palmerston.

The Catastrophe on the South• Eastern
Railway.

THE INQUEST.

The inquest was held at four o'clock on Saturday, at the
South-Eastern public-house, before Mr.W. J. Neve, coroner
for East Kent. Mr. Eborall, the general manager ; Mr.
Knight, the traffic superintendent ; and Mr. Harris, the
deputy-superintendent, were present to watch the case on
behalf of the company. Mr. Vining, of No. 4, Moorgate-
street-buildings, watched on behalf of Mr. Whitby, a mer-
chant of Lierpool, whose wife was killed. The jury having
been sworn, with the Rev. Robert Moore as chairman, the
coroner said :

"Gentlemen,—You are summoned here to-day to make
inquiry into the most lamentable accident which has ever
happened on the main lino of this rail. You are about to
inquire into the cause of the death of 10 persons who were
in the tidal train yesterday on this line, and which ran off
the line at a place not far from hero, which was under re-
pair at the time. In the course of the proceedings you
will have to inquire who has been to blame. Whether
the man who managed the repairs was making them at
an improper time, or whether the signalman has cora-
mited a breach of duty in not giving proper notice, or
whether the driver of the train was guilty of gross
neglect in not giving his attention to signals. To-
day we had better confine ourselves to the simple identi-
fication of the bodies and the medical evidence as to the
immediate cause of death, and then adjourn to some day
which will be convenient to all parties, when the' more
important question can be gone into. lam informed that
ono of the directors is present, and the general manager
also, and they aro willing to afford you every opportunity
of going down to the spot, and all necessary information
within their power as to the cause of this sad calamity.

Mr. Beattie said that he had come down as a director of
the railway company, and he need hardly speak of the very
great and severe distress which the directors felt at such a
most dreadful accident to a service which had been con-
ducted with amazing safety to the public, and the jury
might well suppose what poignant distress it had caused
them under the circumstances The directors were anxious
the inquiry should be as deep and as searching as possible,
to discover the cause of the calamity and to prevent its re-
currence.

The jury then proceeded to view the bodies and the
steno of the disaster, and on their return the following
evidence was called:—

Lloyd Rayner, of Liverpool, merchant, identified the
body of his wife, Amelia Rayner. He had a letter from
her the day before when she left Paris, on her way to
Liverpool. He had six children. He last saw her alive
nearly a month ago in Liverpool. She was 37 years of
age.

Frederick Bodenham, solicitor, of Hereford, identified
the body of his wife. Her name was Anna. She was a
passenger with witness in the tidal train. She has loft no
family. She was 28 years of ago. Witness himself was
not seriously injured. He last saw her alive at tho mo-
ment of the accident, and heard her speak then. It was one
of the middle first-class railway carriages that fell into the
water. Witness was thrown into the water. She died four
or five minutes after he found her, when ho came to his
own senses. Witness desired to add that the train was going
at the same speed when it went off the line as before.

By the Rev. Mr. Moore (the foreman of the jury)—The
breaks were not on. The speed was the same as usual. It
is a goods train.

John Lomax, of Bolton-le-Moors, auctioneer, identified
Adam Hampson, who lived at tho same place as witness
did. Ho was a surgeon, about 41 years of age, and was on
his way from Paris to London.

George Whitby, of 24, St. James's-street, London, mer-
chant, identified the body of his wife, Lydia. She was 28
years of ago. Witness was not travelling with her, but he
expected her by the tidal train.

Rev. Arther Thompson, the British Chaplain at St.
Petersburg, and of 3, Upper George-street, Bryanston-
square, identified Caroline Wyto, formerly of Regency-
square, Brighton, but now a traveller in various parts. She
was coming to stop at witness's house. She was between
45 and 50, as witness believed.
Richard Christopher Mansell, one of the officers of the
South-Eastern Railway (carriage and waggon superinten-
dent at Ashford), deposed to his being on the scene of the
disaster about four o'clock. He received notice by tele-
gram from the station-master at Ashford, and proceeded
immediately with a train of carriages. He had seen the
bodies of nine persons, and one had been sent away pre-
viously. Witness knew they were all taken from the
wreck of the tidal train, and saw them laid together. All
the bodies the jury had seen were taken from the wreck
of that train. No doubt their deaths were caused by the
falling of a train. Thero was a body removed which a
Mr. Faithful identified as his wife, and that body the jury
had not seen. She was lying dead on the railway, and her
husband was by her side. Witness knew nothing of any
of the deceased personally.

David 0 venden, superintendent of the Kent County
Police of the Cranbrook division, had searched the bodies,
and found papers and other articles on them. There is one,
a man, still unrecognised, with socks marked "H. M.,"
apparently from 35 to 40 years of ago.
By the Jury—There were no papers or documents
about him.

By the Coroner—On searching the body of a young lady
richly attired witness found an envelope, addressed " Miss
Beaumont, 11, Rue de Chaillot, Champs Elys6es, Paris."
Tho post mark was "Lincoln." Another lady had her
linen marked "H. Cundliff," and there was reason to be-
lieve she was the wife of a gentleman now lying here in-
jured.

By the Solicitor to the company—Witness did not see
her pocket handkerchief.
John Hill Elder, of 333, City-road, Islington, accountant,
identified James Dunn, who had resided at the same house
as witness, and by business was a warehouseman at Messrs.
Leaf and Co.'s, 39, Old Change. Witness expected him by
the tidal train from Paris to go by a train the same evening
to
John Frederick
He
was 36
Williams,or3 surgeon at Staplehurst, 7, and a single man.
de-
posed—l was called by a railway porter to the scone of
the accident about half-past three yesterday. I saw the
nine bodies taken out which the jury have seen. I have
examined some ; others did not require it, the cause of
death being apparent. Some were quite dead, others
were not. The deaths were all caused by injury from
the accident or drowning. There wore seven females,
one of whom the jury, I believe, have not seen. There
were three males. I believe they were all dead before
they were removed, but I left the train to attend to the
injured, to whom I could do some good.
The coroner said it would be necessary to view the sole
remaining body, and further evidence was requisite as to
the identification of three of the bodies, and they might
also have the advantage of assistance from a Government
inspector.

gentleman said he could identify one of them.
Sidney Samuel Simkin was then sworn, and deposed
that ho was a schoolmaster at Staplehurst. He took care
of a Mr. Cundliff, who had been injured, and he described
the dress and the appearance of ono of the deceased, and it
corresponded completely. Ho did not describe whore he
was travelling from. He was suffering very much.
At this stage of the inquiry the jury proceeded to the
house of Mr. Reeves, to take evidence as to the identity
of Mrs. Faithful, and then adjourned the inquiry till Mon-
day next at half-past two o'clock.