The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-12 00:00:00

THE ACCIDENT ON THE LOIVTiON,
CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY.

FAVERSHAM, SUNDAY.

The scene of the recent fatal and alarming acci-
dent at Ospringo has been visited by great numbers
to-day, and the interest felt in the melancholy
occurrence remains unabated. The lino has been
carefully inspected for a considerable distance, and
the character of the permanent way accurately
ascertained. The result will be communicated to
the jury at their next sitting. It would appear
from a further examination of the line, that the
train, or a portion of it, first left the metals near
the place where a temporary line leads to a ballast
hole, some 300 or 400 yards from the spot where
the carriages were dashed down the embankment,
and along the whole of that distance the rails ap-
pear to have been relaid, and new chairs inserted.
Various causes have been assigned for the accident,
but most of them, more or less, of an improbable
character. There is one, however, that is gene-
rally received, which certainly bears more the im-
press of reasonableness than any of the others that
have been current in the neighbourhood. It is this
—that the recent heavy rains having affected the
permanent way, the goods train that passed over
the line shortly previous to the accident somewhat
widened the gauge, and then the speed of the mail
train, coupled with its comparative lightness, caused
he carriages to oscillate, and ultimately to get off
the line. The sodden trenails, powerless against
the extra pressure to which they were subjected,
gave way, the rails easily became displaced, and
the running off of the carriages was the inevitable
consequence. Be this as it may, there is more pro-
bability in the suggestion, and it is worthy of the
notice of the jury. Two of the injured men, David
Mappleston (of the audit office of the London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway), and Mr. Thompson
(barrister, of Dublin), are progressing satisfactorily,
considering the nature of the injuries they have
sustained. Those of Mr. Mappleson are entirely
of an internal character ; but Mr. Thompson's are
chiefly external. On the left side of his forehead
there is a deep incision, some four inches in length,
and extending down to the cheek bone, and there is
another severe wound croseing the eyebrow. He
has rallied considerably, and hai; been
. able to con-
verse with his attendants. He was riJlngin one of
the first-class carriages, and when founa the com-
partment was nearly filled with bricks, the aid of
the carriage having been forced against the gardeiz
wall at the bottom of the embankment. The other
sufferer, Mr. Wm. Crockford, of Rochester, lies in
a very preccarious state at the Anchor Inn, and
is not expected to survive the day, His leg
has been amputated just below the calf, and his
fractured arm set. The severe contusions on other
part of his body have also been attended to. He is
perfectly resigned to what he believes will termi-
nate his earthly career. Mr. Crockford has been an
active member of the Rochester town council, and is
the ehainnln of the Medway Union court of guar-
dians, and for many years has filled the office of trea-
surer to the Wesleyan Missionary Society for the
county of Kent. Being upwards of 60 years of age, the
shock has necessarily affected the entire nervous sys-
tem, apart from the external injuries above men-
tioned, and renders the chances of recovery ex-
tremely improbable.
The names of the deceased persons have been
found to be Mr. James Stratton Plumber, of 34,
Friday-street, City, and Wm. Harris, who was a
porter in the store department of the company at
Battersea, but has been mistaken for an inspector of
the line bearing the same name.
Information was sent to the Board of Trade as
soon as the excitement consequent upon the accident
had abated, and notification was received on Satur-
day that a gentleman from the railway department
of the office would attend and make an official in-
spection of the line on an early day this week.

A LIVERPOOL RUNAWAY-WIFE CA P-
TUR ED AT BRISTOL.

About a fortnight ago the whole establishment of
a well-to-do wine merchant at Liverpool was thrown
into a state of considerable consternation by the sud-
den disappearance of the worthy proprietor's better
half, and the excitement was not at all allayed when
it was discovered that one of the barman in the em-
ploy of the husband was non est. The suspicious
circumstances were yet made more suspicious by the
husband suddenly remembering having received an
anonymous communication from "A Friend," which
intimated that more friendship existed between the
barman and the landlady than was expected to exist
between an assistant and his mistress. The dis-
tracted Benedict at once came to the conclusion that
his faithless assistant and his yet more faithless wife
were in league together and that they were probably
at that moment miles away. From inquiries he
made and from other circumstances the husband con-
cluded that the fugitives might have taken the nearest
route to Bristol, and losing no time in his prepa-
parations. he also started by the next train for the
same place. After arriving in that city he found
refuge at the Terminus Hotel. He then made every
possible inquiry respecting the fugitives, and, fail-
ing to find any traces of the pair, he thought it
probable that they had gone to Southampton or
London, to both of which places he went, bat meet.
ing with no success he made an inglorious retreat
to Liverpool. A few hours before the arrival of
the Liverpool wine and spirit merchant at the Bris-
tol Terminus a good-looking young man,' escorting
a lady, also arrived on the same platform, and
shortly afterwards they were enjoying a comfort-
able cup of tea iu a snug parlour in one of the
houses of St. Vincent-place, New-cut. Having told
the lady of the house that they were man and wife,
and that they intended to stay there a short time,
they were accommodated with all the necessary re-
quirements for a married couple. On the follow-
ing day the gay Lothario made his appearance at
the Daily Press office, and arranged and paid for
six insertions of the following advertisement :
' Wanted, by a young man and his wife, from
Liverpool, the management of a spirit vault.—
Address, E. T., Daily Press Office.'
In the meantime the husband, who had returned to
Liverpool, was becoming gradually resigned to his
fate, and almost giving up the hope of ever seeing
his faithless wife again, when he was one day in-
formed that a letter had been posted at the Liver-
pool Post Office addressed to the fugitives in
Bristol. Having thus gathered fresh hope he at
once determined on making another and last
attempt to recover his spouse. He arrived here
on Thursday last, and, again fixing his head-quar-
ters at Hemmings's Terminus Hotel, he commenced
a plan of operation which was, and deserved to be,
more successful than the first. He first of all en-
listed the services of that cunning detective, Perrott,
who, it will be hereafter seen, was instrumental in
bringing the adventure to a successful and satis-
factory termination. At five o'clock the next morn-
ing the husband was up and doing, and not much
later Perrott was also sauntering about the Post-
office with his hands in his pockets, on the look-out
for,-the letter which had been sent from Liverpool.
No traces of such letter were, however, found, and
the injured swain, beginning to imagine that he
was hoaxed, was seriously thinking of giving up the
hunt as a bad job. Perrott who never lacks a word
of encouragement to a poor fellow who is embarked
in the most desperate adventure, now came forward,
and by word and deed showed what he meant to
do. Perrott with that extraordinary instinct for
finding out, which perhaps characterises him above
all the other members of our local police force,
found out that a couple answering the description
of the fugitive pair were located at a house in at.
Vincent's-place, facing the river on the New-cut.
The officer carried the glorious news to poor Bene-
dict, who received it with great joy and thankful-
ness, and both proceeded at once to St. Vincent's
Place, and after tapping gently at the door of No.
—, it was immediately opened, but the applicants
were told that the gentleman and his lady' were
out, and that they would be in in a short time.
Perrott and his companion then went away,
and stationed themselves on the opposite
bank of the river, where they reconnoitred the
ground before them, and kept a sharp look out on
the door of No. —. They had not long to wait be-
fore the very identical couple were seen entering
together, and Perrott and the wine merchant made
the best use of their legs round the bridge, and ar-
rived in time at the house. The husband and the
detective were instantly admitted, and the next
moment the four were face to face. There was no
outburst of grief Ul d.11...v 0. a'. ',cut yr vv
y Lo-
and the countenance of the husband w the sl counte-
as alight have been
name more of sorrow than of anger..
thario was not so discomposed
expected and Perrott enjoyed the scene most
injunctions to go about his
tions
thoroughly. It was hastily arranged that the bar-
man' should be paid off,' and E). sum of money was
gbuivseinnehssir,at:nwd never with strict e
ct
_vi nsit Liverpool.
ing and, it is to be hoped, a lasting reconciliation
was scon effected between the erring wife and the
nser A gratify-
forgiving husband, and they remained together on
very affectionate terms at No. St. Vincent's
Place, until last Monday morning, when they de-
parted for Liverpool by the 6.20 train,
to all appear.
ante a very affectionate and happy couple.—Somer-
set Herald.

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