The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-23 00:00:00

ALARMING ACCIDENT_7 0 AN EXPRESS

TRAIN.

EVESHAM, WEDNESDAY.

A most alarming collision, most providentially
unattended with fatal consequences, occurred on the
West Midland Railway near this town last night,
under the following circumstances. The down ex-
press train from London, which leaves Paddington
at 6.30 p.m., does not stop at Evesham, but passes
this station at the usual express speed, and is due
here at about 9.5 p.m. The train was a few minutes
behind time, but was proceeding at the usual rate,
and had passed Evesham station by about 200 yards,
when the passengers were suddenly thrown together
in confusion, some receiving bloody noses and others
being badly bruised. Fortunately, however, no
further damage was sustained by them, and on hur-
riedly leaving the train they found they had run
into some trucks which by some unaccountable ne-
gligence had been left on the line without danger
signals to guard them, while it was known that the
express train was due on the same line of rails.
The effect of the collision was to dash the trucks
(three in number) into splinters, scattering the
debris over the line and breaking down the tele-
graph wires. Two of the wheels of one of the trucks
had in an extraordinary manner got under the fore
wheels of the engine and become firmly fixed in it,
and it was thought the engine would have left the
rails and run off down an embankment but for

these wheels holding it upon the line. At the
place where the collision occurred there is an em-
bankment leading over some low lands adjoining
the river Avon ; and had the train gone a little fur-
ther and run off the rails, it must have fallen bodily
into the river, which was much swollen by the late
rains and is always deep at this place. The escape
of the passengers was indeed miraculous. The party
most injured was the engine driver, who received a
severe blow on the chest. He was conveyed to
Worcester in the course of the night, and attended
by Mr. Everett, surgeon, who pronounced the injury
as not serious. The damage to the company is con-
siderable, the three trucks being completely de-
stroyed, and one of them loaded with scrap iron.
The extent of the mischief being ascertained, assis-
tance was obtained from Evesham, and in about an
hour the disabled train was dragged back to Eves-
ham, and a fresh engine being supplied, the pas-
sengers were sent on their journey. The line was
cleared in about an hour. How the trucks got on
the line of course the authorities cannot yet say, but
the foreman porter at Evesham, who has the ma-
nagement of the shunting of trains, has been taken
into custody, and will be examined before the ma-
gistrates. It is due to the public that the most
searchin g investigation should take place, and the
true culprit be punished.

THE COLLISION ON 7HE EDINBURGH

AND GLASOOW RAILWAY.

We are glad to be able to state that all the patients
at Linlithgow, under the conjoint cire of Drs.
Spence and Baird, are progressing as favourably as
can be hoped for, taking into consideration the na-
ture of the injuries of some of them. Mr. Shaw,
writer, Falkirk, is now the worst, and although
there was on Tuesday a considerable degree of irri-

tative fever remaining, he passed. a good night, and
was rather better than he had been since the acci-
dent. Although he is still in a dangerous state,hopes
are cherished of an ultimate recovery ; but still it
will take at least two months before the scalds are
healed and he can be removed. Mr. Brown, East
Lothian, who received extensive cuts and bruises
all over the body, and whose arm was scalded and
three ribs fractured, is going on uncommonly well.
The inflammatory symptoms that set in, end which
caused at first some alarm, are now happily subdued,
and although there still remains a very great de-
gree of weakness and depression, there is no fear
but that he will recover. Miss Isabella Wood, from
Leith, who received the contusion on the lumbar
vertebra, causing temporary paralysis, was yester-
day very much better. For the last day or two
she suffered a very great deal from nervous excite-
ment and horrible dreams when falling asleep, from
which she awoke talking a little incoherently about
the accident, fancying she was in the train ; but
she is now quite out of danger. Mrs. M'Farlane
is improving rapidly, and, we understand, she is
now able to sit up in bed and amuse herself with
reading; and Mrs. Burnett is also doing well. The
girl, Mary Ann Dempster, who is in the house of
Mr. Dow, station-master, and whose legs were
fractured, is doing well and in excellent spirits.
She is highly ;delighted with her present abode,
and says that the people there are very kind to
her. The soldier, under the care of Dr. Gilmour,
is also doing well. There are two persons who
rendered great service on the night of the acci-
dent, and whom we had previously omitted
to notice—Mr. Peter Dow, station-master, and
his wife. Mr. Dow, as soon as the accident was
known, hastened to the spot with the labourers who
had just arrived from their day's work on the rail-
way by a train, and set them at once to work. He
accompanied the wounded to Linlithgow, and was
most unceasing in his efforts to render the sufferers
comfortable, and has ever since proved himself a
sympathising friend to them all. Mrs. Dow, under
whose care the little girl Dempster still remains,
cannot be too highly praised for the kindly manner
in which she attends to all the sufferers. In the
Edinburgh Infirmary all the patients have improved
with the exception of Harvey, of the Scots Greys,
who still continues in a state of insensibility. „in-
deed, the doctor fears concussion of the brain. Mr.
M'Nab of Cupar was very much depressed, in con-
sequence of the death of Mr. Marr, whose injuries
were similar to his own, but on Tuesday morning
his spirits recovered their tone, and he is now a
good deal better.—North British Marl.

DEATH FROM THE ADMINISTRATION
OF LAUDANUM.

UNQUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS.

Yesterday afternoon the coroner for Middlesex
held an inquest at the Red Cow Tavern, Mile-end-
road, Stepney, respecting the death of James
Woodley, aged 16 months, whose parents reside at
6, Cleveland-street, who it was alleged died from
narcotic poison. _ _ _

It appeared from the evidence that the deceased
had been suffering from a cough, and the mother
went to a chemist named Stimpson, of The Dog-
row-Mile-end-gate, who prescribed a mixture called
" Paregoric tincture," which was labelled with in-
structions to give the child a teaspoonful when the
cough was troublesome. The deceased became un-
conscious, and when a medical gentleman was called
he pronounced deceased suffering from a narcotic.
She only paid a penny for the mixture and the
phial was half filled. The mother said, in answer
to the coroner, that, as Mr. Stimpson had surgeon
and accoucheur over the door, she thought that he
was a qualified medical man.
Mr. Irwin, surgeon, of Mile-end-road, stated that
he found the child dying, apparently from the ad-
I ministration of poison. He saw a phial on the
r table, and from questions put to the mother he was
of opinion that the child had died from the effects
of a narcotic poison. He had examined a portion
of the drug in the phial, and had found that it con-
tained two poisonous drugs—viz., benzone and
opium, which were very dangerous to administer to
children of such a tender age. A vast number of in-
fants were destroyed annually by the reckless sale
of poisonous drugs.
The Coroner said the case was a very serious one,
deceasedaeted
and he had had occasion more than once to caution
Mr. Stimpson for acting in such a capacity with-
out being qualified.
The mother stated thateli Me
rte. d her o Stimpsonfth thea
as a surgeon, and had delivered
child at her confinement.
The Coroner gave instructions to Mr. Stevens, the
summoning officer, to send for Mr. Stimpson, the
chemist ; but when the messenger returned that
gentleman was found to be absent from home.
A Juror said that Mr. Stimpson ought
to be pro-
secuted by the Apothecaries' Company for such
illegal practices.

The Coroner sealed up the phial, and adjourned
the inquiry for a post mortem examination of the
body, at the same time requesting Mr. Stevens to
summon Mr. Stimpson, the chemist.
Adjourned to Friday afternoon, at two o'clock.