The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-16 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE. -ASSAULTS.- Wm. lif`Laugh-
lin (tailor), and Elizabeth, his wife, were brought before
the Lord Mayor, charged with having assaulted each
other, and disturbed the neighbourhood of Bishopegate,
in which they reside.
The male prisoner had on Monday been charged with
having assaulted his wife—to whose care, at her parti-
cular request, the Lord Mayor, after having heard the
whole of the facts, consigned him, with a hint that if
there should be any more public quarrels between them
they should be both held responsible to the public.
A policeman stated that at 12 o'clock on Monday
night, upon hearing the cry of "Murder!" and "Police!"
he went to the house of the defendants, when he saw
them on the ground tearing each other's eyes and hair
out. They were separated, but soon afterwards re-com-
menced hostilities in the street, and gathered together by
the mere force of their abuse about a hundred of the
neighbours, who had been roused from their repose many
a time by the same sort of summons from the same par-
ties; again they were separated, and entrusted to their
own management of their mysterious differences, but at
two o'clock, in consequence of the revival of the alarm-
ing discords in the house, the windows of which had
been shattered by Mr. M‘Laughlin, it was found abso-
lutely necessary to transfer man and wife to the station
house.

The Lord Mayor—l was afraid I should see you both
again. What have you to say, Mrs. M'Laughlin, for
having been a party to this disgraceful scene, after what
had taken place on Monday ? I thought you and your
husband might have managed matters better.
Mrs. M'Laughlin—My lord, the neighbourhood is a
very bad one, and although I pay 301. a year for my
house, we are kept wide awake all night long by the dia-
bolical noise of these parties, who are so infernally vul-
gar, that we can stand it no longer. It is said that panes
of glass were broken. Certainly there were, but my
husband never thought of such a thing. It was quite
accidental. I feel that I have been ill-treated by the po-
lice, and I hope I shall be protected by the magistrates.
Mr. M'Laughlin, upon being asked whether he wished
to say anything, acknowledged that although he felt that
he and his wife had on Saturday night disturbed the
neighbourhood, they had, after the discharge on Monday
by his lordship, ventured to celebrate the occasion by
about a pint of gin, the consequence of which he had
no recollection of. That although he had no great
opinion of his wife, he did not think she kept up such a
row as had been described for so long a time.
The Lord Mayor—Pray how much gin had you and
your wife together after your discharge by me ?
Mr. M`Laughlin—l make it a rule, your lordship,
never to keep any account of the kind.

Mrs. M`L'auglilin—No, my lord ; it's never thought
of after its gone. (Laughter.) But we mean to alter
the thing altogether. We are in a bad and noisy neigh-
bourhood, your lordship ; consider that.
The Lord Mayor—l do. Remove from it, and you
will have the credit of changing its character.
Mrs. MiLaughtin— We will, my lord. I'll take him
away and you shall never be more troubled with him.
The Lord Mayor—Both of you are bound over to
keep the peace towards each other and the rest of her
Majesty's subjects for six calender months, in the sum
of 101.

One of the officers said the male defendant had been
paying his addresses to the daughter of his wife by her
late husband, about a week before his marriage ; but
the prudent mother said to him, " No, you are too
great a fool for her, I'll have you myself ;" and so it
happened.

LAMBETH.—THE ASSAULT AT BEULAH SPA.—Mr.
Francis Robert Newton was brought up from Horse-
monger•lane Prison, and Mr. William Philip Newton,
his brother, surrendered in discharge of his bail, to be
further examined on the very serious charge, as it is
much feared it will be, of assaulting Mr. Stewart lier,
at the pleasure grounds at Beulah Spa, on Friday after-
noon last.

Previous to the case being called on, Mr. Edwin
James entered the Court ; but it was found that the
learned gentleman attended not as an advocate, but to
give evidence.
Mr. Wontner observed that such was the present
state of the suffering gentleman, Mr. Ker, that he did
not think it necessary to have a fresh certificate from his
medical attendants, nor could the medical gentlemen
attend without violating important engagements. It
was his (Mr. Wontner's) intention to have requested his
worship to attend at the bedside of Mr. Ker, and taken
down his statement of the violent outrage and attack ;
but the fact was, that the unfortunate gentleman was in
such a helpless state-as to be totally incapable of hearing
and speaking, and, therefore, it would be perfectly use-
less to trouble his worship. He (Mr. Wontner) would
merely request that Mr. Edwin James, who was a per-
sonal friend of Mr. Ker, and who had seen that gentle-
man on that morning, might be sworn, and after hearing
his testimony as to the state the unfortunate sufferer was
in, it would be for his, worship to say what further course
he should adopt with respect to the accused party.

Mr. Edwin James, Who was accommodated with a
seat on the bench, was hero sworn, and said he was a
personal friend of Mr. Stewart Ker, and had known that
gentleman for about three years. He had seen Mr.
Ker at his own house that morning, and he was in such
a state of unconsciousness that he did not know even
his own wife. He could not move his handq, or speak,
or even open his mouth ; and as far as he (Mr. James)
could venture to say, his opinion and belief was that he
was in imminent danger. He also believed, from his
appearance, that Mr. Ker was suffering from severe inju-
ries of the brain. There was a fixed and glassy stare of
the eyes, and he (Mr. James) believed that he would not
recover.
Mr. Elliot—He is insensible, I suppose.

Mr. James—Yes, perfectly so; and he does not ap-
pear to hear anything. Was he but able to hear, and
even write on a slate answers to questions put to him, it
was my intention, Mr, Elliott, to have asked you to be so
good as to attend and take down the statement made by
him in reference to this charge, but it would be perfectly
useless to attempt it in his present state. I believe him to
be perfectly incapable of feeling pain, which I fear is a
bad symptom ; for on placing my hand to the back part
of his neck, where there has been a blister since yes-
terday morning, and pressing it, he did not evince the
slightest pain. He (Mr. James) had not seen the medical
men who was in attendance on Mr. Ker.

The attorney to the accused parties here said that Mr.
Newton, Fen., had seen the medical gentlemen who
signed the former certificate, and they informed him that
Mr. Ker was much better, and that the more serious
symptom had abated.
Mr. Elliott observed that he must have testimony on
oath before him of that fact prior to his making any
alteration in his decision, and again remanded the ac-
cused, as on the day preceding.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THR NORTH-LONDON
RAILWAY.-THIRTY PERSONS INJURED.

Another of those dreadful railway catastrophes which
so often occur from the reprehensible practice of running
heavy goods trains close after and before passenger ones
happened late on Monday night on the North London
(Camden-town) Railway, which, we regret to say, re-
sulted in the death of an engine-driver, serious if not
fatal injury to one or two more of the company's ser-
vants, and injuries to a number of the passengers.
It appears that some two or three hours previous to the
accident occurring all traffic on the down line had been
closed in consequence of a break-down ofone of the trains
near Kingsland, through the tire of a wheel coming off,
and throwing the carriage off the rail. It was then
about twenty minutes to eleven o'clock, the time that
the ten o'clock passenger train out from Fenchurch-
street was about ,due at that very spot. The guard,
knowing this, got out of his break and proceeded back
towards Kingsland, with his signal light and some fog
signals, to warn the approaching train from London ;
but almost immediately after he was surprised at seeing
his own (the goods) train coming back down the incline
at a fast speed and pass him, which he at the time sup-
posed to have arisen from a portion of the train having
broken away from the coupling, as it had done previously.
Unfortunately, in this section of the line there is a shai p
curve, and being in a deep cutting, there are several
bridges, which altogether tend to prevent the approach
of trains on either rail being seen more than 200 or 300
yards off. Already had the passenger train left Kings-
land station, and was approaching the curve at a rate of
probably twenty miles an hour, when the three red tail
lights of the hindermost carriage (the break) of the goods
train came suddenly upon the view. The thought in-
stantly occurred to the unfortunate driver, John Allen,
and the stoker of the passenger engine, that some part
of the "goods" had broken away, and were coming
down upon them, and that eventually he would be able
to check them in their progress. There is little doubt,
however, that the poor fellows did not anticipate the
whole train, as they could easily have escaped by jump-
ing off. On observing the lights, Allen sounded the
whistle to signalise the guards, shut off the steam, and
reversed the engine ; but scarcely had that been accom-
plished before tire goods dashed into them with fright.
ful force, the crash of which was distinctly heard
at both of the adjacent stations. The effect was,
providentially, most extraordinary. Deplorable as the
consequences were, it is somewhat marvellous how the
passenger train, filled as it was by some hundreds,
escaped; for, considering the almost overwhelming
heavy power of the receding luggage train, it is
a matter of surprise it did not cut right through it.
and so involve a sad sad sacrifice of life. The tender of
the passenger engine, which was first, was smashed ;
the break van of the goods and a waggon were broken
to pieces and driven under the engine. The scene that
ensued amongst the terrified passengers may possibly be
conceived. Although none of the carriages had sustained
any material damage, yet the force of the concussion
threw the passengers with great violence against each
other, and many were the contusions and bleeding faces;
it was some time before the fate of the driver and stoker
inothe
break
the
o f
passenger
thegoods.
A
bet
lengthascertained,the subsidence
ua s
si also thoseeeee
f
the steam from the shattered engine allowed a search to
be made, and among the broken fragments of the tender
was found the stoker, John Blencowe, who was most
shockingly scalded. Nothing could be seen of the
driver. From the remains of the break van were got
out two men, bleeding, apparently dead. They were
the assistant guards, named Richard Nation and James
Waygood. These unfortunate fellows, with the stoker,
were without loss of time placed upon hurdles, and
taken with c.)11 possible despatch to the German hospital
at Dalston. The search was continued for the driver,
but it was not until the arrival of another engine, which
was set to work to remove the wreck from the disabled
ennageeineo,f thathis
engine,
eonpoe7 creature was discovered. His body
was found bent on the fire-plate in front of the fur-
death- apparently scalded and burnt to
An inquiry was then instituted as to the cause of the
luggage train returning down the incline, It appeared

that the drivers of the two engines, finding that they
could not get the steam up in sufficient power to bring
up the train, improperly unhooked the engines from the
trucks for the purpose of setting the pumps at work so
as to throw water into the boilers, and so create steam.
Whether, when they did so, they were aware of being
in the incline, and its chafacter, is yet to be ascertained;
however, on detaching the engines, the train of waggons
instantly shot away from them down the gradient at a
sharp rate. It so happened that the only break in the
train was that in the rear, which at the time contained,
in addition to the above two men, Mr. Rowdon, foreman
of Messrs. Chaplin and Horne's goods department, and
another man. Nation and Waygood (assistant guards),
perceiving the rapid retrograde movement of the train,
applied all their power to the break. It bad no effect,
however, and while they were working at it they saw the
passenger train coming up. Rowdon and the other man
managed to escape by jumping off, but the guards scarcely
knew what to do for the best, and in a few moments
were crushed in the wreck of the collision, as before
narrated.

On the unfortunate sufferers reaching the German
Hospital they were immediately attended by Dr. Ranke,
the medical officer of the institution. The two assistant
guards, Nation and Waygood, somewhat rallied. It was
found that the former had sustained a severe laceration
on the head, and other injuries about the body. Way-
good had his left ear torn off, severe laceration of the
scalp, and was seriously cut and bruised about the body.
The Injuries of the other sufferer, Blencowe, were of a
more alarming character. The whole of his lower ex-
tremities are frightfully scalded, and the report of the
medical officer speaks doubtfully of his recovery.
The deceased engine-driver, Joh❑ Allen, was one of
the most steady and experienced drivers on the line, and
was much respected among all classes employed on and
frequenting the line. He has left a widow and three
children.

The accident has caused much sensation in the districts
traversed by the line, the practice of running the heavy
goods and coal trains between the quarter-of-an-hour
passenger trains having long formed the topic of conver-
sation and censure among the travellers.
Yesterday the usual notice of the accident was for-
warded to the railway department of the Board of Trade,
and it is anticipated that the Government inspector will
institute an inquiry into the facts. The coroner's in-
quest on the body of the engine•driver has not yet been
appointed.