The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-07 00:00:00

that your train was not to start till after the coal train
ca me in ?" To which Kinch replied, " Yes, I did," and
I appealed to some one to bear it in mind, in case the acci-
dent proved fatal to Kinch. He believed it was Car-
rier, an engine-driver, who was with Kinch. Witness
could not repeat any more of the conversation, for
he was not paying attention to it, but thinking of
matters relating to the accident. He did not hear any
further conversation with Kinch, but he would not swear
there was not any more. Witness stopped at Oxford-
road till Kinch went on in the train. Witness did not
wish to hear Kinch say any more, as that was all that
was important to him. Witness was in a very excited
state ; there were so many arrangements to be made
with regard to the trains. He did not hear Kinch say
anything putting the blame on any one else. He might
have said it, but witness did not hear him. Witness did
not stay long at the scene of the accident, seeing Mr.
Hood, who had much mechanical knowledge, there, be-
sides Hayes, and other experienced persons ; and he
thought he could do more effectual service by going to
the Oxford-road station, to make arrangements for the
safety of the trains which were expected. From the dis-
tance the train had got after it started, when he saw it,
he judged it must have gone off at unusual speed. The
number of persons on the platform when the train
' '

started, would comprise Hayes, Gwynn, two porters,
and the carriage examiner. The porters would not have
had power to stop the train without coming to witness.
In the absence of Smith, the overlooker of the drivers
and engines, who left for Bicester, at 4 o'clock on that
day, there was no one to take his place.
Thomas Manning, telegraph clerk at the Oxford sta-
tion—On Monday night he received a message from
Islip, about five o'clock, to ask if the coal train could
leave there. He sent an answer back to say "Yes, if it
came directly." He sent that answer by the direction of
Mr. Blott, the station master. A message then came
from Islip, to say the coal train had left. He answered
" Good." At 5.22 a message came from Oxford-road, to
say the coal train had then left there. At 5.27 he sent
another message, by Mr. Blott's order, to Islip to know
if the line was clear if the coal train arrived. The answer
was "Yes." That was the last message. The poles of
the telegraph were knocked down between Oxford and
Oxford-road by the collision, and he had to go to Ox-
ford-road to telegraph. He saw the 5.30 train start, but
heard no orders given about its starting. Mr. Robinson,
the booking clerk, asked him if the coal train had
arrived, but he said he could not tell. He was in the
office and had no means of knowing. He had nothing
to do with starting the trains, nor had Mr. Robinson
that he was aware of. It was the duty of the station
master to instruct him to telegraph after the starting of
the trains. He had no orders to telegraph the starting
of the 5.30 train, as it had gone before Mr. Blott could
tell him.
James Panter, engine cleaner in the company's ser-
vice, stated that he worked under Smith, the overlooker
of drivers and engines, and it was his duty to look to
the men when Smith was absent from Oxford, and see
they have plenty of water and coke to take on their
journies. Remembered Smith's going to Bicester on
Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock. He told witness to
look after the men and engines while he was gone, and
see all was right. He did not say what time he should
come back. No train came in while Smith was away.
Witness would swear it. One went out. Having been
told that Smith had sworn that he met a train at Islip,
witness admitted that a train came in at half-past four.
He saw that train come in.

The Coroner expressed his regret that such a witness
had been introduced to explain the fact of their being no
one to supply Smith's place in his absence.
A Juryman expressed his regret that such a person
should have such responsibility in Smith's absence.
Frederick Jackson, a youth of 13, stated that he was
a second-class passenger in the 5.30 train on Monday
night, with his brother. The carriage was next to the
third class. He was in the middle compartment. There
were three or four passengers in that carriage besides
his brother and himself. He could not see who was in
the other compartments. Two of the persons with
them were two young men, about 19 or 20, and an
elderly gentleman. He had been about five minutes in
the carriage at the station before the train started. A
person came round, who said " Show your tickets ;"
and he then shut the door. All the five persons were
in the carriage at that time. No one got in afterwards.
He thought the door was not locked. Before the

train started he did not hear any whistle, or any
one say " all right," or "go on," or any signal for
starting. He sat nearest the platform. He knew

the difference between the guard's whistle and the
engine whistle. He thought the engine whistle did
make a little noise. He told his brother they were
going off rather fast. He did not hear the whistle after
he got out of the station ; the window was shut. It was
about a minute between the shutting of the door and
the train going off. The man who asked for the tickets
began at the carriage next the engine, and went all the
way down. He did not see him pass back again. There
was no luggage van between the third-class carriage
and the engine. He knew nothing more till the ca-

lision. He did not hear any hall—owing. There was
a jerking, as if they were quickening speed. It was
not such a sensation, he thought, as would be pro-
duced by putting on the break. He looked at his
watch as he started, and it was 25 minutes to 6 ; the
collision caused it to stop, and he afterwards found
it had stopped at 20 minutes and a half to 6, making
the time that elapsed four minutes and a half. The
carriage he was in was broken all to bits by the shock
of the collision, and he was thrown into the water by
the side of the line. It was when he got home that
he looked at his watch. He was not much hurt. He
received a blow. The glass of his watch was broken
into pieces. (The watch, a double-cased one, was pro-
duced, and the case was deeply indented.) They were
all covered with mud. He was up to his middle in the
water. He could not tell whether he fell out of the win-
dow or went through the roof. His brother, who was
sitting opposite to him, was thrown on the other side of
the line. He was not much hurt. He did not go in
the water.

This witness's examination was then concluded, and
he was highly complimented by the coroner and the jury
for the clear and intelligent manner in which a boy of
such tender years had given his evidence.
Captain Bruyeres informed the coroner that the guard
of the 5.30 train (Joseph Kinch) was in too ill a state to
be able to appear before the jury to-morrow (Friday) for
examination.

The jurywere continuing their inquiry at 8 o'clock
p.m., when the last train for London left Oxford ; and it
was understood that they would adjourn for five or six
days, to afford time for Kinch so far to recover from his
injuries as to be able to appear as a witness.
Fortunately, no further deaths have occurred among
the sufferers from the fearful catastrophe.

DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE'-DEATH FROM
ANGER.

On Wednesday last an inquest was held, before T. M.
Phillips, Esq., upon the body of James Francis Gribble,
at Vauxhall, in Wolverhampton, who met with his death
under the following melancholy circumstances :
James Richardson deposed that he was a bootmaker,
and lodged with the deceased, who was about fifty-four
years of age, of the same trade, and worked for Mr.
Betts, of Darlington-street. He lived at Vauxhall,
and on Christmas-day, between five and six o'clock,
he (witness) was in bed, and heard the deceased's son
come into his father's house, make a great noise, and
call him by name to come down and fight him in the
yard. He got up and went down stairs, and, upon
entering the back kitchen, lie saw deceased's son,
with his coat off, and alone. He went into the yard,
and challenged witness to come out to fight ; he would
not follow him, but told him he better keep quiet, as
he was drunk ; he (witness) thea went into the parlour,
for the purpose of fetching his hat, when he saw the de-
ceased lying upon the bed with his clothes on, apparently
in a dying state, and the deceased's wife and sister bathing
his head with vinegar; he then went to the police station
for an officer, and on returning with Sergeant Maddox,
the son ran away. On re-entering the parlour he found
Mr. Edwards, surgeon, applying leeches to the decased's
head. Deceased died soon afterwards ; he had sometimes
complained of giddiness in the head, but he never knew
him to have a fit.

Elizabeth Gribble, wife of the deceased, said her husband
complained of apain in his head on Saturday evening last,
and went and lay down on his bed in the parlour. Whilst
there his son came to the front door, much the worse for
liquor ; he vomited in the passage, had some water given
him, appeared to be a little more sober, and asked his
wife for money ; she ran out at the back door to avoid
his urging his request ; he ran up the passage towards
the front door, when the deceased ;jumped up and took
hold of his son's hands, observing, " Come, Jimity, you
shall not go out any more : I will not allow this ;" the
deceased then struggled to bring his son back, and both
slipped down in the passage ; her son got up and went
away, and her husband then walked towards the door ;
she noticed that he dragged one of his legs after him,
and that his face was very much drawn on one side.
She got him into the parlour, and placed! him on the
bed. Mr. Edwards, surgeon, quickly attended him,
and stayed with him until his death, which took
place shortly after eight o'clock ; in consequence, as she
believed, from a fit of apoplexy, caused by excitement.
She was quite sure that her son neither struck nor fell
upon the deceased, nor that he received any injury when
he fell. He had complained of a pain in his head for
upwards of a month.
Mr. George Edwards, surgeon, stated that he had
made a post mortar!, examination of the body of the de-
ceased. There were no marks of violence visible upon
the body, and from the appearance of the interior of the
skull, he had no doubt that the cause of death was
apoplexy, which was probably induced by the mental
emotion of anger.
The jury recorded a verdict of "Died in a fit of
apoplexy, caused by struggiing and the mental emotion
of anger." _

On Thursday James Francis Gribble was brought up
before H. Walker and W. Warner, Esqrs., at the police
court.

Sergeant Maddox stated that he took the prisoner into
custody on Christmas day on suspicion of having caused
the death of his father.

Mr. Warner said it appeared that the jury had arrived
at the conclusion that the prisoner's father's death was
caused by apoplexy, brought on by mental emotion and
struggling ; he would, therefore, be discharged, but a
deep regret concerning his share in the distressing event
must remain upon his mind as long as he lived. When
he considered that he to whom he (the prisoner) was
indebted for his life, owed his death to struggling with,
and the conduct of, his son, he trusted it would act as a
caution to his behavion in his future life.—Wolverhamp-
ton Herald.

CAUTION To THEATRICAL MANAGERS.—Mr. Henry
Beverley, lessee of the Queen's Theatre at Hull, has
been fined in the mitigated penalty of 5/. for performing
a ballet called "La Statue Blanche." A performer
named Bland supported the information,