The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-06 00:00:00

the accident that he did not hear me call to him. I fell
on the left side of the line, and before I got up the ac-
cident had occurred. It was a collision between the
5.30 train and the coal train. All three of the engines

were thrown off the line. The three tenders were also

thrown off the line, and both trains were brought to a
stand-still. As soon as I got up, I could not see for a

moment, on account of the steam blowing off. It was
on the Oxford side of the wooden bridge that I jumped
off. When the steam cleared I went to my engine, and
found Wilcox lying hurt on the foot-plate of it. My
engine was not overturned. I could not tell how he
was injured, but I saw him taken to the infirmary. Be-
fore he was taken there I saw him alive, and asked him

if he was very much hurt, and he was, but
he that
he could not tell me how. He was unable to speak any
more. He only asked me to take care of him, and I
said that I would. I then went to the passenger car-

riages, and Ifound two of them upset ; the one was a
second, and the other a third-class carriage. I helped
to get the passengers out of the broken carriages.
We picked up a man and a woman, who were both
dead. I did not hear any signal from the passenger
train, not even at the time when I saw the lights.
If there had been any whistle, very likely I should
not have heard it. The whole of the traffic between
Oxford and Islip is now carried over one line of rails.
When a coal train comes into Oxford we go on to the
same line where the passengers have their tickets taken,
and then we move off the main line to the left on a sid-
ing. I have no instructions to go and report the arrival
of a coal train to the station-master, and I don't know
whether the breaksmen have such instructions. There

was a green light in front of our first engine, and a white
light on the left side of the tender. There were blue

coloured lights at each side of the break van at the end

-
of our train. I saw two white lights on the passenger
train that was approaching us, the one was on the buffer
of the engine, and the other was on the side of the ten-

~,
der. It was, not quite a mile from the station to the
point where the accident happened. Since there has
been but a single line between Islip and Oxford I have
known the 5.30 passenger train to leave Oxford before
the coal train arrived. Once I waited at Islip until it

came up, and once I passed it between Islip and Bices-
ter. I was stepped at Islip on that occasion by the
policeman on duty. He told me that the passenger
train had left Oxford. He had got that information by
the telegraph I suppose. I cannot understand how the
passenger train should have come on when we had our
lights on. It was quite contrary to rule. The passen-
ger trains have white lights, and goods or coal trains
green lights. There is a signal at the iron swing-bridge,
and also an auxiliary signal post about 200 yards up the
line beyond the ticket platform. There is no other sig-
nal between the wooden bridge and the Banbury-road
station. The auxiliary signal is seen from a consider-
able distance when a train is coming from the Wolver-
cot tunnel. I cannot tell whether the passenger train
had reached the auxiliary signal when I first saw it. I
was looking for the auxiliary signal when the light of
the train attracted my attention.
This witness's examination was here concluded.
Mr. Hester—Now we propose, Mr. Coroner, to put
in the Oxford station-master's evidence.
The Coroner—My duty, as the officer of the Crown,
is not to have Mr. Blott examined at present.

Mr. Hester—We consider Mr. Brott's evidence the
best evidence ; and it is only like beating about the bush
to seek for all this imperfect evidence, when there is
direct evidence ready to be adduced, but it is not ad-
mitted.

Mr. Mallam—lt appears to me that the exclusion of
Mr. Blott's evidence bears this construction, that there
is a foregone conclusion that this gentleman is in some
way responsible.
The Coroner—l am satisfied that my course is -the
right one, and I feel that I shall be upheld by the public
in refusing to take Mr. Blott's evidence first.
Wm. Hayes examined—l am foreman of porters and
ticket collector at the Oxford station. My duty is to
see that the carriages are all marshalled ready for tra-
velling, and that the porters at the station are at their
posts. It is part of my duty to be on the platform at
the starting of every train, and I am provided, like all
the other servants, with a printed book of instructions
for my guidance. By those rules it is the guard's duty.
to give the signal to start the trains by whistling to the
driver. There is a whistle provided for the purpose.
The drivers of the train are therefore subject to the
direction and the control of the guards. The guard,
before starting, ascertains from the station-master or
myself that all is ready for starting. I was on
the platform on Monday evening when the 5.30
train should have started. I knew that a coal train
was due at 5.20, and I was aware that it had not arrived
at Oxford. I have general orders from the station-master
to ascertain that the coal train is clear of the line before
the 5.30 train leaves the platform. To ascertain that, it
is necessary that I should go near to the swing-bridge to
see that the coal train stands clear of the up-line. I left
the platform on Monday night to ascertain that, and
while I was near the bridge, I saw a ballast train come
over the bridge and go into a siding on the coal wharf
side. I knew from a telegraphic communication that the
coal train had left Islip, and I ascertained that it had
not arrived at the platform. I had my proper lamp
with me. I returned towards the ticket platform, and
just before I got to the platform, I heard the driver's
whistle and saw the passenger train in motion. I had
not heard the guard's whistle. I called out to stop, as
loud as I could, but the driver was blowing off his steam
from the waste pipe, and that would prevent him from
hearing. The lamp that I had was not a signal lamp, it
was a lamp to light me up the line. As the train was
going off I called to the guard and told him that the coal
train had not come in ; that it was the ballast train that
had come in, and the guard instantly put on his break.
The guard was in the last carriage, and he would natu-
rally hear me last. The train went out very fast. It
started about 7 minutes beyond its proper time (5.30).
I had seen the driver on his engine about 28 minutes
after 5 o'clock, and before his train started. His name
is Tarry. He appeared sober, and I told him that the
coal train had left Ishp nearly half an hour, and I also
told him that he could not leave until after the coal train
had arrived. He said, " Can't we go, then, till that
comes in ? " and I said, " Certainly not." I examined the
passengers' tickets, and spoke to Kinch (the guard), and
told him the coal train had left Islip half an hour, and

that his train must not go on. I am sure that both
Tarry and Kinch understood that they could not go till
the train came in ; andainch said, " Would it not be
better for the driver to open his whistle ?" but I said,
" The line will not be clear while the red signal is on the
bridge." I saw the red signal was on at the bridge.
That was before I left the platform. The red signal was
on at the time the train started. It was plainly to be
seen from the platform. As soon as I found the train
in motion I ran to the policeman (Hareby) on the line,
and told:him to show his red signal. He did so. The
train had passed when he held it up, but the guard be-
ing at the end of the train might have seen it. The red
signal atthe swing-bridge was turned off before the train
reached it, for the driver had blown his whistle twice.
The whistle was used to call the attention of the guard
or the policeman, or any other servant that might be on
the line. The policeman on the line (Bonham) turned
off the red signal, which signifies " danger" and " stop,"
and it would be the duty of a driver not to proceed with
his train when such a signal was up. The green signal
was turned on when the red one was taken off. The
green means " caution," and " proceed slowly." I
had no other means of preventing the train from go-
ing on except those I resorted to. I tried all that I
could to stop it, because I was quite certain there must
be a collision. Mr. Blott was at the station at the
time. He was there from three o'clock until seven. At
five o'clock a telegraphic message came from Islip to
know if the coal train might come on, and I asked Mr.
Blott, and he said "Yes ; it may come on immediately,"
and that answer was sent back to Islip. I left no direc-
tions with anybody whilst I went from the platform to
see if the coal train was coming in. I was gone from
the platform about four or five minutes. The double
line is worked between the entrance of the station and
the platform. I ascertained that it was the ballast train
and not the coal train that had come in by the difference
of the lights, and by seeing one of the contractors' men
(Mr. Smith) alighting. The passenger-train consisted of
one third-class carriage, next the tender ; one second-
class, adjoining the third-class ; one first-class, and the
guard's break. There were twenty-one passengers
booked by this train. There were no first-class passen-
gers ; but all were second and third class. I think the
greater number were third-class passengers. There was
no other person on the engine but Tarry and Bugden. As
soon as the train had started I saw Mr. Blott, who was
running towards the train. He asked, " Who started
the train ?" I said " I don't know, I did not, I tried to
stop ft.'. Mr. Blott and myself ran on, following the
train, and told the policeman to put on the red signal,
which he did. He waived the red signal. I and Mr.
Blott still followed the train in the direction of the scene
of the accident. I did not hear the collision, but I
dreaded it. I know of no audible signal by which the
guard could communicate the danger to the driver. The
drivers are under the orders of the guards ; but a red
light is a positive order to either guard or driver to
stop.
A Juror—The question is which is paramount, the
red light or the guard's order ?
The Coroner,- A red light is an order to everybody.
By Mr. Mallam—The coal train having been tele-
graphed from Islip half an hour before the passenger
train was to start, the former train had time to come in
before the 5.30 started, because it takes half an hour by
the time table for the coal train to travel between Islip
and Oxford.
The Foreman—Yes, it would just have time, but not
a minute to spare.
The Coroner—We cannot discuss that point now.
The examination of the witness Hayes was here brought
to a close ; and the jury then adjourned the inquiry till
half-past ten o'clock this (Thursday) morning.

BENEFICES.—A parliamentary paper which has just
been issued contains several abstracts from the latest re-
turns made by the archbishops and bishops in pursuance
of 1 and 2 Vic., c. 156, sec. 53. From these it appears
that the total number of benefices in England and Wales
was 11,728 in 1850, and upon 8,214 of these there was
a glebe houSe. It also appears that 6,132 clergymen
were resident in the respective parsonage houses, 664 in
the houses appointed by the bishop in his license, and
1,218 within the limits of the benefice, there being no
parsonage house ; making the total number resident
8,077. The total number exempted from residence was
1,361 ; but of these 329 performed the duties of their
parishes. The iirincip'al grounds of exemption are resi-
dence in otheAenefices, official chaplaincies, and offices
and masterships in the universities and public schools.
The number exempted by license, on the ground of infir-
mity and other causes, was 674, of whom 176 were do-
ing duty in their parishes. Number non-resident with-
out license or exemption 917, of whom 522 were doing
the duties in their parishes. The number of sequestra-
tions was 51 ; and from 357 benefices no return was re•
ved.