The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-27 00:00:00

I THE LATE DISASTER ON THE
EA STERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

""TOUEST.

ADJOURNED' C0M314/Prlt's
Yesterday evening Mr. LeWis, the 61;f4er, arm
Jury already empannelled, resumed their inquiry at roe.
Fleece Inn, Brook-strcet, Brentwood, on the bodies of
John Eastman, George Richard Ebsworth, and George
Austin, the stoker, who perished in the terrible acci-
dent we have' already described, and upon whose bodies
the proceedings, as far as identification went, succes-
sively took place in the order of their deaths. The
inquest was now extended to George Foster, the en-
gineer, to wt 0,16 temerity the calamity has been eriz
tircly attributed, and ivhd died ern Monday morning,
after intense bodily and mental sufferings:
The Coroner and Jury assembled at fotir o'clock at
the White Hart Inn, in Brentwood, and pfocCedeii to
view the body of Foster, at his house in Back-street ;
and then they came to the Fleece, which is in a hamlet
about a mile from Brentwood, and about a mile from
that part of the railway on which the accident happened.
The Court was crowded with the friends of the deceased
and the surviving sufferers. There were also present
several gentlemen connected with the railway, accom-
panied by their solicitor.
The first witness examined was John Meek, a youth,
living at 63, nlackfriars.road, London. He said : I
tr4s6lied on the Eastern Counties Railway on the night
of Wednesday, the 19th inst. We were going up by
the seven o'clock train, and I was in the last open car-
riage from the engine. I ani not accustomed to rail-
way travelling. My previous railway ti*outsions Wete
confined to three or four trips from London to Croy-
don, and from London to Greenwich. At first; on
Wednesday evening, I noticed nothing particular, but
we soon went so fast that I said to those in the car-
riage with rile, " We are going at a desperate rate."
I stood up, but there was such a current of air that I
could hardly keep my hat on with both my hands. I
next observed a strange motion in the carriage, and in
about two minutes more it fell off, rolled over twice,
End then lay in the valley. When it ceased to move
I got out. I had no other hurt than a slight blow on
one eye. Water was flowing into the carriage where it
I.iy. As soon as I could look around tne, I saw car-
riages broken. I did not attempt to assist those who
were injured, as there Was plenty of help already. I
had never been on this road before.
Mr. Stephen Brown, of Colchester, examined—l was
on the Eastern Counties Rai/way on Wednesday the
19th, and was going up by the seven o'clock train, in
the first-class carriage, Which was the second (roan the
engine. I was sitting with ray face to the engine.
About a minute after we had left the station I observed
how rapidly we were going. The rate of speed alarmed
me, as I could not count the beating of the steam as
it passed through the slides or valves of the engine. I
considered we were going at a very rapid rate, but. I
am not sufficiently acquainted with railways to speak of
the exact speed. The pace continued to increase, and
the steam appeared to me to be on the whole of the
time. The carriages rocked before the accident took
place, but I did not observe anything about the engine.
cannot say whether the breaks were used or not.
The stoppage of the train was instantaneous, and I was
thrown out. I knew nothing of what became of the
Unfortunate persons who were killed, I think the acci-
dent was in consequence of the rapid rate at which the
train proceeded, and not owing to the defective state of
the raild.
By Mr. Dunonri,, solicitor to the Company—Not-
withstanding this accident, I should trot hesitate to
travel again by the railway the first time business re-
quired me. A number of my friends have since been
down by the railway, and have returned to London by
the same conveyance.
By Mr. Hall, the manager—l am not a shareholder,
nor am I acquainted with any of the directors.
Mr. Henry Corbould, of Crescent-place, Burton-
crescent, London.---I was travelling in the up train on
the Wednesday evening. I was in the second-class
train, second carriage from the engine, my face being
towards the latter. At first, on Wednesday evening,
there was nothing to alarm me, but I certainly re-
marked that we were going very fast. I soon felt a
most extraordinary motion in the carriage, which
rolled from side to side, describing a serpentine line,
I might say. This gave me the idea that there was
something wrong, for I had never felt the like before
on any rail Way. After the rolling motiou I heard
two of three loud knocks, probably caused by the
working of the wheels of the carriages off the rails
and over the iron. I cannot say whether the steam
was on or off. I cannot say how the deceased persons
cattle by their death. I knew one of them by sight.
A Juror--,-Were you thrown out ? Witness—l was
pitched out, I presume, into a earn-field, but I have no
recollection how I got into it. I suppose I was made
insensible by the first blow. I cannot say that there
was anything on the road which caused the engine to
run off. There were several other passengers, including
rhy son, in the same carriage with me.
A jurer.,-,it is unfortunate for this inquiry that Mr.
Corbould says he nester knew the carriages to travel so
fast on any other line.
Witness (to the Coroner)—l had no time to take
precautions ; indeed I was not sufficiently alarmed. I
expected every moment that the alarming noise and mo-
tion would cease.

A Juror—Should you, Mr. Corbould, hesitate, after
this accident, to travel on a railway again ? Witness—
Far a little while, I dare say I should—(Laughter)—
but this may wear off.
William Foster—l am brother to the deceastdi
George Foster, who was 22 or 29 years old, and had
been an engine-driver between three and four years, and
had been employed on the London and Southampton
Railway. I think be was two years on the Southampton
line from first to last. He left the line in consequence
of the ballasting being over, and the ballast-master hav-
ing nothing more for him to do. lam not aware that
my brother was employed as a train-driver on the
Southampton Railway. After he left the Southampton '
he came to this, and subsequently returned to the
Southampton, but was ultimately again engaged on the
Eastern Counties Railsvay.

Mr. HALL said this witness was not aware how his
brother was employed all the time he was at the South•
ampton Railway, but be would produce a letter that
would explain this part of the case.

Examination resumed—l came to Brentwood on
Thursday to see my brother, and I left this place on
Saturday, and returned immediately after his death on
Sunday morning. When I saw him last week, he
asked me if I thought he would recover, and I said I
did not know. lam not aware if he knew the danger
he was in. He said there was something the matter
with the wheels of the engine.
The witness here underwent a long examination as
to some unfounded statements he had made that were
calculated to be highly prejudicial to the Company, and
the truth of which he now denied.

The CORONER severely reproved the witness for his
misconduct, and observed to the Jury that very little
reliance could be placed upon his evidence.
Mr. Hall—l now propose to put in the letter re-
specting the character of Foster.
The CORONER then read as follows:
" London and South-western, heretofore London
and Southampton Railway, 25th August, 1840
—Locomotive Department, Nine Elms Sta-
tion.

" Sir—ln answer to your letter to Mr. Reed of
yesterday, which has only just reached me, in con-
sequence. of absence at Southampton, I have to in-
form you that the engine-driver, George Fos-
ter, who met with so unfortunate an accident on
your line, was engaged under my direction as train-
driver for about three weeks only, and was pre-
viously employed by Mr. Brarry, a contractor, as bal-
last-engine-driver, and conducted himself with so much
propriety in his service as to induce me to employ him ;
and during my knowledge of him, he proved himself a
useful, sober, and steady driver, and left in consequence
of a quarrel with some fitters.
" I am, your's very respectfully,
(Signed) "JOSEPH WOODS."
" To the Secretary of the Eastern Counties Railway."
The CORONER observed that there were several wit-
nesses in attendance, for the purpose of contradicting
the false and prejudicial statements which the last wit-
ness had circulated but he considered it was unneces-
sary to call them, as Foster had himself denied the ac-
curacy of them.
At twenty minutes past two o'clock this morning the
Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death," with
a deodand of U3l. in each case, or 500/. in the aggre-
gate.
The whole house was filled to the last moment with
persons anxiously awaiting the issue.

A man named William Masters, one of the po-
lice constables of the V division, was brought before Mr.
Fitzgibbon, a Magistrate of the County of Middlesex, re-
siding at Staines, on Saturday last, under the following
circumstances. It appeared from the statement of Brooks,
a police sergeant of the same division, who is stationed in
the neighbourhood of Sunbury, that the defendant Masters
was one of the men under his orders, and he was employed
in doing duty in that neighbourhood. On the preceding
night the Sergeant went his rounds as usual, on horseback,
to see that the men were all upon their duty, and upon
meeting Masters he had an impression that he was tipsy,
and lie challenged him with being in that state. Masters,
upon this, became very abusive, and the Sergeant got off
his horse, and finding he was drunk, he ordered film to
leave his beat and go home. Masters then drew his
truncheon and was about to striko the Sergeant, when
the latter tripped him up, ; and with the assistance
of another policeman, who luckily came up at the time,
the staff was taken from him, and the sergeant told him
that he must accompany hint to the cage. asters.walked
along with the sergeant and the other constable .quietly for
some distance, when the former heard the click of the
spring of a knife, and on looking round he saw Masters in
the act of opening a clasp knife, which, after a struggle,
they succeeded in taking away from him, and he was
eventually secured in the cage at Sunbury. The next
morning he was taken before Mr. Fitzgibbon, to
in answer
the charge of misconduct in his capacity as a police con-
stable, and the above facts having been proved evidence,
the Magistrate committed him to the House of Correction
for twenty-one days. The Commissioners of Police, upon
their being made acquainted with the circumstances, dis-
I missed Masters from the force.