The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-03 00:00:00

CROYDON PETTY SESSIONS.

TRESPASSING ON RAILWAYS.—TWO persons, named
John Redwell and Thomas Field, attended before the
bench to answer an information laid against them at the
instance of the Directors of the Croydon Railway,
charging them with having unlawfully driven a number
of sheep upon the line of the said railway, and for which
offence they had incurred a penalty not exceeding 101.
Thomas Corden, one of the railway policemen, de-
posed that on the morning of the 27th of October,
about one o'clock, he saw a number of sheep upon the
line coming towards Penge-gate, where he was stationed.
When the sheep got to him he found they were driven
by the defendants, who asked him to let the sheep
through the gate. He told them they were doing very
I wrong in driving the sheep upon the railway, and that
if he had not expected two engines that were at work
on the line to come up every minute he would not have
let them through. As this was the case, however, in
order to prevent any accident, he let the defendants pass
with the sheep, and reported the circumstance imme-
diately to the superintendent.
The Magistrates inquired how the sheep were got
upon the line I
The Superintendent of Police explained that the
sheep had been grazing in a field about a hundred yards
from the Penge-gate, and which was separated from the
railway by a fence which no sheep could get over or
break down ; but it appeared that part of the fence had
been broken, for the purpose of letting the sheep pass
on to the line. The defendants were liable to another
penalty for breaking the fence, but the Directors did not
wish to press that charge against them ; and their only
object, by the present proceeding, was to protect the
public from the risk of accident, by obstructions being
placed on the line through negligence.
Mr. Elyard inquired if any trains were running on
the line at the time ?

The constable said that the morning trains %ere all
gone, but two engines were at work, one up and the
other down, and he expected they would both meet
at the spot where the sheep were, every minute. They
were driven about 150 yards on the line.
The Magistrates then asked the defendants what
they had to say in answer to the charge?
The defendant Redwell said it was quite true he had
driven the sheep, as stated. He had sold them to a
butcher at Beckenham, and he sent Field, the other
defendant, to fetch them on the day in question, and
he desired him to drive them along the railway, as it
was the nearest way to Beckenham. He added that
he did not know that it was any harm, and he had fre-
quently driven sheep along it before, and he should have
driven an ox, if he had wanted to do so.
The Magistrates said it was very necessary, if this
was the case, that he should be taught that such a pro-
ceeding was both illegal and improper. If a train had
chanced to come up at the time, it might have been
thrown off the rails, and a serious accident occasioned ;
and it was absolutely necessary for the protection of the
public that such proceedings should be .put a stop to.
The Bench deliberated for a short time, when they
said, that as Field appeared to have merely acted under
the orders of the other defendant, they should dismiss
the case against him on his paying the costs, and Red-
well they should fine forty shillings and costs, and they
at the same time said, that if such a case occured again,
they should most certainly inflict the full penalty of 10/.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

The LORD MAYOR took the opportunity to mention
that he felt high gratification at the close of his Mayor-
alty to be able to state that he had succeeded in draw.
ing the attentionlof his fellow-citizens most zealously to
the means of saving the lives of his fellow-creatures from
fire. The subject was one of the greatest possible im-
portance, but there had always been the questions
started the moment conflagrations were spoken of,
" What can be done?" and Whose duty is it to
establish a system of prevention, or immediate and active
resistance?" He knew that the only way in which
those questions could be answered with effect was by
making constant allusion to the prevalence of the awful
accidents which take place from the chair which he
daily occupied ; and to encourage a correspondence
from scientific persons, well knowing that the press
could afford the most powerful assistance on an occasion
which called so loudly upon humanity. He rejoiced
that his recommendation to the Court of Common
Council had stimulated that body to great exertions,
and that the very best consequences were likely to
arise from their labours.

His Lordship stated that he had received the follow
ing communication upon the subject of fire, and he he,
lieved it to be worthy of the attention of his fellow.
citizens :

" To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor.
" My. Lord—During the present Mayoralty your
Lordship has succeeded 01 drawing the attention of the
Corporation and Citisens of London to the best means
of averting the effects of one of the most afflicting visi-
tations to which life and property are subject—that of
fire, To your Lordship the metropolis is indebted for
the first attempt made for establishing a firo Pi'even-
tivepolice, as shown in the mcaswe2 taken for the es-
tablishment of tl cwincaed and efficient system of fire
eseavis, as well as in the suggestions thrown out ;or
the prevention of this dreadful calamity brought before
your notice in the civic o,la r•
" Perrjiit so draw your attention to a script of
clrcurnQtances which in my view are the ,‘lauhos of many
fires, for the origin of which uo adequate cause can be
assigned allude to the phenomena of spontaneo44
combustion. This subject is now attended with greater
interest, from its having LeOA vt,'o,Yo4 that the contia-
gration which caused the destruction of her Majesty's
TAlaweva, at Devonport, was owing to this cir-
cumstance. My attention was more k4arttoularll