The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-03 00:00:00

EVENJNG PAM l'lONi

ADJOURN IA) INQUEST AT

HARROW.

Last evenin2., at six o'clock, Mr. Wakley, M P.,
the Coroner for the 'Western Division for Middlesex,
and the Jury who were empanelled before him on the
kith ultimo, to investigate into the eircumstauces con•
aected with the deaths of Joseph Simpson and INilliam
DJWSOCI, the two unfortunate men who were killed on
the night of the 12th ult., on the line of the London
and Birmingham Railway, at Harrow, re-assembled,
pursuant to adjournment from the previous Wednesda),
for the fourth time, further to prosecute and complete
their melancholy inquiry. As on the former occasions,
several of the Directors, Mr. Creed, the Secretary, Mr.
Btuyero, the chief superintendent, and Mr. Berry, chief
Of the locomotive department, were present to watch
the proceedings on behalf of the Company ; and Mr.
Jago again appeared, on the part of Lord Northwich,
the Lord of the Manor, to protect his Lordship's claim
in the event of a deodand. _ _ _

Oa thq Coroner taking his seat, he stated he had re-
ceived 4 communication front Mr. Hewlett, the surgeon.
with re,pect to the condition of the poor man Qaiidan,
luta v.liich rau as follows :

Queen's Arms, Dec. 16, IS-10.
My dear think Quinlan may under o, with-
out danger. the examination you desire to subject hhn
to this evening. It is, however, as you well know,
early days for the brain to be subjected to so much ex-
ertioo, perhaps, therefore, you will caution the
joryineo to put us few questions to him as possible.
have no doubt of his ultimate recovery.
1 1:111, your's faithfully,
" THOMAS HEWLETT.
" Timmas IVakley, Esq., MAJ., Coroner."
Toe CORONER sail such being the case the jury
would now be pleased to accompany him to the cham-
ber cf the sick man, shich he understood MIS below.
The Coitmer and Jury then proceeded to Quinlan's
chamber, whers he gave his evidence, after being sworn,
lyiag down in his bed. The unfortunate man then gave
the billowing evidence :
Wildata Quinlan was then examined—l have been
employed as a stoker or fireman about two months on
the London and Birmingham Railway. I had been for
two years before in the employ cf cite Company, and
worked in the sheds belongini, to -them. Latterly I have
been fireman to Simpson. I was with Simpson one day
iii the month of September last, when a bullock jumped
over one of the cattle waggons by the train. The bul-
lock fell over on the lim, and lost his horns by the oc-
currence, but was not No other accident hap-
pened during the time I was with Simpson as fireman,
until the late fatal one near Harrow station, except that
oa one occasion a real hoard was put up bet XCCII the
rails at the Harrow station for SimpA)n to pull up, but
he did not do so. This was after the bullock affair, but
1 cannot say how long since. The board upon that °e-
vasion was raised in height about five feet. In our pro-
gress we knocked it down into the ash-pit of the line at
the station, and tk.sscd eve; it.
CottosEit—Did not Simpson stop at all,in compliance
with such a signal as you have described ? Witness—
Yes, he did ; but he did not putt up until after we had
passed over it.
CORONER —Do you remember anything about leaving
W.Jvcrtori on the afternoon of Thursday, the 12th of
last month ? Witness—Yes, I do. I set out front
Wolverton for London with Simpson, Joseph Dawson,
and Martin Brown. Martin Brown had charge of
engine Ni 1, and Dawson was with him. I was with
Sunpson on No. S 2 engine. The train WAS attached
to our engine, and engine No. 1 was immediately in
front of us, and attacked to same train. Ido not re-
member who the breaksman of the train was that night.
SJinetitnes we do not know whether or not we have
tl breaksman, or who he is, until we come to a station.
We seldom know the name of the breaksman. Upon
the day on which the accident happened we left Wol-
verton between tzelvc and one o'clock in the afternoon,
and we stopped successively at the Leightoa, lloxmoor,
and Watford stations. On our arrival at Ii ixmoor
steiori, die policeman on duty there toll us to go on
to ILrrow station. lie made that observation to
S:inpsou.
CottotiEn—Did Simpson make any remark when
those instructions were given to him ? Quinlan—.He
made no remark in my hearing, but he became flurried
and angry with the policeman because lie had stopped
him.
CORONER—What did the deceased, Simpson, say to
you about this caution after you started from Boxmoor?
Quinlan—lle said nothing at all to me about it.
Conos En—D.d you, after that, stop at Watford?
think we did, but I will not be quite positive.
ConosEn —Do you recollect anything that transpired
after passing kVattord station ? retraember
that 1 saw the red signal above half a mile before reach-
ing Harrow station.
CORONVII.—Did Simpson say anything to you when
you saw it ? Quinlan—No ; but i told him I saw it,
anti eautiona him to let the steam off.
Coitus Flit- Did be do so? Quinlan—Ycs, lie turned
it off until he got it Clown to about an inch, in w hick
state lie continued to keep it. The full force of the
steam is four inches in depth, so that at this time Simp-
son let off three-fourths of the power of his engine. I
stn positive he kept about an inch of the steam on all
the time.
ConuNrn—Did Martin Brown, of No. I engine,
give you any stgnal d Quinlan—Yes, by lifting the
salve, which he continued to do as we approached
H trrow.

CORONF.R —Do you know if I3rown turned the steam
of his engine off ? Quinlan—Yes, lam quite sure that
he did.
COUONER—Did you feel any bumping of the train
owing to such a circumstance. Quinlan—We felt the
humping of Brown's engine against ours, but not any
bu'nping of the train.
ColtoNEa—At what rate were you going when you
first saw the red signal at Harrow station'.' Quinlan—
I think at about twenty-live miles an hour.
CottuNEß—Did Simpson tell you why he (lid not let
off his steam'.' Q,tinlan—He did not ; and although
he let off three-tourths of it, the fourth that remained
wis enough to keep the waggons in full swing, as, from
the point where titc red light was first seen, tha line was
all down hill.
CottoNEtt—Could you have stopped at the Harrow
station with so much steam as one inch on, and going
at such a rate as you have stated? Quinlan—l am
sure it wits quite impossible.
CoitosEtt—When Martin Brown lifted the valve of
his engine, thereby giving a signal to Simpson, did
Simpson make any observation ? Quinlan—l cannot
recollect what expression he made use of, hut he hal-
looed out. It he had then said anything I could not
have heard him.
CORON L Wkicn yuu saw the red light continuing
up :it the station, and the train still going on, did you
speak again to Simpson ? Quinlan—l did ; I told him
a second time to let all the steam off, but he took no
notice of me whatever, and did not do so.
CottoNEß---Did you observe whether he saw the sig-
nal light or not ? Quinlan—Yes, he looked straight
forward at it.
Mr. Hotel' observed that to do so Simpson must have
gone to the tide of the engine.
CottoNnt—Do you recollect passing the policeman as
you approached the Harrow station. Quinlan—l do
perti etly well. He hallooed to us to " hold on."
COILON ER—Alter you had passed the policeman and
came towards the Harrow station, do you recollect that
Simpson did any thing or said any thing to you ? Quin-
neither said nor did anything.
Conoslift— What then did you do ? Quinlan—l
p rceived that we were coming close upon an engine,
believe Bradburn's, on the line before us, and thii,kin,g
there was not a moment to be a lost, I shifted to the
other side of the engine and jumped off.
Cotten:Ea—Did you say anything to Simpson before
you found it advisable to jump off the engine ? Quinlan—
I to him it is time lor us to be jumping off now, but
he said nothing whatever to me in reply.
Are you quite sure that Simpson made no alteration
in the moving power of the engine, as you were passing
the Harrow station ?—I am sure that he made no change
whate%er.
Dui you hear the valve lifted up ?—No, not the valve
of our engine, but of Martin Brown's.
Are you quite sure that Simpson saw the red signal
light
time enough to have pulled up before arriving at
Harrow station ?—Yes. We might have come in quite
easily and comfortably.
What kind of a driver was Simpson''—lle used to
run very hard, seldom or ever looking before him.
Vas he attentive to signals ?—We had often the red
light shown to us at the stations to ce put on wagon
but he would not pull up unless hallooed- to, anrther;
be would work the engine back.
whether any complaint was ever tnat;e
Do you know
to the superintendent against Simpson?—Yes. I
know
that he was complained of when tha bullock jumped
out, but I do not recollect any other complaint.
A Juror—When at Hitchin-bridge, can you see the
lights at Hyrow station ? Quinlan—Not until we
have passed through it.
But is there not generally a signal-light at Hitain-
hridve near Pinner Park-gate ?—There is not a E. 0,,
fixed there, but there is generally a titan there who has
liVitt. lie was not there on the night of the accident
or I must have scan him.
Juror—l wish to direct your attention to this im•
portant point, Mr. Coroner. The man who should have
been at Hitchin-bridge when the witness PasseSimpson, was in fact taken away and sent to the
break-
down at Woo:lcock.-hill, and after this accident he was
sent back to his former post at the bridge. It is now
a question between the policeman attached at this sta-
tion and the late driver-Simpson, whether the signal
was hoisted the day of this accident, and the one when
the bullock fell over. Do you remember anything about
it? (addressing Quinlan.).
it myself. Quinlan—l saw nothing of
CORONER--.Wag Simpson sober on the evening of the
last accident ? Quinlan—He was sober.
Quinlan—Was he at all deaf? Witness—No, lie
Was not.
Another Juror—Had he good eyesight ? Quinlan—
He had, to the best .sf my belief.