The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-23 00:00:00

EVE Ikt T AUGUKT OS,

veyed back to Manohes.-er, and when they arrived at
the station n it less than 5,000 persons were assembled
on the platform. Placards had been posted, adver-
tising that trains would leave the station for Man-
chester as soon as they could be filled, and they
started accordingly. One left at half-past five
o'clock; another some little time after; and a third
about ten minutes before seven o'clock. This train,
which consisted of between 18 and 24 carriages, was
crowded with passengers, and drawn by an engine
called the Druid, which proved totally inadequate to
draw so heavy a load, for it took about 40 minutes to
draw the train to Frodsham, a distance of about ten
miles. Having waited some little time at Frodsham
it proceeded on its way, but at so slow a pace that it
took 20 minutes to go from Frodsham to the entrance
of the Sutton tunnel, though the distance was only
two miles. About a quarter of an hour after the
train drawn by the Druid left Chester, another train,
in which the plaintiff and his friend were passengers,
left that station, which, consisting of only 16 car-
riages, and being drawn by a more powerful engine
than the Druid, proceeded at a faster speed,
and consequently came up with the Druid
and its train at the Frodsham station. Here it was
detained by the station master ten minutes, to allow
the Druid to proceed ; but this detention was not
sufficient, for the train in which the plaintiff was over-
took the Druid again at the Sutton tunnel, but, know-
ing that the Druid was shortly in advance, they
slackened their speed and endeavoured, on joining the
Druid's train, to propel it forward from behind ; but
its endeavours were of little assistance. Whilst these
proceedings were going on it did not appear that mea-
sures had been taken to stop the progress of those
trains which were known would be following, and the
result was that another train did come up, drawn by
the Albert, a more powerful engine than either of the
others, and having no notice that the former trains
were proceeding slowly, it came up at its usual speed
and dashed into the tunnel. The tunnel was full of
smoke, and in a minute or two the Albert came into
collision with the second train, dashing into it, and
producing the dreadful calamity which occurred.
They then had three trains in the tunnel ; one had
struck against another, and bad knocked the carriages
in a mass ; there were three engines working, and
upwards of 1,000 human beings altogether in that
tunnel, without a light, a guard, or any security that
in a short time another train would not be coming
up, to add to the general confusion. The
plaintiff, with three others, was lying under
a carriage with his face to the ground—the
four being, to all appearance, crushed to death. They
were, eventually, extricated; three of the persons
were found to be totally dead, and the plaintiff was
to all appearance, deprived of life, but in about
twenty minutes he showed signs of animation.
Every care was given to him at the moment, but his
thirst could not be allayed for a considerable time.
Ultimately surgical assistance was obtained, and the
plaintiff was conveyed to Manchester, and placed in
the care of Mr. Burgess, the surgeon. Two addi-
tional surgeons were then called in, and the plaintiff
was not expected to survive. Sixteen weeks had
now elapsed since the accident took place, during
which time the plaintiff had been kept on his back, it
not being deemed safe to raise him up even for the
purpose of making a better examination of the in-
juries he had received. One of his legs had both
bones broken—not an ordinary fracture—the bones
were protruding some five inches from the skin, and
were mashed rather than fractured. His left arm
was broken, and his breast bone was supposed to have
received serious injury. In addition to the surgeons
mentioned, Mr. Jordan had to be called in as con-
sulting surgeon, and the surgical attendance alone
up to the present time would come to nearly
300/. ; and for many and many a day those ex-
penses would have to be continued. He (the
Learned Counsel) believed, on the whole, the jury
would come to the conclusion that reasonable dili-
gence had not been used, and then the only question
would be, what compensation they would award to
this unfortunate man for the injuries which the ne-
gligence of the defendants had occasioned. Here was
one who ought to be in the prime of life and the ful-
ness of health and strength, reduced to a maimed if
not a perfectly crippled condition. He asked them to
think of those sixteen weeks of pain and agony that
the unfortunate man had had to bear, and also of his
succeeding life—shortened beyond any doubt—de-
prived of all those sources of enjoyment which life
conveyed to the perfect and the healthy, and all
through the defendants' negligence, and which the
slightest prudence and forethought might have
avoided. He was aware that no money could amply
compensate for an injury like this ; but though it
might not compensate, it would do much to alleviate ;
and he would leave the case in the hands of the jury,
believing they would come to the conclusion that the
defendants were utterly without excuse, and that
they would give ample damages, in proportion to
the extreme severity of the accident sustained by the
plaintiff.
The Learned Counsel then called Mr. John Gibson,
the secretary, and M;, John Crichly, the station-
master at Chester, who proved the state of the line,
the times of the departure of the trains from Chester,
and thegeneral arrangement which had been made for
carrying passengers on the line.
Other witnesses were also called, one of whom
stated that he saw the trains go into the tunnel, and
that they appeared to go in together.
Mr. Sergeant WILKINS then addressed the jury for
the defendants, and contended that no sufficient case
of negligence had been made out against the com-
pany ; but even if the jury should come to the con-
clusion that there was some negligence, he asked them
whether they did not think that 1,0001. would be rea-
sonable and fair compensation for the injury whtch
the plaintiff had sustained ?

His LORDSHIP, in summing up, told the jury that,
in his opinion the company had not taken due pre-
caution to guard against accidents which were likely
to occur from the great increase of traffic which had
taken place; the jury would, therefore, find for the
plaintiff, giving such damages as they thought rea-
sonable.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—
Damages 1,5001.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PLATT.)
Ann Shaw, 27, was charged with having, at Ashton-
under-Lyne, on the 15th of;June last, wilfully mur-
dered her infant child.
Mr. Pollock and Mr. Millward appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Monk defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner, who is an Irish-
woman, residing at a house in Lees, near Ashton-
under-Lyne, kept by a woman named Fogg, and
earned her living by washing. Her sister, who re-
sided near her, had often accused her of being in the
family way, and although she had been confined a
year or two before in Ireland, she denied that she was
in that state at the time in question, though she was
large from another cause which had ceased. On
Sunday, the 15th of June, as a man named Adshead
was proceeding through Cockfield, a few hundred
yards from Mr. Fogg's house, he found a child newly
born, lying dead on the grass, wrapped up in brown
paper, over which was a piece of bedticking, and also
a piece of print. The child was dead, having a
piece of thin cord round its throat, its feet tied up to
its neck, and its arms folded across its breast, so that
it was doubled up like a ball. It was then taken to
Mr. Elliott's, the surgeon, who made a post - mortem
examination, and on applying the usual tests, he gave
it as his opinion that the child had been born alive,
that it was fully grown, and that death had been
caused by the cord which was found round the
neck having caused strangulation. The police
then proceeded to make inquiries, and the
prisoner was examined by the medical man, who gave
it as his opinion that she had been delivered, but
could not state how recently. They then searched
the prisoner's room, and in a box, which she acknow-
ledged to be hers, some brown paper was found, and
also some ticking, and a piece of print. On compar-
ing these with the ticking and the print found with
the body of the child, they resembled each other in all
respects. Some of these the prisoner acknowledged
to the police were hers, and wondered how they had
been found where it was described they had been. In
addition to this evidence, the prosecution relied upon
marks which were found at the bottom of the pri-
soner's box, and which led those who saw them to
the conclusion that they might have been caused by a
new-born child having been laid in it, and these marks
were only the impression of the body and head, and
not of the legs of the child, which would have been
the case had the child's legs been tied up to its neck,
as the legs of the child in question were found to be.
Various witnesses who resided in the house with the
prisoner, and who slept in the same ruom with her,
stated that they had observed that she had increased in
size. One of them had given her some medicine to
alleviate her sufferings, which she did not understand
proceeded from pregnancy, but from another cause.
The witnesses likewise stated tbat a child could not
have been born in the bedroom of the prisoner with-
out their hearing or being aware of it. The under-
clothes of the prisoner and other linen which had
stains upon them were adduced to show that a birth
had taken place, but the medical man did not assert
confidently that the marks found would inevitably lead
him tothatconclusion.

At the close of the case for the prosecution,
Mr. MONK asked his Lordship whether there was
any occasion for him to address the jury, 28 there
was no evidence that the prisoner had been delivered
of a child ; but the jury seemed desirous that the
Learned Counsel should address them.
Mr. MONK then addressed the jury, and said that
there was no evidence whatever to support the charge
of murder against any person whatever, and that the
mode and manner in which the child was found, at
most would only show that the person, whoever she
was, who had been delivered of this child had en-
deavoured to conceal the birth, by disposing of the
body ; but he would contend, with the greatest con-
deuce, that there was no evidence whatever in the j

whole case which could justify them io coming to the
conch.vion that the prisoner had been delivered of any
child at all.
His LORDSHIP having summed up,
Tne jury returned a ver,iict of Not Guilty.
1

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
M ANSION-H US E.
CASE OF ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER BT A POLICEMAN.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
After the examination of several other witnesses,
Mr. Lewis addressed the bench at considerable length,
and contended that the evidence did notjustity the com-
mittal of the prisoner.
In the coarse of Mr. Lewis's address Lee again in-
terrupted the proceedings, by denying the truth of cer-
tain statements made by that gentleman, and was im-
mediately removed from the court by the direction of
Mr. Alderman Wilson.
At the conclusion of Mr. Lewis's address the further
hearing was adjourned to Tuesday next.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
George Roberts, a young man of very feminine
appearance, dressed in female attire, and who stated
that he was an artificial florist, staying at the White
Hart Tavern, Bishopsgate-street Without, was yester-
day brought before Mr. Bingham, charged with steal-
ing two gold bracelets, value 61., the property of Mr.
Henry Smith Emery, of No. 31, Welbeck-street,
Cavendish-square.
Mr. Emery, it appeared, went on Thursday night
to a fancy dress ball, at Weippert's Rooms, Davies-
street, Berkeley-square, dressed in the character of
the Prince in Cinderella, having on his wrists the
bracelets named in the charge. About three o'clock
yesterday morning some altercation took place be-
tween the complainant and prisoner about the dancing,
whereupon the prisoner, forgetting his feminine cha-
racter, struck the complainant in the face with his
fists. Prosecutor was then surrounded by several of
the prisoner's companions, and, after being hustled
about, the prisoner came up to him, and tore his
bracelets from his wrists. Defendant followed up
this attack by destroying the dress which complainant
wore. Complainant ran out of the rooms, and, having
procured the attendance of a police-constable, gave
the prisoner in charge. He was searched at the sta-
tion, but the bracelets had not been found.
The prisoner, in a very feminine tone of voice,
said, in answer to the charge, that he was at
Weippert's dancing-rooms on Thursday night, when
the complainant came into the room with a long pipe
stuck in his cheek, and placed himself in the centre
of a set of quadrilles in which he was dancing. He
told him to stand on one side, and on his refusing to
abate the nuisance he (defendant) left the rooms for
the purpose of speaking to some person about com-
plainant's conduct, and as he was about returning
the prosecutor came up to him with a constable, and
gave him in charge for stealing his bracelets.
Mr. BINGHAM—Pray, what are you, and how do
you get your living ? Defendant—l have only been
from Manchester six weeks, and am an artificial florist
by trade. lam at present staying at the White Hart
Tavern, Bishopsgate-street Without.
Mr. BINGHAM —I shall order you to be put back
till two o'clock, and direct the officer to make some
inquiries about you at the White Hart.
The prisoner was then locked up, but as soon as
he was in the cell he admitted to the officer that he
had given a wrong address, and that he would die
before he gave his right one.
The prisoner was then brought into court and re-
manded until Wednesday next.
If 0 HIP-STREET.
A respectable-looking young woman, who gave the
fictitious name of Mary Harris, and refused to give
her real name or address, was placed at the bar before
Mr. Hemmill, charged with dashing pepper into the
eyes of a shopman, and stealing a card containing 41
gold wedding-rings from the house of Mr. Charles
Alexander Moore, a silversmith and jeweller in High-
street, Shoreditch.
When called upon for her defence, the prisoner
said, " I should not have done it, had it not been for
being involved in great distress, and have nothing
more to say."
The depositions were taken by Mr. Vine, the chief
clerk, and the prisoner was fully committed for trial.
THAMES.
Two well-known thieves, in the garb of sailors,
named Thomas Jones, aged 29, and William Simson,
23, who have been frequently in custody, were
brought before Mr. Ingham, charged with burgla-
riously entering the dwelling-house of Mr. Thomas
Coxhead, secretary of the Great Luxembourg Canal
and Railway Company, No. 28, Brudnell-place, New
North-road, Hoxton, and stealing 18 pieces osilver
plate, worth 201., and other property therefrom.
Mr. INGHAM committed both prisoners for trial.