The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-28 00:00:00

THOMSON V. THE SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY COMPANY.

This was an action of a similar character to the last.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q C , Mr. Lush, and Mr. Hannan,
were for the plaintiff ; Mr. E. James, Q.C., Mr. Bovill,
Q.C., and Mr. Woollett, represented the company.
The plaintiff in this action was a highly respectable
young lady, who at the time of the accident had the ma-
nagement of an extensive millinery establishment at Wal-
lingford, in Berkshire. The accident occurred on the even-
ing of the 12th September near Reading, and it appeared
that while the train was on its way to that place an en-
gine came in an opposite direction upon the same line of
rails, whether wilfully or not was never ascertained, as
the driver was killed, and there was never any satisfac-
tory explanation of the matter; the consequence was
that a most fearful accident occurred, many of the car-
riages of the passenger train being literally smashed to
atoms. The unfortunate young lady, who was in one
of them, received most serious injuries ; she kept her
bed for four months, and, according to te evidence of
the surgeons who attended her, would never, in all pro-
bability, be perfectly restored to health.
When the evidence had been partly gone into, an ar-
rangement was made by which the defendants consented
to a verdict for the same amount of damages as in the
last case—namely, 7501.
_ _

These causes concluded the business of the assizes.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—Eornx, MARCH 26.
DARING BURGLARY.

Joseph Quinlan, 16, was indicted for hurglariously en-
tering the dwelling-house of Was. Shakerly, at Cam-
borne, on the 25th June last, and stealing a chair cover-
ing, and also with cutting and stabbing the said William
Shakerley with intent to do him some bodily harm.
Some excitement was produced in court by the youthful
appearance of the prisoner who was charged with such
a serious offence. It appeared that on the night of the
25th June prosecutor was aroused from his slumbers by
a noise he heard in the house ; on going down stairs he
saw the prisoner coming towards him with a lighted
candle. Prosecutor caught hold of him, and there was a
struggle between them. On a light being broaght, pro-
secutor took the prisoner into a room, who then snapped
a pistol at him, but which did not go off. Prosecutor
screamed " Murder," when prisoner attacked him with
a knife, and inflicted several severe wounds upon him.
The prisoner was eventually secured, when he said he
bad broken into the house to get money. On the prisoner
was found two pistols loaded with small shot and a knife.
Prisoner had entered by the warehouse window in front
of the premises. There was a considerable quantity
of blood on the floor of the room. Guilty. Death re-
corded, but which simply implies imprisonment during
her Majesty's pleasure. The prisoner had escaped from
eastody on a previous charge.
John Bray, 23, and John Stuthriclge, 16, were charged
with stealing 1 cwt. of tin, value 21., the property of W.
Bray and Joseph Stoneman, on the 19th Jan. last.
It appeared that the prosecutor was the brother of
the elder prisoner and brother-in-law of the younger, all
of whom resided in the parish et Luxulian, and were
mining agents. Samples of the ore found in the pri-
soners' possession were said to correspond with the ore,
a portion of which had been stolen from the prosecutors.
The prisoners, however, contended that the sample pro-
duced corresponded with the ore in a mine with which
they were connected. They were, however, both found
guilty, and sentenced to 5 calendar months'impri9onmeat.

!Bust not find her guilty of concealing the birth, in order
to escape the responsibility of finding her guilty of murder.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict
of wilful murder against the prisoner.
The Chief Justice, in passing sentence, said his duty
was most painful, but at the same time plain and simple.
It would rest with others, in whose hands the merciful
prerogative of the Crown was vested, to take the pri-
soner's case hereafter into consideration ; he could only
pass upon her the awful sentence of death.
The prisoner, who had suffered throughout the pro-
ceedings from a fit of trembling, to which, it was said,
she was continually subject, heard the dread sentence,
.vhich was pronounced in the usual terms, without
making any exclamation, and was removed in a kind of
stupor.