The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-08 00:00:00

TILE RAILWAY _ACCIDENT AT LEIGH.

Yesterday the inquest on the body of Richard Higginson,
engine driver on the Bolton, Leigh, and Kenyon branch of
the London and North-Western Railway, was resumed at
the White Horse Hotel, Leigh. It will be remembered
that the platelayers took up three rails without stationing
signal men at the required distances, and that in conse-
quence a very heavy goods train, comprising 57 waggons
with two engines, descended a steep incline and ran of the
line, the men not having closed the opening in time.
Richard Higginson, aged 42, was killed on the spot, and
two other men were seriously injured. Some slight esti-
mate may be formed of the fearful havoc made by the acci-
dent when we state that it took a large staff of the com-
pany's servants, from Crewe and other depots, with their
powerful machinery, from Monday evening till the follow-
ing Friday to clear the wreck and restore the permanent
way, and that during that time the whole of the passenger
and goods traffic was entirely suspended.

The Coroner stated that he had received a certificate
from Dr. Bickersteth, a medical gentleman in Liverpool,
stating that John Elliott, the driver of the first engine, was
unable to attend to give evidence that day. Mr. George
H. Evans, surgeon, of Leigh, deposed that on the afternoon
of the 26th ult. he went to the scene of the accident, and
found deceased fast in the wreck. Assisted in rescuing him
from the debris, but two or three hours elapsed before he
could be disentangled. The witness then minutely described
the injuries of the deceased, and said they were amply suffi-
cient to account for death, and had, in his opinion, been
produced by tho upsetting of the train. James Clarkson, az
assistant of Hindley, the foreman of the platelayers, con-
firmed most of the evidence of the other platelayers. He
stated that Hindley commenced taking out the rails imme-
diately after tho signalmen were despatched, not waiting
until they had got the required distance. They had talked
over the fact of the passenger train having no signal behind,
and therefore concluded that there was no danger of any
other train following from Atherton. This point having been
alluded to by several witnesses, Mr. Norris explained that it
was not necessary to place a signal behind a train to denote
that another was shortly following, unless special trains.
This goods train was an ordinary one The other witnesses
were re-examined, but nothing material was elicited. The
platelayers adhered to their statements that the signal was
500 or 600 yards up the line when the train approached,
whilst the guard and others only made the distance 150 to
200 yards. The fact that the rails were taken up without a
signalman being at the required distance was never contro-
verted. Hindley received an excellent character from Mr.
Norris and one of the jurors ; the latter, however, saying
he was too quiet for a foreman. The Coroner—This is all
the evidence to be produced, and it will no doubt have
occurred to your minds that the question to be considered is
whether or not Hindley, the foreman has acted according to
the rules. It is admitted that the signalman had not got to
the 1,000 yards before he began to take out those rails.
These bye-laws are made under the authority of an act of
Parliament, and I may venture to say that Hindley has
been guilty of an unlawful act. My direction to you is this
—to consider whether he has been guilty of a breach of
these rules, which are lawfully made.
After an absence of about 20 minutes, the jury unani-
mously returned a verdict of manslaughter against Samuel
Hindley, foreman of the platelayers, and he was formally
committed for trial at the next Liverpool assizes. The
Coroner said that he was willing to take bail.

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