The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-23 00:00:00

'tat strx, LONDON, FRIDAY EV-ENING, NOVEMBER n, 1860.

and headed by the band of the Scots Fusilier
Guards, they marched into the playing Melds, where
Dr. Good ford, the head master, and a large corn
pany had assembled, among whom were Lord and
Lady Carrington, the Belgian Minister and Madame
Van de Weyer, Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood and
Lady Mary Hood, Colonel Vyse and officers
of the Royal Horse Guards, Col. Dalrymple, Col.
Lambton, Capt. Ram, Capt. Wynn, and Captain
Wigram, of the Scots Fusileer Guards, Sir F.
Johnston, Capt. Crewe, the Hon. Miss and Masters
Carrington, the Misses Bulkeley, the Masters of the
College and their ladies, &c. Lord and Lady Car •
rington taking a position a little in advance of the

line of the company, the corps afterwards formed
three-fourths of a square right in front, and Lady
Carrington, in a complimentary address, presented
a silver bugle to the captain in command, who
briefly acknowledged the compliment on behalf of
the corps. The Volunteers afterwards marched
past, gave the Royal salute, and went through a
variety of battalion movements with admirable pre-
cision and steadiness; they then returned to the
Quadrangle, gave three hearty cheers for Lady
Carrington, and three for Lord Carrington, and
were afterwards dismissed. The bugle bore the fol-
lowing inscription :—" Presented to the Eaton Col-
lege Volunteers by Lady Carrington," above which
were engraved the arms of the college and those of
Lord Carrington.

THE BURNING OF TqE ROYAL MAIL

STEAMER CONN.AUGHT.

Yesterday morning an official inquiry was com-
menced at the Greenwich Police-court, before Mr
Traill, police magistrate, and Captain Harris, new
tical assessor, by direction of the Board of Trade,
into the circumstances attending the loss of the mail
packet Connaught, belonging to the Atlantic Royal
Mail Steam Navigation Company, on her voyage
from Galway, after leaving St. John's, New Bruns-
wick, for Boston on the 7th of October.
Mr. Cumberland, from the solicitor's office of the
Customs, attended to conduct the inquiry; Mr.
Henry Valiance, of the firm of Valiance and Son,
Essex-street, appearing to watch the case on behalf
of the Atlantic Royal Mail steam Navigation Com-
pany ; and Mr. Henry Cockle, solicitor, Deptford,
was in attendance on behalf of Mr. Palmer, the
builder of the vessel.
Captain Robert Leitch said—l reside at No. 8,
Wesbourne-terrace, London. I hold a certificate
from the Board of Trade as master, dated 1849. I
was master of the Connaught on her last voyage.
She was the property of the Atlantic Royal Mail
Steam Navigation Company. I had commanded
her on a previous voyage. I left Galway on the
25th of September last, bound for St. John's, New-
foundland, and Boston. On the first voyage I had
no reason to doubt the efficiency of the vessel, al-
though she experienced 48 hours' heavy weather. On
leaving Galway on her last voyage we had on board
about 467 passengers and a crew of 124, consisting of
five officers, boatswain and boatswains'mate, carpen-
ter and joiner, 4 quartermasters, 8 engineers, 47 fire
men, two cooks, stewards and servants, and the re-
mainder seamen. I was perfectly satisfied I had a suf-
ficient number of hands to work the ship properly,
and also the machinery. On leaving Galway the vessel
had the mails on board and a small cargo. The passen-
gers consisted of 62 first-class and 405 second-class,
There were 1,280 tons of coal on board at the time
of starting, according to the engineer's log. The
average consumption of coal is from 85 to 90 tons
per diem. She was properly equipped, with two
masts fore and aft, and schooner rigged. The
weather on first leaving Galway was fine, the middle
part of the voyage to St. John's was rough, and the
latter fine. The passage to St. John's occupied 7
days and a half. During the bad weather the vessel
behaved very well indeed. Ido not think she sus-
tained any material damage. Some of the skylights
were stove in, the companion leading down to the
forecastle was washed away, and some of the floats
of both paddlewheels were broken. I did not then
discover any leakage, the usual precautions being
taken to ascertain. I am not aware that any of
the cargo shifted in consequence of the bad weather,
so as to cause damage to the ship, and on arriving
at St. John's I had every reason to believe the ship
was in as good condition as when she left Galway.
We remained at St, John's 11 hours, taking on
board 12 more passengers and luggage, and also
silver bullion for conveyance to Boston, of the value
of £lO,OOO. We got the paddles properly repaired
before starting from St. John's. We did not take
in any coals at St. John's, our consumption up to
that time having been 664 tons, leaving 616 tons
on board. The distance from Galway to St. John's
is 1,660 miles, and from St. John's to Boston 850
miles. There were more than sufficient coals on
board to reach Boston with. The quantity of coals
on starting from Galway filled the bunkers. We
left St. John's at half-past 2 on the afternoon of
the 3d of October. It was fine weather, but
foggy. On the morning of the 6th, at 6 o'clock,
the weather changed, when the wind commenced
increasing, at W.N.W., our course being W. by
N. At noon of the same day there were strong
winds and cloudy weather, the wind at that
time having changed a little to the westward.
At 1 p.m., the wind, W. by S., was still increas-
ing, and an observation in the log book at that
time is "increasing wind." At 2 p.m. the entry is
" the wind still increasing, a heavy sea, the ship
labouring heavily, and taking large quantities of
water on board." These entries were made after
the loss of the vessel, about three days after we
arrived at Boston. They are correct, to the best of
my i ecollection.
Mr. Traill here suggested that the further exa-
mination of Captain Leitch should be dispensed
with until after the examination of the chief mate.
John Hore was then called. He said—l was chief
mate of the Connaught, and hold a certificate of
competency from the Board of Trade. Four days
after leaving Galway we had bad weather, which
lasted 24 hours, or perhaps 30 hours. It was a
strong gale from the westward, with a good deal of
sea, causing her to labour considerably and to take
in water over her bows. We sh'pped a sea on the
Sunday morning; after leaving Gal way which washed
away the companion and stove in the skylight.
There was no other damage to speak of. At that
time we were not under sail. One or two of the
floats on both wheels were carried away. Ido not
know that any leak was caused by the bad weather,
or that the ship made more water than usual After
this the weather continued fine until her arrival at
St. John's. The cargo on board on leaving Galway
was not more than .40 or 50 tons, being rather
smaller than usual. It was not necessary, in conse-
quence of the smallness of the cargo, to carry bal-
last. The fore hold of the vessel, where the cargo
was stowed, was from 60 to 70 feet long, and the
breadth 40 feet, capable of holding from 200 to 300
tons. The cargo principally consisted of ale and
porter in casks and cases. We left St. John's at half-
past 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Oct. 3, the vessel
being then perfectly tight, according to my opinion,
and fitted for her intended voyage. I kept the ship's
log. After leaving St. John's we had fine weather
until 6 o'clock on the morning of the 6th. (The
witness here repeated the entries made, as given
by Captain Leitch.) The entries up to 1 p.m. of
the 6th were made from the log slate, and sub-
sequent entries, at Boston, entirely from memory.
The ship's course was not altered from 8 a.m.
of the 6th until 230 a.m. of the 7th. It
was the custom to sound the well three times a-day
—at 6 o'clock in the morning, at noon,' and at 8
o'clock in the evening. The well was sounded at
6 a.m. of the 6th in seven different places, and the
depths of water were as follows :-41t. bin. ; fore-
hold, 17in. ; main-hold, 19in. ; fore-bunkers, 16in. ;
the after-bunkers, 4in. ; the after-hold, Sin. ; after-
peak, 19m. This was not an unusual quantity,
although an inch. or two more, perhaps, but it did
not excite surprise. At noon of the same day there
was no material increase of water. In the evening
at 8 o'clock the wells were again sounded, when in
the fore-bunker, or coal reserve, there were 26in.,
being an increase of 10in. from the mornings sound-
ings at 6 o'clock in the morning. At. 7in the even-
ing I had an intimation from the engineer that
there was more water in the fore-hold or coal re-
serve. He made no further remarks to me about
the pumps. I went and told the captain, and at 8
o'clock all the firemen and trimmers were called
into the engine-room. At 9 p.m. all the seamen
were called down by captain's orders. We com-
menced to get a portable fire-engine into forward
stokehole, and a second portable engine on to the
engine-room platform. At this time we were 140
miles from Boston, making very little way; about
three or four miles an hour. The ship was lying
over, and we could not obtain soundings. The leak-
age was not got under or the water diminished.
Between 9 and 10 p.m. she was sounded in the
fore compartments, and there was no increase of
water. There were no soundings taken after. She
was steaming ahead to the wind, labouring consi-
derably, and lurched to the starboard bow.
The builder of the vessel here said, that taking
into calculation the coals consumed up to reaching
St. John's the vessel would rise 16ft. forward, and
17ft. lin. aft.

Capt. Leitch recalled—l was on deck on the
evening of the Gth, between 7 and 8 o'clock, having
been sent for by the chief officer. The ship was
making water in the engine-room and stokehole. I
did not distinguish whence the water came in. I did
not hear anything of the vessel making water until
this report. I went into the engine-room and,
saw the engineer, who told me the vessel had been

making. water for a short titre. I told him to see
and feel all the parts he could. Th'e bilge pumps
were kept going. I then went oa deck, and gave
orders for all the pumps to be rigged and the por-
table fire-engines to be taken below and used to the
greatest advantage. At that time I was under the
impression that some of the pipes had burst. I
then gave instructions for all hands to be called,
and to put the helm aport and bring the ship's
head to wind. That order was acted upon as soon
as the ship could be breught up. The order was
given to the man at the wheel. The engineer then
came to me and reported that he had examined all
the pipes, and had gone as far as he could see. I
directed him to examine the pipes more strictly.
He did so, and reported that he could not discover
anything. This was about an hour and a quarter
after the leak was reported. The ship all this time,
although her head was to the wind, had a consi-
derable list to port. After she was brought to wind
we commenced trimming the ship by filling the
starboard lifeboat. This was between eight and
nine o'clock. The engines might have been stopped,
but not to my knowledge. About a quarter or half-
past nine I ported the helm more, and with the
assistance of the wind and the watering of the life-
boats on the starboard side the ship gradually
came upright. After being upright for a few
minutes she:fell:to her starboard side. I think one
of the boilers was blown off in order to get her up.
I think I gave instructions to the engineer about
half-past 8 p.m. to blow off one of the port boilers to
get the ship upright. The pumping was continued.
At half-past 10 or 11 o'clock orders were given to
fill the port lifeboats with water and to run out the
starboard lifeboats to lighten her. We tried to get
her head to the wind again, and to bring the wind
round to the starboard, but from the strong wind
and the ship lying over to the starboard it was dif-
ficult to get her to answer the helm. She came up
gradually about 2 a.m. on Sunday, the 7th. Before
she came up I gave the engineer instructions to
blow off one of the starboard boilers. I think one
of the for.ward starboard boilers was then blown
off. She came upright in a short time. The
water then appeared to have diminished. She
remained in that position a short time, and then
fell over to port, and there she continued, the
pumps being kept going and the water remaining
about the same. I asked particularly during the
night whether the water was increasing, and was
told it was sometimes increasing and sometimes
decreasing. Between 7 and 8 o'clock a.m. I received
a report from the chief mate that the water was
considerably increasing. I gave orders to port the
helm a-starboard. She did not -answer her helm.
Her head was then W.N.W. The pumps were
kept going, and as the glass was very high I ex-
pected the weather would moderate. Shortly alter
9 o'clock on the morning of Sunday the 7th the
ship was reported to be on fire. Smoke was coming
out of the after stokehole. It had the smell of felt
burning. I went down as far as the first tier, lut
I could not get down any further, nor remain there.
George Stewart, chief engineer, was then called.
He said,—On our passage to St. John's there was
rough weather, and we lost a great many of the
floats from both paddles. These were repaired, but
before leaving St. John's they were thoroughly
repaired. On the night of Saturday, the 6th, about
7 o'clock, the second engineer reported to me there
was a great deal of water in the forward stokehole.
About an hour and a-half previously I was there,
and did not notice anything extraordinary. At the
time of receiving the report I went into the stoke-
hole, and found about ewo feet of water under the
plates. The bilge-pipes are always in gear. The
pumps of the main engines, one forward and one
aft, did not take :the water away. They were
large ram pumps, 11 inches in diameter. Find-
ing the wator did not appear to diminish I had
the bilge injection turned on. The bilge was six
inches in diameter. I could not see the water
diminish. Both donkey engines were then put on,
and at 8 p.m. I went and called all hands belong-
ing to the engine-room to keep the pumps clear.
Before I called all hands I reported to the captain
that the ship was making water. The captain or-
dered all pumps to be worked, and on his asking
whether the bilge injection had been put on I told
him it had. The bilge injection became choked, and
we had to shut it off for about 10 minutes to clear
it. This occurred about once in an hour and a-half
during the whole night. The bilge injection and
donkey engines were kept going until about ten
next morning, but the water did not diminish.
It being now nearly five o'clock the inquiry was
adjourned.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE
TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY.

ATHERSTONE, THURSDAY.
After the despatch of our parcel yesterday Mr.
Wm. Mooreroft, in cross-examination by Mr.
Motteram, said—lt is my duty to order the trains
to shunt if I think there is not sufficient time for
them to get out of the way. I gave no instructions
to the driver of the cattle train to shunt anywhere
else but at Nuneaton. I estimated that the cattle
train might get on to the siding at Nuneaton in
40 minutes, from the rate at which the train had
been running from Stafford. I allowed the cattle
train 45 minutes to get to Nuneaton. It would
take the mail train 19 minutes to get to Nuneaton.
I did not detain the cattle train at Tamworth, be-
cause there was no time to go on.
Mr. Motteram—And five minutes to spare?
Witness—Yes.
By Mr. Warren—lf the driver of the mail train
has stated I had some conversation with him about
the slippery state of the rails, it is untrue. If the
breaksman has sworn that I never spoke to him
until the train was in motion, that is also untrue.
I saw the breaksman first in the porter's lodge.
By Mr. Motteram—The express fast goods train
arrives at Tamworth at 1.20 and reaches Nuneaton
at 2. The cattle trains are also fast trains, and
would be as likely to get over the distance in 40
minutes as the express fast goods train.
The inquiry was then further adjourned.
Upon the re-assembling of the jury this morning,
Thomas Robinson, of Wolverton, locomotive
travelling inspector, produced a plan, showing the
distance between the point of collision and the sig-
nals at and near Atherstone stations. He said—
The mail signals on the up line can, I think, be seen
for three quarters of a mi'e. I have looked for it
at a greater distance, but have not been able to see
it. I refer to the light, and not to the day signal.
When travelling on a fast train the auxiliary and
main signals are seen about the same time. The
distance from the main signal to the point where the
collision took plilce is 481 yards, and the distance
from the auxiliary to the main signal 366 yards.
If the driver of the mail train had seen the danger
signal when he was three-quarters of a mile off
there was sufficient time to stop the train, even if
it was going at the rate of 46 miles an hour. It is
more difficult to stop when the rails are slippery.
The limited mail was not a heavy train, and it
could have been stopped in three-quarters of a mile.
It is matter of opinion whether the drovers' car-
riage was placed in the safest place in the train.
By the Jury—What is your opinion ?
Witness—lt is not in my province to give an
opinion.

_
Coroner—You have an opinion ; you must ex.
press it.

Witness—lf I am bound to give my opinion, I
should say it is not the safest place to put the
drovers' carriage. It is, I think, the custom of the
North Western Company to put the drovers' care
riage in such a position ; but 1 think the safest
place would be one carriage removed from the ten-
der. I should not consider it necessary to put a van
between the cattle trucks and the drovers' carriage.
I don't think it possible for any person—unless
well versed in engineering—to tell by the steam
whether the engine was reversed or not as it came
through the station, and I don't think the porter at
Atherstone could tell whether such was the case
or not. I don't think, too, the same witness could
tell the speed at which the engine was going, within
10 miles, as it passed through the station. I con
cider Barker to be a most experienced and careful
driver. So much depends upon circumstances that
it is difficult for one to say how long the cattle train
ought to have been coming from Tamworth to
Atherstone, but taking the circumstances as related,
I think if the journey had been accomplished in 28,
29, or 30 minutes, the driver would have done his
work satisfactorily and well. If every circumstance
had been in his favour, the driver might have done
the distance in 22 or 23 minutes. I believe the en-
gine attached to the cattle train was equal to the
work given it.

Jury—Supposing the limited mail was travelling
at the rate of 46 miles an hour, what in your judg
went is the smallest space in which it could be
stopped ?

Witness—Taking the rails to be in the condition
as described—rather slippery—l think the train
could have been pulled up in 850 yards.
Coroner—But if the rails were quite dry, how
long ?
Witness—Then it ought to have been done in
750 yards, or perhaps slightly under, but it would
hive taken every possible effort. Assuming the
statement of the driver—that he first saw indica-
tions of danger at 40 yards distance was true, and
that he was travelling at the rate of 40 miles an
hour, the collision took place in 26 seconds, and it
would have been impossible to stop the train in
that time. I have examined the engine of the
limited mail since the accident, and from the posi-
tion of the break nut I am satisfied when the ten-
der was upset the break was hard on. I am eon-

vinced means had been employed to stop the mail
train. Matts could have increased his speed very
sliglitl e•oen ad he known that a train was
behind him so etokl;;P:
By Mr. Warren--I totally disiagtee with the wit-
ness who says the main signal can be seen for it dis-
tance of two mi:es. I have tested the greatest distance
at which the signal can be seen, and I find that
statement to be incorrect. I consider it would
be very good running fir the cattle train to go from
Tamworth to Nuneaton in 40 mintitts. It would
take three or four minutes more to get on id the
siding. Ten minutes might very easily have been
absorbed in slipping; I consider ten minutes ought
to have been allowed for slipping. I think the
delay caused byslipping and shunting at Atherstone
less likely to have caused a collision than if the
train had shunted at Nuneaton. I think the driver
exercised a wise discretion in shunting at Ather-
stone.

By the Jury—l know Matts, the driver of the
cattle train, but not so well as' Barker.,:',„He has
been a driver since March last; he was previously
a stoker. He is well acquainted with the neigh-
bourhood, and I consider him a very good careful
man, and quite fit to have been entrusted with the
cattle train. I think his conduct after the accident
showed that he was a very efficient workman.
By Mr. Cleather—l should think the average
speed of a cattle train, including stoppages, would
not be more than 14 or 15 miles an hour.
By Mr. Warren—lt is the duty of any officer to
report a driver for not whistling if it was his duty
to whistle ; but I think Barker was justified in not
whistling, as everything appeared all right until
the danger signal was suddenly exhibited, when he
directed all his attention, ES was his duty, to his
engine. Ido not think drivers should have discre-
tion in following the rules; but I do not blame a
man for using a little discretion if he knows every-
thing is all right. Ido not think it necessary to
alarm a nigh bourhood by opening a shrill whistle
if everything is all right. The whistle would of
course indicate the approach of the train at Ather-
stone, but I do not think the man to blame under
the circumstances.
Joseph Paling, pointsman at Tamworth, deposed
to his conversation with the driver of the cattle
train in reference to his getting to Nuneaton. He
believed there was plenty of time to get there be-
fore the arrival of the mail.
Witness was cross-examined by Matts, the driver,
and in reply to questions said—You were on the
engine when I spoke to you, and I am sure you said
you could get on to Nuneaton, and that I pulled
out my watch and told you what time it was.
John Matts, being re-sworn, said—l will swear it
iras 35 minutes past one when I left the station by
the Tamworth clock. Paling never asked me whether
I could get to Nuneaton. I had no conversation
with him at all as I was leaving, and Atherstone
was never mention©d to me at Tam worth. The only
conversation I had with Paling was respecting the
sand. Witness having repeated his evidence as to
the slippery state of the rails, said—l know the
signals, and I don't think they can be seen for more
than three-quarters of a mile. The auxiliary can
be seen first, about a quarter of a mile before the
main signal is seen. I deny that either of the
signals can be seen for a distance of two miles.
Henry Meakin re-called.
Coroner—You stated yesterday that you had seen
the main signal for two miles, do you still adhere
to that statement ?
Witness—l am sorry to say I made a mistake;
I meant one mile or more, instead of two miles or
more.

Coroner—When did you discover your error ?
Witness—Last night, when I re-considered it.
By Mr. Warren—l was wrong in what I stated
yesterday.
William Tinkler—l haie been a driver in the
employ of the company for six months and fireman
for six months previously. Before that I was seven
years fireman on the North-Eastern. I joined the
Liverpool mail at Stafford at 12 59 on Friday morn-
ing last. I stopped at Lichfield at 1,30 and shunted
for the limited mail to pass. After that I went on
to Tamworth, where I arrived about two o'clock.
We took in water and oiled the engine, and left
again in about six or seven minutes, and upon get-
ting to Atherstone we were of course stopped, the
accident having previously occurred. The inclines
between Stafford and Atherstone were very slippery.
The main signal at Atherstone can be seen for about
half a mile, and the auxiliary three-quarters. When
I passed the auxiliary signal there was no light in
it. That was at 2.19, as near as possible—about nine
minutes after the accident. I was looking for the
auxiliary signal. When I first saw the main
signal we were travelling at the rate of 35 miles
an hour, and we pulled up in about half a mile.
I had to return to Tamworth, and on my way back I
stood at the auxiliary signal for nearly two hours,
and during the whole of that time there was no
light in it. lam quite certain of that.
Thomas Cole, inspector of police on the railway,
was rext called, and deposed to having seen the
auxiliary signal turned on red, and also the main
signal. He was certain the auxiliary signal was
alight. It was his special duty to look after signals
at all times.
By Mr. Warren—lt is the custom to put signal
lights out in the morning when it is light enough
to see without, and take the lamps to be trimmed.
I don't think the auxiliary, when lighted, could be
turned in such a way that the light would be to-
tally obscured. Tinkler is wrong when he says the
auxiliary was not alight.
George Tebbutt, incline breaksman at Tamworth,
corroborated last witness's evidence as to the aux-
iliary signal being lighted at the time referred to.
The jury then adjourned for an hour, and upon
their reassembling,
Mr. Robinson announced that he had made an
error in his evidence, and that instead of the dis-
tance between the main and the auxiliary signals
being 366 yards it was 434; yards.
Wm. Hart, guard of the train driven by Tinkler,
deposed that upon reaching Atherstone he saw the
main signal turned on red, but he did not notice
the auxiliary at all.
Thomas Watson, the fireman of the same train,
gave similar evidence as to the main signal, but
swore he saw the auxiliary signal, and that there
was no light at ail in it. He made a remark to his
mate to the effect that the light was out, and the
light was still out when he went back to Tamworth.
Edward Cosgrove, station-master at Atherstone,
said he knew the signals were lighted at a quarter
fuur in the afternoon, and nothing was reported to
him about the lights going out.
Richard Evans produced the lamp used in the
auxiliary signal, and said he took it down on
triday morning between 11 and 12 o'clock.
The oil was not exhausted, but the light had gone
out because the oil could not penetrate through
the wick. A quantity of oil was left in the lamp,
but witness could not say what proportion it bore
to the whole time was put into it—perhaps about
one-third. It was not an unusual circumstance for
lamps to go out after burning a certain time. Wit•
ness knew of two occasions—frosty nights—when
the lamps had gone out. The nigtit in question
was frosty.
Charles Woodward, policeman at the Atherstone
station, remembered the signals going out occa-
sionally in very severe weather, but did not think
the weather was severe enougi: last week to cause
such an event.
Samuel Grew, superintendent of the cent,`,7al divi-
sion of the London and North Western Railwv
Company, produced the book of rules, and said he
thought the driver of the mail train ought to have
whistled on approaching the Atherstone Station.
The management of the cattle trains is necessarily
left to the agents of the company at the various ,
stations.

The Jury—Under the circumstances as to time,
weather, and other matters as spoken to, do you
consider Mr. Moorcroft was justified in sending on
that train from Tamworth ?

Witness—So much depends upon the weight of
the train, the weather, and other matters, that cis-
cretion must be left to the agents of the company.
The Jury—Well, taking the circumstances as
they have been deposed to—even assuming that no
accident had occurred—do you think the cattle train
ought to have been started so soon before the
limited mail ?

Witness—With the weight of the train and the
character of the engine, I believe Meorcroft was
justified in starting the train.
The Jury—Then you think he was justified in
starting the cattle train when it could only have
reached Nuneaton five minutes before the arrival
of the limited mail ?

Witness—lf it was only five minutes I think it
was a mistake in his judgment. He calculated too
closely, and he ought to have kept the train at Tam-
worth.

The Jury—Ought he not to have a maximum and
minimum time stated, instead of leaving it to his
own discretion entirely.

Witness—The agents act from their daily expe-
rience in the matter, according to the circumstances
—the weather, the load, and so on.

The Jury—be you consider the public are safe
in the practice of giving the agents entire discretion
in the matter ?

Witness—My experience is favourable to that
conclusion.
Tho Jury—Would any inconvenience arise to the
public by the enforcement of a rule requiring cattle
trains to arrive at least half an hour in advance of
the mail or passenger trains at Nuneaton ?
Witness—The trains follow each other so closely
that a margin of half as hour could not be allowed.
Richard Evans, recalled—l have examined the
lamp which I filled on Thursday lest. It was
ignited at the auxiliary signal at 4.15. It then
contained 37i ounces of oil. The quantity of oil

which had been consumed when I took it down I
hate ascertained was 7A-.
James Edward M2Connell, locomotive superin-
tendent of the London and North Western Railway
Company (southern division), admitted that more
than ordinary care was necessary in sending trains
in and out of the Atherstone station on account of
the severity of the curve, and also that telegraphic 1
communication (which did not now exist) would be 1
an additional element of safety. He considered
1 Barker one of the best drivers in England ; and
unless there had been some mistake, or the danger
triqnal been suddenly turned on when he was close
upon it, the accident could not possibly have oc-
curred.

Mr. Moorcroft then called two witnesses, who
proved that he always stopped trains at Tamworth
when there was any danger; and the inquiry was
adjourned to Saturday.
Mr. Geary, of Daventry, attended to-day, to
watch the proceedings on the part of Barker.

111IDDL ES <'X SESSIONS.—Nov. 22.

(Before the Assistant-Judge.)

George William Heard, a very res-peCtable-look
ing man, was indicted for assaulting and b6ating
his wife. He surrendered in court, having been out
on bail. It was stated that an offer had been made
to the defendant that if he would plead guilty to a
charge of common assault the matter could be
arranged so far as the other side was concerned, by
his entering into a recognisance to appear for judg-
ment when called upon, but the defendant said,
" No, he would stand his trial and abide the conse-
quences if twelve men found him guilty." The case
was then proceeded with.
Mr. P. H. Lewis was counsel for the prosecution
Mr. Sleigh for the defendant.
From the evidence of the prosecutrix it appeared
that she had been married to the defendant about
nine years, and had three children by him, He was
in the employment of Mr. Mortloek, of Oxford-
street, as porter,:and was, as she stated, an honest,
sober, weli-conducted man, industrious, and took
home his wages, which were £1 43. per week.
They lived at 5, Romney-street, Westminster. On
the 22d of October it seemed the defendant had to
go out of town on business for his master, and was
expected to be absent two or three days, but it so
turned out that he returned the day he went, and
was surprised at finding his wife out. He walked
about the streets until between one and two in the
morning, when he met her in the company of a
young man, walking towards his (defendant's)
lodgings. He demanded I o know who that young
man was, and she said he was the son-in-law of
Mrs. Long, the landlady, and had been with her
and a Mrs. 'Cattlin, for whom she worked, to a
dancing place, The defendant immediately pro-
ceeded to Mrs. Long with the pair, and asked if
the young man was her son-in-law. She said he
was quite a stranger to her, but it transpired that
he was in some way related to the Mrs Cattlin re-
ferred to, who was a relative of Mrs. Long.'s. The
defendant then, exasperated and suspecting,
knocked the young man, whom the wife said was
a boy, but who was stated to be 21 years of age,
down, and he ran away, calling for police, leaving
his hat behind him, which the defendant, in his
maddened rage, tore to pieces. The defendant
then struck his wife, and, as she alleged, knelt
upon her in the passage. and repeated his violence
next morning by striking her with a sleeve-board,
which she used in her business as a dressmaker;
that he struck her across the mouth and bruised her
about the body, and made a lunge with a sword-
stick at her mother. The prosecutrix said her cha-
racter was spotless, but she admitted in cross-
examination that she had been to Cremorne without
her husband's knowledge; that she and other females
had been to public-houses and drank gin ; that on one
occasion she was gone three hours to get a Spanish
onion for her husband's supper after he had come
home from work ; that she had not exactly danced
to a banjo tune played in the streets by Ethiopian
serer aders, but had been in company with a woman
who had turned her round to the tune. She denied
that she had been in the habit of leaving her home,
and going into the company of other men, or that
she had ever been intoxicated. She was very ab-
stemious, and sometimes went without bear even
for a week. She had been summoned to the police-

court for using indecent language in the public
streets, and fined 205., but it was to a woman the
defendant had been keeping. He had several, ana
she watched him to houses of ill-fame. She never
called him a poor contented cuckold, but he had
said something of that kind to her as he was going
out of a night. It was a falsehood when she said
the person she was with was Mrs. Long's son-in-
law, but she said it to prevent an outburst of th©
defendant's temper, which was very irritable, not
to screen herself for being out and in his company
at two in the morning. The young man was a per-
fect stranger to her ; she had never seen him before,
and thought no harm in his seeing her home. She
had left the key of her lodging with the landlady
in case her husband should return during her
absence. She was a dressmaker, and worked hard
for her children, and the reason she was out on the

night in question was, that she went with Mrs.
Catlin to make a purchase in the Westminster-road,
They met this young man, her relative, and hearing
some music and dancing at the Railway Arch
Tavern, they went in and stopped till between one
and two in the morning.
Other evidence as to the assault having been
given,
Mr. Sleigh proceeded to address the jury, and
said the prosecutrix had, by her course of conduct,
both as a woman and a wife, been the very bane and
curse of the existence of the defendant, who was
admitted, even by her, to be a respectable,
hard-working, frugal man, careful of his
children and his home. She was continually
absent from her home when she should have been
in it, and he had been uncared for and meglected.
This case was one of those which too frequently had
been brought under the operation of the act relat-
ing to assaults upon women, through the malice,
vindictiveness, and spite of some ill-conducted and
revengeful wife, whose object was to humiliate,
degrade, and even to incarcerate an honest, sober,
and well meaning man, wbo would not submit to
her treatment, and resorted to a blow, when all
other means had failed, and exasperated to despe-
ration at the moment. This prosecution was solely
an attempt to place the defendant at the mercy of
a relentless woman. and the defendant, like a man,
had scorned the offer made to him to plead guilty,
and go out on his recognisance ; he had preferred
to stake his character and liberty on the issue of
the trial, confident that, under the circumstances,
the manly good sense of an English jury would
exonerate him from the charge made against him.
The learned counsel proceeded to comment, with
much severity, upon the conduct of the prosecutrix,
in being absent from home in the company of a
strange man in the streets at two in the morning,
when she was aware that her husband had been
sent into the country by his master, and the wilful
and deliberate lie she told in saying, to excuse if
she could, the wrong she had done, that that young
man was the son•in-law of Mrs. Long. What did
the defendant do ? He did not knock them down
there and then, but went and asked Mrs. Long if that
was her son-in-law, and when he found he was not,
what could he do but suspect, finding a strange man
walking towards his lodgings at two in the morn-
ing from a dancing place, when she must have
supposed her husband was not in London. The
de:fndant was wandering the streets to look for
her, on getting home, he found she was out,
he finds her 7, ith this man, whom she palms off as
the son-in-law of Ll'er friend, and under the circum-
stances what he did wb:s but the natural impulse of
a generous nature, he knoe,l'
cd the imposter down,
who ran off, leaving his hat beth._nd him. Why was
that young man not here to day r Taunted and
ht. have
irritated by this young woman he n. 5
struck her, but she had told a highly colours_ 11 ard.)
exaggerated story, and her evidence was no_t.
believing. She was only actuated by feelings of
the most bitter vindictiveness, as the jury must
have seen from her manner in the box, and he
trusted that as men and Englishmen they would
put a liberal and comprehensive construction upon
a man's conduct under tha circumstances in which
the defendant had been placed.
The learned Judge then summed p at consider..
able length, and the, ury, after retiring for a short
time, founi the defendant not guilty.

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ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST.

Yester ,ay evening a meeting of the vestry of Si.
George's was held in the board-room of the work-
house for the purpose, amongst other business, of
receiving a deputation appointed to wait upon the
Bishop of London in reference to the ecclesiastical
contbtion of the parish. Mr. Clarke presided. Mr.
Ho well, the vestry clerk, at the request of the
chairman, stated the result of an interview which
certain members of the vestry had with the bishop
on that day week. On Thursday last the depu-
tation, in accordance with A vote of the
vestry, waited upon the bishop at London-
house in reference to the objectionable services
still carried on in the parish church. At London-
house the deputation met Mr. Thompoon and Mr.
Dowsett, the churchwardens of the parish. The
bishop had his attention called to the several
objections to the service stated in a resolution for-
warded to him by the vestry, having particular
reference to the choristers, the adornment of the
altar, &c. Having heard what the deputation had
to say with regard to the improbability. of peace
being permanently established in the parish while
the objectionable services continued, his lordship
intimated that he was not in a conditio:t then to
pledge himself to any course of procecking, butt
that he would write immediately to the Rev. Bryan.
King,.the rector of the parish, who was abroati, and
communicate to him the substance of what had
taken place. The bishop added that he deeilly
regretted that the hopes entertained of peace being
restored in the parish when he placed there Mr.
Hansard, a gentleman for whom he had great re,-
spect, and in whom he had every confidence, should
have been disappointed. He regretted that Mr.
Hansard had not succeeded in restoring the peace
which formerly existed, and putting an end to the
disturbances. His lordship then said he should
make his own views known to Mr. Sing, and
appointed the churchwardens and others to attend
him again that (Thursday) evening at five o'clock,
when he would state what course he would advise
!or adoption. The deputation had gone to Lo.ndon-
house, but at that time (half-past six o'clock) had
not returned. At a subsequent period of the trt en-
ing Mr. Churchwarden Thompson hurried in a.nd
took his seat beside the chairman. He mereiy
stated, in reply to questions, that he had seen th 0
bishop and was quite satisfied with the interview..
It has been ascertained from another quarter, quite
independent of the parish authorities, that Mr.
King has courteouNly surrendered his peculiar
views, and that henceforth there are not likely to
be any more dissensions in this unfortunate parish.