The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-19 00:00:00

~Ite.ll 19, 1860

cutting and wounding Richard Truan, of Bodmin,
fruit dealer, with intent to do him grievous bodily
harm. Coulson and Truan accidentally met on the
evening of the 9th of November at the King's Head,
at Truro, when Coulson drank Truan's brandy, and
was about to leave without payment, when Truan
collared him. He drew a lancet from his waistcoat-
pocket, cut prosecutor three times across his left
hand, so as to lay bare the tendons, and when they
rolled together on the ground further stabbed him
in the head. He was sentenced to five years' penal
servitude.

OXFORD CIRCUIT, STAFFORD, March 17.
CRIMINAL COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Keating.)
At the sitting of the court this day Mr. Justice
Keating was occupied in the trial of two cases of
manslaughter, arising out of alleged negligence on
the part of men who had had charge of machinery
used in mines, lin each case causing the death of
several persons.
James Henry Gellard, engine-man, was charged
with manslaughter, on the sth of November, 1859,
at Stoke-upon-Trent.
Mr. Boughey appeared for the prosecution ; Mr.
Kenealy defended the prisoner.
Iu this case it appeared the prisoner had charge
of an engine employed in bringing coals, &c., up
from one of Earl Granville's collieries at Stoke.
At about seven o'clock on the sth of November
last the signal was given to bring up a skiff
containing several men. The prisoner was in the
engine•house, and set the engine in motion, but
just before the signal to stop the engine was
given, two men, contrary to rule, came into the en-
gine-house, and occupied the prisoner's attention
for a few moments. This occurred just before it
became the prisoner's duty to stop the engine, and
he did not stop it in time. The consequence was
that instead of stopping at the pit mouth, the skiff
was sent up a height of 39 feet to the pulley, and the
whole of the men being thrown out were precipi-
tated down the shaft of the mine, a distance of 510
feet. Several men were killed.
Mr. Wynne, the Government Inspector of Mines,
deposed that there was no defect in the machinery,
which was of the most approved construction.
Mr. Kenealy having addressed the jury for the
prisoner, they found him guilty, and
Mr. Justice Keating, in consideration of the cir-
cumstances of the extenuation arising from the in-
terruption, sentenced the prisoner to only six weeks'
imprisonment, with hard labour.
William Johnson, engine-man, was charged with
manslaughter, at ednesfield-heath, on the 21st of
January, 1860.
Mr. Motterman and Mr. Young appeared for the
prosecution ; Mr. Scotland defended the prisoner.
It appeared in this case that the prisoner had
charge of the engine employed at Messrs. White-
house's colliery, at Wednesfield-heath. The en-
gine was used for the double purpose of pumping
off surface water and of bringing up stone, &c.,
from a pit. During the night of the 20th of Jan.
last it had been used for pumping off water, and
when the prisoner went on duty on the morning of
the 21st it was set to draw up stone, &c., from the
pit. In order to adapt the machinery to this pur-
pose it was necessary to move a carriage along a
wooden sill, to which the carriage was screwed by
two iron screws, which were removable at pleasure.
When the carriage was properly and securely
screwed down to the sill the cogs of a connect-
ing wheel fitted into the cogs of another wheel
connected with the drum, and so commu-
nicated the motive power. On the present oc-
casion the accident was attributed to the negli-
gence of the prisoner in not sufficiently screwing
down the screws. When the order was given the
machine was put in motion to bring up a number of
men in a skiff ; but when the skiff had got some dis-
tance up the shaft it suddenly ran back at a rapid
rate, and four men and three boys were dashed to
the bottom of the pit, which was 70 yards deep,
and all of them were killed, with the exception of
one boy. On examining the carriage it was found
that the two screws which attached it to the wooden
sill were not sufficiently screwed, so that the car-
riage had some play. The result was that it did
not bring the cogs of the two wheels sufficiently
near each other, so that, instead of the cogs biting
one another firmly and securely, they bit only for
about half an inch. Two of the cogs were found
broken, and the accident was attributed to the pri-
soner's not securely screwing in the two screws, so
as to bring the cogs of the two wheels in close and
firm union. An attempt was made by the prisoner's
counsel to show that the machinery was defective,
inasmuch as there was a block and wedge also used
to keep the carriage in its place; but this was an-
swered by a statement that the block and wedge
were additional securities, and it was the duty of
the prisoner to see that they were both in their
proper places, whereas the wedge was out.
Mr. Scotland, for the prisoner, contended that
the accident was caused by the negligence of the
man whom the prisoner had followed on duty, but
who was not called as a witness.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.
It was stated during the trial that, even after the
accident, the men on the works had petitioned that
the prisoner might be continued in his place.
Mr. Justice Keating, after some remarks on the
circumstances of the case, sentenced the prisoner to
four months' imprisonment with hard labour.