The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-17 00:00:00

LAW .AND POLICE.

ACTION AGAINST THE SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY Co_.
PANT.—An action against the South-Eastern Railway
Company concluded the business of the Croydon Assizes.
The plaintiff, a young man, is a schoolmaster. His
appointment, salary, and emoluments being taken into
consideration, may be set down as worth £l3O a year. On
the evening of the 22nd of December last he took a
second-class ticket to travel from the Blackfriars-road
station to London Bridge. Just as was about to enter
a carriage, having one foot upon the step, Cie guard ran
forward, and telling him he could not get into that parti-
cular carriaze, he slammed the door so as to inflict a very
violent blow upon the side of the plaintiff's head. He
thereupon thrust the plaintiff into another carriage, and
he travelled on to London Bridge. There was another
passenger in the carriage with him, and although the
plaintiff made no complaint to his fellow-traveller of
the door having been slammed upon him, and of con-
sequent injuries, yet he was overheard remonstrating
with the guard on his conduct after the arrival of the
train at London Bridge. Gradually very unfavourable
symptoms began to develop themselves, and the medical
evidence called on behalf of the plaintiff was to the effect
that the blow he had received caused a concus-
sion of the brain. The medical gentlemen, however,
who had examined the plaintiff on behalf of the com-
pany could not discover any external evidence of the injury
complained of. The representation on the side of
the plaintiff was that since the accident he had been unfit
to perform his duties, and that some time must yet elapse
before he was entirely adequate for the purpose. The
defence raised by the company, in the first place, ques-
tioned the possibility of any such occurrence as was the
subject of the action ever taking place ; and, secondly,
disputed the extent of injury sustained by the plaintiff.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—damages f:250.
CHARGE AGAINST THE SECRETARY OF A TRADES
UNlON,—Thomas Highton, late secretary of the Stock-
port Spinners' and Minders' Association, has been brought
up at Stockport on a charge of embezzling £2O, the moneys
of his employers. Prisoner absconded about four months ago.
He was paid secretary to the Stockport Spinners' and
Minders' Association, was well known throughout Lanca-
shire and Cheshire, and was a very active and earnest advo-
cate of trades unions. On the 11th of September last he
was authorised to take £lO to the bank, and on the 20th
of October a similar amount, but the pass-book shewed
that no such sums had been deposited, although entries
had been made in the pass-book in what purported to be
the handwriting of one of the bank clerks. Prisoner's
defence was that the association was not registered,
and that the prosecution was illegal. The prosecuting
attorney, Mr. Johnson, the coroner for the district,
shewed that the law, as propounded by Mr. Justice Lush,
was that although the Friendly Societies Act did not give
the magistrates summary powers, it did not stand in the
way of an indictment. Prisoner was committed to the
Chester Assizes for trial.

MR. GRENVILLE MURRAY AND THE "QUEEN'S MES.
SENGER."-At Judges' Chambers an application has been
made on behalf of Mr. Grenville Murray, the defendant
in the action of " Hughes v. Murray," to stay execution
until the sth day of next Michaelmas Term, to enable the
defendant to move for a new trial, on the ground that a
verdict had been obtained by the plaintiff on the 10th of
this month at Croydon in the absence of Mr. Murray,
owing to his illness abroad. The application was made
by Messrs. Hathaway and Andrews for the defendant,
and was supported by affidavits of the defendant, and of
two Paris physicians, made on the 13th of this month,
to the effect that Mr. Murray had been seriously ill with
dysentry from the 29th July last to the present time, and
that he could not travel without danger to his life. The
application was opposed by Mr. Harper on behalf of the
plaintiff, but eventually an order was made on payment
of a sum of money into court, to abide the event of a new

Meetings in Lvour of an amnesty to Political pri
soners were licld on Snnilny in Waterford and Thuries.

The Prince of 'Wales is expected to return to
Marlborough House from it ad on tLo 25th it st , and
will the following day go to Al)ergeldio for grouse bliooting.
The P, it css of Wales and chi!dan will prolong their resi-
dence at Wildbal probably till the third week in Septerub .r.
The working moclel of a steamboat, with a new
style of propellers, has been exhibited on Long Island
Sound. The wheels are made like augurs, I,nd cause
nothing of the jar to the vessel, nor commotion in the
water, that is experienced from the present style of side
wheels, and are said to secure greater speed.
it is perhaps not generally known that Mr.
Cornelius Grinnell, who met with the fatal accident in
Ryde last Monday week, is the eldest son of Mr. Henry
Grinnell, of New York, who a few years ago so nobly
chartered a vessel to go in search of the remains of Sir
Jan Fruklir.