The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-11 00:00:00

LAW AXD POLICE.

A IZA:LWAY ACCIDENT.—In the Court of Exchequer, ea
Thursday, the case of " Hart v. the Lancashire and York-
shire Railway" was argued. It will be reounbered that
the circumstances were peculiar. Tlie plaintiff was
travelling to Manchester on the defendants' railway,
when an engine ran into the train, and inflicted
injuries, for which a jury at Liverpool awarded £llO
damages. The engine was coming up a siding leading to
the main line, when the man in charge of it fell
down. in a fit. t- The pointsman, knowing that a
Manchester express was coming on one line, and a
Yorkshire express oh another, while the defen.
dauts' train was most likely at a standstill, very
wisely turned the engine on to the line on which the
defendant was tsaulling, thus avoiding a greater acci-
dent. It was urgar at the trial that the company ought
to have provided against the chance of such an accident.
Mr. Manisty, however, obtained a rule for a new trial,
which the court on Thursday made absolute. Mr. Baron
Bramwell, in giving his judgment, said that on one point
he should have great doubt if it went to a jury, and that
was, whether the compas, were responsible for the volun-
tary act of their servant: Baron Cleasby said that as a
general rule the proximate cause of an accident must be
alone looked at, and therefore it was doubtful whether
the company would be responsible.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE.-011 Thursday an action in the
Common Pleas, in which judgment was allowed by default,
"Poole v. the Great Eastern Railway," was heard before
Mr. Under Sheriff Burchell. Compensation was sought
for injuries in a railway collision and damages were
laid at £1,500. The noticeable feature of the
case was that three medical witnesses on the plaintiff's
behalf declared that lfad received a concussion of the
brain, and two surgeons or the company declared there
w as no such concussioli,but only disease of the heart oflong
standing. Mr. Under:Sheriff Burchell commented upon
this extraordinary discrepancy, and advised the jury to
consult their own common sense. The damages were
assessed at 0300.

VELOCIPEDES ON FOOTPATHS.— The son of a velocipede
maker was summoned at Bow-street for riding a veloci-
pede on the footpath in Bloomsbury. The magistrate
inflicted the nominal fine of five shillings and costs, but
said it must be understood that such practices were
illegal.

CONFESSION OF MURDER.—On Thursday, at the Aber-
gavenny Petty Sessions, Robert Jones, who recently
confessed that he had murdered a woman, was
brought up for examination. The result of
the inquiries that have been made was that the
prisoner did not resemble the man last seen in the
woman's company. The prisoner denied that he had said
he had murdered the woman, and his father declared his
son bad been in London when the murder was committed;
he believed him to be weak in the head. The prisoner was
accordingly discharged.

Colonel Smyth, formerly member of Parliament
for the City of York, died at his residence, Heath Hall,
near Wakefield, early on Thursday.

The heavy penalty of £lOO and costs was in-
flicted on Wednesday upon a Liverpool publican for havingin
his possession 74 gallons of illicit spirits—a mixture sup-
posed to be used for cordialising ordinary spirits.
The Bishop of London has commenced a prosecution
against the Rev. C. F. Lowder, the vicar of St, Peter's, St.
George's-in-the-East, in consequence of his violation of
the directions laid down in the decision of the Judicial
Committee of Privy Council, in the case of "Martin v.
Mackonochie." Mr. Lowder objects to remove his lighted
candles, or to consecrate the elements otherwise than he
understands the Church to direct him ; and for this he is to
be prosecuted in the Court of Arches, if Sir Robert Philli-
more consents to accept the letters of request.

Mr. Forster, M.P., laid the memorial stone of some
Baptist schools at Walsall the other day. In the course of
UMW, observations he said that he war Very much in favour
of the working classes being admitted to tho national
galleries and museums, hut be disapproved o these places
being opened on Sunday. Had the House divided on the
question he W&S sure that a large majority . • -Uwe de—
cided against the measure. He vas in fay. ' • the biliror
the exemption of Sunday dehocas horn par. . rates.

The Shedden legitimacy carstr..was resumed on
Thursday for the fifteenth time before the House of Lords.
The Lord Chancellor commented upon the extreme prolixity
of Miss Shedden's address, Which has now occupied fourteen
days, and exhorted her to confine her remarks to the evi-
dence. Shortly after commencing to address their lordships
yesteriay Miss Shedden swooned, and was carried out.
Dr. Bond being sent for, testified that the lady was suffer-
ing from hysteria, brought on by nervous exhaustion.
Their Lordships postponed the case till to-day, when,
if Miss Sheddon should be linable to proceed, her father will
be heard.

THE CHARGE OF INCITING THE SOLDIERS 010
CORK TO REBELLION.—The detailed reports of the inves-
tigation before the Cork magistrates on Tuesday respect-
ing Johnson, who was arrested for distributing seditious
placards, suggest the probability that the author of the
documents is demented. The evidence went to spew
that for some days past several soldiers, while passing
through the streets on their way to barracks, have been
handed by a civilian sealed envelopes, which, on opening,
they found to contain letters calling on them to abandon
their allegiance to her Majesty and enter the *inks of
the Irish army. They reported the fact to their (-Ewers,
and the police were set in motion. The result was the :Irrest
of Johnson,who stated that he is aprinter out of ern ployn.
and that he went from Dublin to Cork in 3 ca7cll of wok.
One of the papers found on him was a sheet of green note
paper, on which was.p: intal an absurd rhapsody, dated
June 8, 1869, and concluding with the following passage :
" Soldiers of the IL Catholic, your services are required
for soldiers of Christ. Your oath and wicked promise to servo
heretics is not binding at this critical period. You must
officer your countrymen—take your arms, &c.—come
into town and city, and enter all gunshops, provision shops,
hotels—take cooked food, gold, silver, arms, and the best
horses everywhere. Force the shopmen and constabulary
into the ranks.—PRINCE OF GREEN." He was identified
by some soldiers as the person who bad handed them the
envelopes. His manner and appearance seemed strange.
and the magistrates suspected him to be,, insane, but re•
manded him for a week. (1