The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-01 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE WATERLOO AND WHITEHALL RAILWAY.—The
action brought in the Court of Common Pleas by Mr.
Pounsett, of the firm of Grumble and Co., against the
Hon. R. Dutton, M.P., chairman of the board of directors
of the Waterloo and Whitehall Railway, has terminated.
Mr. Dutton, in his evidence, said that he had been director
of the South-Western Railway Company for fifteen years.
He explained that at the time the prospectus complained
of by the plaintiff was issued he fully believed its state-
ments, and he had still no doubt that the scheme would
have been successful if they could have obtained
the necessary capital, which no doubt they would have
done but for the commercial panic. Lord Chief
Justice Bovill asked several times whether the
plaintiff had any hope of shewing that Mr. Dutton had
knowingly made any false statement ; but the case went
on. The jury, however, said they were perfectly satisfied
and gave a verdict for the defendant.
EXTRAORDINARY RAILWAY ROBBERY.—At the Spring
Assizes at Warwick, on Saturday, a remarkable case of rail-
way robbery was tried. Thomas Bagnell, a ballast-train
flagman, who had been in the service of the North-Western
Railway for ten years, was charged with jumping into the
guard's van in the night train, throwing a quantity of
creasote into the guard's face and blinding him, and
then jumping out with the box containing the
cashbags of the van. The guard was so much confused
and injured by the sudden attack that he could not
identify the prisoner, who, fortunately, was traced by
other means. It seems that he was the treasrrer of the
Platelayers' Society, and had to make some payments to
the members. It was, therefore, supposed that he was
in arrears, and wanted to make up the money He
was found guilty, and sentenced to ten years' penal ser-
vitude.

General Shenck's Finance Bill, providing for the
repayment of the United States debt in gold, has been fa-
vourably reported by the Senate's finance committee. It
has already passed the House of Representatives.
AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.—The vicar
L'anfihangel-yr-Aarth vouches, as far as he can, for the
truth of the remarkable story we published the other day
of a little girl who has not partaken of any kind of food for
15 months. From the vicar's letter, we suppose this extra-
ordinary child neither drinks nor eats, for he says : " She
did occasionally swallow a few drops of water during the
first few months of this period, but now she does not even
do that." He adds that she looks pretty well in the face,
and continues in the possession of all her mental faculties
—Oswestry Advertiser.
THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN NORTH STAFFORD-
sIur:E.—The coroner's inquiry into the cause of the death
of the four men who were killed by an explosion of gas at
the Woodshutts Colliery, near Kidsgrove, on the 10th ult.,
terminated on Friday. The jury found a verdict of
" Accidental death," but censured the underlooker for
allowing men to smoke in the pit, and recommended
greater precautions to prevent smoking and the removal
of lamp tops. Mr. Woodhouse, mining engineer, who
was present, and spoke in reply to the coroner, condemned
the use of candles under any circumstances in mines, and
the use of gunpowder, except in driving " cruts," and said
h!bitileved Government would introduce a measure pro-
viding more stringent regulations for collieries and severer
penalties for their infringement.

THREE lILAIAN SKELETONS FOUND IN BLAIR
CASTLE.—Considerable curiosity was excited in the neigh-
bourhood of Blair Athole during the present week on it
becoming known that three human skeletons had been
found in one of the vaults of Blair Castle, the residence of
the Duke of Athole. It appears that several workmen
came upon the skeletons while engaged digqing in one of
the vaults in the southern part of the castle for the pur-
pose of forming a new cellar. The skeletons were buried
about 13 inches under the surface, and were the remains
of full grown men. The teeth of the skeleton firs.3t dis-
covered are described as being white as ivory. It bore no
marks of violence, but the skeleton found next, which was
the largest of the three, bore marks resembling sword-cuts
behind both ears. The third skeleton had no appearance
'of violent injury having been inflicted upon it. The
Duke of Athole, who is at present residing at Blair
Castle, took possession of the ghastly remains, and sent
. .
for Dr...lryine uaralnatlon of them,