The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-19 00:00:00

Captain Walter addressed a crowded meeting in
he Town-hall on Saturday evening. The appear-
ance of the gallant captain on the platform was the
signal for an outburst of hearty cheering, and a
number of commissionnaires who followed also met
with a most cordial reception. There were also on
the platform several highly respectable inhabitants
of the town and supporters of the hon. candidate.
Mr. R. Toomer was unanimously voted to the chair.
Capt. WALTER began his address by saying that
he came forward not only to solicit their suffrages,
but to defend the great principle of freedom of elec-
tion. His hon. opponent, Mr. Sergt. Pigott, had
told the constituency, in his first speech, that he
was a great opponent of nomination boroughs ; but
he (Capt. Walter) could not see any great difference
in the principle of large landowners recommending
a candidate to the suffrages of a constituency and a
small section of electors who took upon themselves
the responsibility of guiding the opinions of a large
body of voters. (Cheers.) In the first case there
was the responsibility which the single individual
could not avoid ; but in the other case that respon-
sibility was shifted from one person to a body, of
whom probably they knew little or nothing. It
had been said by Mr. Sergt. Pigott that he (Capt.
Walter) had no political principles. If it was meant
that he was not subservient to a party, it was quite
true. (Cheers.) He did not wish to go into Parlia-
ment as a party man. (Loud cheers.) For several
years past they had heard of two great political
parties in this country, and what had been the con-
sequence ? They had been promised a reform for
the last three years, but these two parties had been
so equally divided, and had fought so much with
each other as to the shadow, that they had lost the
substance. (Cheers.) He must say that he had much
reason to complain of the manner in which this
contest had been conducted, nor was he alone in
this conviction Mr. Shaw Lefevre,of whom they all
knew something, and whose family was well known
to the town, had complained bitterly of the treat-
ment he had received, and nothing showed more
fully the impolicy of a small number of people in
this borough being suffered to take upon themselves
to direct the opinions of the great body of the elec-
tors. He did not mean to say that the Liberal Asso-
ciation had not the right to take steps to obtain the
best candidate, but he thought it would only have
been fair and proper treatment to himself and other
candidates if the Liberal Association had given a
proper amount of time for the electors to decide as
to who should be the candidate for their suffrages.
In the borough of Southwark, where there were
nearly 20,000 electors, there was no Liberal Associa-
tion to bring forward a candidate before Sir Charles
Napier was buried, to say there was a candidate, and
that no one else was entitled to their confidence and
support, but each candidate came forward on his own
merits, and probably, should any necessity arise for
interference on the part of a Liberal Association,
they would agree in supporting him who was most
likely to represent the political views of the majority.
(Cheers.) Such a course, he submitted, ought, in
, fairness to the constituency, to have been adopted
here. (Loud cheers.) One gentleman then on the
platform was present at the first meeting at the
George, and the proceedings were not so unanimous
as had been represented. If Mr. Sergeant Pigott
was the only man, and the best to serve the consti-
tuency, why was there such a hurry to get hire to
come there and obtain promises of support ? It had
been made a subject of complaint that he (Captain
Walter) had sent a telegram from Belfast announc-
ing his intention of being a candidate. He could
not help that. As soon as he heard of the vacancy,
he sent the message, because he had made up his
mind that on the first opportunity he would offer
himself as a candidate. He intended to have come
forward at the last election, but not having a long
purse he could not afford to oppose so rich a man
as was then elected. It had been alleged that he
(Captain Walter) sought the support of the Conser-
vatives. He was no party man. He had nothing to
ask for himself, and he did not believe that any man
there wanted anything for himself only. (Cheers.)
All he wanted was a fair field and no favour. (Loud
cheers.) He would not pledge himself to oppose a
Conservative Government in case one should be
formed, and therefore he was glad to receive the
support of the independent Conservatives, as well
as that of the Liberal party, and although the
agent of Sergeant Pigott had stated that he had
received 700 promises, the proof would be at the
poll. (Cheers.) Then it was alleged against him
that he was disturbing the unanimity of the
borough, but really he did not see, in these days of
free trade, why he should be debarred from the
opportunity of coming forward to solicit their suf-
frages. (Hear.) It was no reason because Mr.
Francis Pigott had represented the borough several
years that his brother should step into his place.
If that were the case, they would always find a
number of gentlemen of that name who would be
very glad to come forward and represent the
borough. He had no doubt of it. (Hear.) Well,
although of some of Mr. Pigott's supporters bad
blamed him (Captain Walter) for courting the sup-
port of the Conservatives, at the same time they
had taken every pains to gain that support for
themselves. He knew that Mr. Pigott's friends
had been most diligent and assiduous for some time
past in trying to get the votes of the Conservatives,
and when they could not get them they tried to
get promises from them not to vote at all. (Cheers.)
Fault had been found with him because he had de-
clared that his political opinions corresponded with
those of his late father, who, his opponents said, had
no political opinions. There were many people in
the town of Reading who could recollect tin con-
test which his father undertook in this county,
more than 30 years ago, on Liberal principles.
(Cheers.) His father was the first person who re-
presented this county on Liberal principles, and he
Captain Walter) considered it an honour to be the
son of a man who, although no political partisan,
might lay claim to the proud boast of having
been called " the poor man's friend." (Loud
cheers.) In spite of every discouragement he was
elected for Nottingham by all classes of the
peeple. He went down there as the opponent
of a law called the Poor Law, and his untiring
opposition resulted in great alterations and
improvements being made in that law.
(Cheers.) Now, if his father was elected by all
parties in such a great borough as Nottingham, there
was nothing dishonourable in his (Capt. Walter's)
pursuing a similar course and likewise seeking the
support of all parties in the borough of Reading.
(Cheers.) He was no party man, but free and un-
fettered, and he was proud to acknowledge it.
(Loud cheers.) He would now pass to the subject
of the franchise. It was not needful that he should
go into detail. There were many present who had
no votes, and he conceived it to be of much greater
consequence that the country should be well go-
verned than that each man should have an inde-
pendent vote. (Oh, oh !) He did not say this from
any want of regard for the working-classes. He
had shown his regard for the working-classes, and
he would point to those wounded men, the commis-
sionaires, behind him as a proof of his desire and
ability to assist them. (Cheers.) Although he was
a friend to the working man, he did not think it
would be a very great advantage if every man could
get the franchise without some trouble. (Cheers
and disapprobation.) There was nothing in this
England worth having without the ttouble of get-
ting. it. (Cheers.) They could not all be members
of Parliament even if they had votes, and the great
thing for them was to send men to Parliament who
would look to the general interests of the whole

country, and not to those of a mere party. (Loud
cheers, and " The £6 franchise.") He would tell
them that although he would not pledge himself to
oppose the extension of the franchise, he would not
promise to lower the franchise to £6. (CLeers and
disapprobation.) There were doubtless many pre-
sent who were not householders, and yet held re-

sponsible positions in society, and to these he should

like to give the franchise. He thought the lodger
franchise, as proposed in the scheme of Mr.

Disraeli, would be a very great boon, and he
had no doubt that it would increase the voters

_- -
by many hundreds and thousands. (ChePra.)
Many of them might have enjoyed this suffrage
but for the strong party feeling which existed

A vote of thanks to the chairman, Mr. Toomer,
was then proposed, and three cheers were given for
Capt. Walter, after which the meeting broke
up. The gallant captain was followed on his way
home from the hall to his hotel amid the con-
tinuous cheering of a highly enthusiastic and well-
behaved crowd.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, SATURDAY NIGHT.

The election here is expected to take place in the
first week in December. Since Thursday Mr. Peter
Carstairs and Mr. Peter A. Taylor, after having
pursued a tolerably close canvass, have returned to
London. Mr. Somerset Beaumont and his sup-
porters are still pursuing an active canvass ; and
they confidently state that his election is safe
against all corners. No doubt of the three liberal
candidates that gentleman at the present moment
is the most certain of the vacant seat. The Conser-
vatives have not shown their usual alacrity in tak-
ing advantage of the division among the Liberals.
A meeting of the conservative country gentry, it
is understood, has been held here to-day. The
Hon. A. Liddell, Sir Walter James, Mr. Cuthbert,
and some other country gentlemen have been men-
tioned as candidates ; but down to this evening
nothing positive as to the line of action likely to be
taken by the Conservatives has transpired. If they
do not bring a candidate out, Mr. Beaumont will
beat either of his oppsnents by a considerable ma-
jority ; but, even with the Cohservative opposed to
him, 'Air. Beaumont's friends are confident that he
will be returned.

THE MURDER 7N THE COUNTY OF

DURHAM.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, SATURDAY.
More particulars have come to light to-day with
regard to the cruel murder of the poor man Baty
on Monday night week. The police have found
the " Morgan rattler" with which Smith knocked
poor Baty down. The murderous instrument was
found in the Knob Ends Wood, between Winlaton
and Barlow, near the place where Armstrong parted
company with Smith the morning after the murder.
Some of the clothes, too, of the murdered man, and
of Smith, have also been found hidden in a field be-
tween Winlaton and Blaydon—Smith's trousers
and shoes, and Baty's coat and waistcoat. The other
portion of Baty's clothes Smith absconded with.
He had them on when he left Armstrong.
No further information of Smith's whereabouts
has been got. The last trace the police got of him
was at White•le-Head, near Tan toby, in the county
of Durham, where he slept all night on the Tuesday,
the day after the murder, at the house of a person
called Evans, who formerly belonged to Winlaton.
Smith worked as a pitman at Whitehaven, he
then came to Four Stones, near Hexham, and worked
there some time. Since he has been in this district
he has worked at several collieries in the Burnop-
field Pontop districts. He has latterly lived at
Blaydon, and worked for Mr. G. H. Ramsay, at
Shibdon colliery. He is rather a short man, but well
and powerfully built. His face is nearly "blue,"
having been severely burnt by an explosion of
gunpowder in one of the mines in which he was
working some years ago. He is well known in the
district as a daring resolute man, and an ardent
poacher. There is scarcely a wood or a field for
miles round with which he is not acquainted, and
if the police are not very expert in their move-
ments he will surely evade them. Although a pit-
man, he does not stick to that employment only,
as he can work as a sailor, a husbandman, or in any
ordinary description of labour. He began life as a
sweep. It is supposed he has made his way to
Whitehaven, Maryport, or some of the west coast
ports, with the view of getting off to sea.
The murder is still attracting great interest in
and around Winlaton, and the greatest anxiety is
evinced by all to have Smith caught, and any par-
ticipators he may have had, arrested.
The clothes that have been found must have been
placed in the spot where they have been got quite
recently, as some boys were catching birds there a
few days ago, and no clothes were there then.

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The inquest was opened this morning before Mr.
Alfred Carter, coroner, and a respectable jury, of
which Mr. C. H. Bracebridge, who accompanied
Miss Nightingale to the Crimea, was foreman.
Mr. Cleether, from the office of Mr; Carter, of
London, appeared as solicitor for the company, and
there were also present Mr. Cawkwell, traffic ma-
nager ; Mr. Dudley Parsons, goods manager ; and
Mr. Grew, district superintendent. Mr. Dudley
Baxter appeared on behalf of the friends of the
deceased.
The jury first proceeded to view the bodies, one
of which was at the Bull's Head, and the others at
the Queen's Head inn, Atherstone. They were
shockingly mutilated and hardly recognisable.
James Hambrook, the Erst witness examined,
said he lived at Holyhead, and supplied fodder to
the cattle owners. He identified the bodies of nine
of the men, who were drovers, and were in the
goods train at the time of the collision.
Edward Barber, driver of the mail train from
Glasgow to London, said he had been in the em-
ploy of the company. On Thursday night he went
from London to Rugby, and then went on to Staf-
ford. He brought the limited mail from Stafford
at 23 a, m. on Friday morning. That was the right
time to leave. He knew the deceased Jas. Cherry.
On arriving at Tamworth he found there was a
signal (red) to stop. He was apprised of there
being no train in advance before he left Stafford.
There were three signals at Tamworth. As soon
as he saw the red signal he reversed the engine and
nearly brought the train to a stand. That signal
(the auxiliary one) could be seen for 400 or 500
yards. He next noticed a white signal for him to
draw up at the station, and he did so. The limited
mail train always stopped at Tamworth. The
signals were on account of the Liverpool goods
shunting there. They took in water at Tamworth,
and after staying three minutes he saw the signal
of his guard to advance. He had no communica-
tion with any one at that station. The time they
left Tamworth was 1 58—one minute before the
right time.
Mr. Grew explained that the men were allowed
three minutes for attending to their engine, &c., at
Tamworth, but they were expected to go on as soon
as they were ready.
Witness continued—He observed no signal be-
tween Tamworth and Atherstone, but on reaching
the first curve he observed the signals were all
right, but he observed the red light turned on
about 30 yards before he reached the station, the
policeman waving his hand and lamp.
By the Jury—There was no light whatever on
the auxiliary signal, although there often was one.
James Cherry immediately applied the break.
Witness immediately reversed the engine in the
proper way, and he directly saw three lights
(red) in front of him—two side and one middle
lamp. The distance being so short he was unable
to stop the train. The distance would be about 100
yards- He did not jump off, and the collision in-
stantaneously took place. He was on the foot plate
when the engine struck the waggons. The engiLe
went over the guard's van and a second-class car-
riage containing the drovers, and one cattle truck.
The engine overturned bn the embankment, and
he had a narrow escape with his life. When he
first saw the signal they were proceeding at the rate
of 45 miles, and on seeing the train he had slack-
ened to 30 miles an hour. It was not usual to
slacken on leaving the station, unless the road was
oat of order.
By a Juryman—He had no intimation at Tam-
worth of their being a cattle train a head. The
cattle train was a special train. He was generally
told when there was a train in the way. He saw
the night foreman at Tamworth, but he did not
say anything. The auxiliary signal showed no
light at all on this occasion, and that was the rea-
son he did not apprehend any danger. The stoker
disappeared at the time of the accident.
Charles Henry Garlick said he was a guard in
the employ of the London and North-Western Rail-
way Company, and had been so for about four years.
Re joined the limited mail at 11.14 p.m. on the
night prior to the accident, and everything went
on right till they got to Tamworth, when they saw
the red auxiliary signal, which was subsequently
turned white, and the train was accordingly taken
!nto the station. Here they received the mailbags,
and saw Moorcroft, the platform inspector, who
had charge of the station during the night. He
made no communication about a train being in ad-
vance, nor did they receive any intimation to that
effect. Moorcroft signalled the train to go on, and
it did so. They saw nothing until they got past
the Atherstone station, where he saw the policeman
or pointsman waving a light to and fro. There
was no auxiliary signal. Witness used both his
hands and feet in order to apply the break, but
the collision immediately took place, and he be-
came insensible. The first man he saw after he
was taken out was the engine-driver. One of the
passengers taken cut of the cattle train had a gold
watch on, and he saw some one take it off his per-
son, but he could not say who it was. He (witness)
was chief guard, and Jas. Porter was under guard.
James Porter deposed that no instructions were
given at Tamworth with respect to any danger
ahead. He saw a white light before passing the
main signal at Atherstone, but he was not aware
that signal was an auxiliary one. He was in the
break, but he was not very much hurt. This was
the second week he had been on the line, but he
had been employed as porter at Weedon, in North•
amptonshire.
Mr. Cleather explained that there were two
white lights on the Tamworth side of Atherstone,
and that might account for witness not knowing
which was the auxiliary signal.
John Matta, driver of the goods train, said he
had acted in the capacity of " extra enginedriver"
since the 29th of March last, and for the last
four months "regular driver." He left Stafford
at 12.18 on Friday morning with the cattle train.
It consisted of 31 carriages, 26 being cattle trucks.
There were also a guard's break, drovers' carriage,
and three trucks of goods. The goods were next to
the engine, the cattle next to the goods and the
drovers' van, the guard's break following next.
Charles Clarke was the fireman. The first station
they stopped at after leaving Stafford was Tam-
worth, which they reached at 1.25, remaining 10
minutes there for the purpose of taking in water.
He had some conversation with Moorcroft about
leaving, and he said, " Get out of the road," wit-
ness understanding by that he was to get out
of the way of the train behind. Witness said
he would go as soon as his mate had fetched a
shovelfull of sand, and Moorcroft said, " Oh, there's
plenty of time; there's 20 minutes." Witness re-
plied that it was a slippery night, but he would do
his best to get to Nuneaton. Moorcroft said he was
to go on and shunt at Nuneaton.
By the Foreman—Moorcroft, being the official in
charge, was the proper person to tell him to go on,
and he went on half a minute after receiving the
order.

Witness continued—The mail train was due at
Tamworth at 1 56. There were 22 minutes to spare,
according to Moorcroft s statement. The first mile
and a half the engine slipped, and then went very
well. The first three miles of the journey from
Tamworth occupied 12 minutes by his watch. It
was 2 5 when he arrived at Atherstone. It would

under ordinary circumstances take 25 minutes for
such a train to go from Tamworth to Atherstone,
and, being so closely followed by the limited mail,
he intended to shunt at Atherstone, and shouted
out to the policeman that he would do so. He
knew the limited mail was due, but there was no
particular time for it to pass. The pointsman said
" All right." Witness stopped the train, and the
policeman turned the points, and signalled him to
shunt. He then backed the train, and got about

five yards on the siding when he saw the mail. He
said to his mate, the stoker, " The mail's into us,"