The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-11 00:00:00

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PRICE 4D• STAMPED, 5D

FATAL caurs. row ON THE. EASTERN
COUNTIES RAIL

NEWMARKET, SUNDAY NIGHT.
Shortly before twelve o'clock last-night a collision
of a somewhat singular though painful nature; took
- place on the Newmarket branch of • the-Eastern
Counties Railway, by which one of 'th©_ eompany'S
guards was killed on .the spot, and another received
most severe injuries,- placing his life, as we are
given to understand, in imminent danger.
From certain circumstances our reporter found
some difficulty in obtaining a full account of the
details of the melancholy affair; but the subjoined
particulars, gathered. on the spot, will give thel
principal facts of the case. Owing to the ap-
proaching races at Newmarket, the company
have been called upon to convey 'a large number
of horses to- that place to meet their engage-
ments, and consequently as each train discharged
its freight the empty horse boxes were sent back
to the Shoreditch terminus, for the purpose
of taking a fresh batch down. These empty
trains, which have been run as often as the ordinary
arrangements of the line would permit, have been
kept running for the greater part of last week, and
even up to so late as near midnight yesterday, and
it was to one of these trains that the, mishap oc-
curred. It would appear that the train, consisting
of a large number of carriages, arrived at Newmar-
ket last evening, and having discharged its cargo,
started back for the purpose of proceeding to Shore-
ditch at a few minutes after 11 o'clock. The train
passed through Dallingham without anything par-
ticular taking place ; but on nearing the Six-mile
Bottom station the officials in charge heard some-
thing approaching it from behind, and every means
were brought into requisition to give some notifi-
cation to the driver of what proved itself to be a
train, but to no avail, for when within a short dis-
tance of Six-mile Bottom the empty train was run
into by the other, which turned out to be a goods
train which had come up from Newmarket.
. Happily the first tram was empty, there being
no persons in the train but those officials who were
necessary to work it up to town. These consisted
of the engine-driver and. his fireman and two guards
named Charles Titmarsh and. Dickerson. The
other train, too, was fortunately a goods one, and,
•therefore, as in the case of the other train, very few
persons were in it. Had it been otherwise the con-
sequences must have been most fearful ;
.in fact, we
should in all probability have had to chronicle an-
other of those fearful calamities the inquiry into
which has just been brought to a termination. An-
other fortunate circumstance was that the.'
goods train. was. only partially loaded, it
,being made up for the greater part with empty coal
trucks ; therefore the force with which it ran into
the other train must have been considerably
lessened. As it was,. one of the guards of the first
train lost. his life, and the other sustained grievous
bodily injuries. As soon as possible after the colli-
sion the drivers of the respective trains made an
examination into the state of affairs, and it was
found that the engine of the goods train had run
into the break van of the, horse-box train, in which
were Titmarsh and Dickerson,- both of whom.were
much disfigured. Titmarsh was found to be quite
dead, but Dickerson, although severely injured., was
yet alive. The body of the . unfortunate man was
conveyed to the inn nearest the Six-mile Bottom
Station, and Dickerson was placed under the
attendance of several medical gentlemen residing
in the neighbourhood; and who hearing of the catas-
trophe at once hastened to the spot to render what
aid. they Could.
Information, was sent to town, and the superin-
tendent of the line, accompanied. by other officials of
the company, repaired to the scene of the catas-
trophe for the purpose of making an investigation
into its case. The coroner for the district has also
been infornied of the occurrence,- and this evening
has issued his warrant *or a jury to be empannelled
to inquire into the circumstances which led to the
death of the guard ; and on the assembling of the
jury no doubt 'the whole matter will be fully'sifted.
Pending this inquiry we forbear giving any opinion
as to the cause of the accident ; but we might say
that it is currently reported that the usual tail
'lights were not attached to' the rear of the first
train, and therefore the engine-driver of the _second
was not aware that
.he was so close on the other
train until the moment of collision. ThiS, T how
ever; and the question as to why, the goods train
was allowed to leave at so short a period after the
other, will be matters for the consideration of the
jury. Another rumour is thot the driver of the
second train disregarded the signals, and it is even
stated that they were pointed out to him by his
fireman. Both the unfortunate guards were mar-
ried, but Titmarsh had only been so a 'few days,
while the other has a large family:

THE FRAUDS IN THE WHISKY TRADE.

Edward Thurgood, described as a surgeon, and
John Riley, an agent, were brought up for final
examination, before Alderman Sidney, at tie
Guildhall, on Saturday, charged with conspiring to
defraud Mr. Christie, a spirit-broker, of Liverpool,
of 19 hogsheads and one puncheon of whisky—
value about £300._

Mr. Wontner appeared for the prosecution Mr.
Sleigh attended for Thurgood, and Mr. Robinson
for Riley.
The evidence taken at the last examination hiv-
ing been read over by the chief clerk, Leonard, a
detective officer, was called, and' said—Since the
last hearing of this case I have been to Thurgood's
lodgings, and found there five one-gallon jars of
whisky and one two-gallon jar.
Mr. Wontner—That is the case for the prosecu-
tion ; and I have therefore to ask you to send these
parties for trial for conspiracy.
Mr. Sleigh said if he had the slightest intima-
tion of the magistrate's opinion of the case, as to
his intention with regard to the prisoners, he would
not occupy the time of the court unnecessarily if
any observations of his would have no effect upon
the worthy alderman's view of the case.
Alderman Sidney he had come to the conclusion,
upon the evidence before him, that this was a case
that should be sent to a jury to determine.
Mr. Sleigh said in that case he would adopt the
course that he always pursued under the circum-
stances, but at the same time he might remark that
much irrelevant matter had been imported into the
case, which, on being inquired into elsewhere,
would throw a very different aspect upon the whole
matter.
Mr. Robinson said he could hardly think the
magistrate had quite made up his mind upon such
a serious matter, and he therefore drew attention
to the bona fide character of all Riley's proceed-
ings, which he contended were inconsistent with a
guilty participation in the offence charged.
Mr. Wontner said as this was a charge of con-
spiring to obtain goods by false pretences, the
magistrate might, in his discretion, refuse to accept
bail. The prosecution had,been pestered with daily
notices of bail, and the officer had been constantly
employed inquiring into the stability of persons
who were found to be not qualified, and he there-
fore hoped that for the ends of justice the prisoners
might be kept in custody until the trial.
Mr. Robinson said Riley had not offered bail, and
he contended that the original charge of obtaining
goods under false pretences had been abandoned on
the charge of conspiracy being preferred, and he
therefore trusted the alderman would not deprive
him of his right to bail under the present charge.
Mr. Sleigh—Though a very unfair proceeding on
the part of the prosecution, to seek to deprive
Thurgood of his liberty at a time when he was pre-
pared with good and substantial bail, by reviving
the original charge, which would then leave the
question of bail entirely at the magistrate's discre-
tion, at a future time he should prove that Thur.
good's character was very different to what it had
been represented.
Alderman Sidney then said, in his judgment he
had but one course open to him to pursue, from the
evidence adduced against them. He had given
great attention to this case, and he thought it his
bounden duty to commit the prisoners for trial.
The prisoners reserved their defence.
Alderman Sidney said, with regard to bail, the
practice of this court had hitherto been, in such
cases, not to accept bail, and he could not depart
from that rule.
The prisoners were then fully committed for trial.

DETERMINED SUICIDE IN THE CITY.—On Satur-
day morning, at half-past 6 o'clock, a most determined
suicide was committed by Maria Drew, aged 28 years, re-
siding in Giltspur-street, Smithfield. It appears that the
deceased, who was in the employment of Mr. Jefferys,
dentist, in the before-mentioned locality, had formed an at-
tachment to a young man holding a situation in a mercantile
house in the (ity. During the past week the deceased had
been in a low and desponding sta to of mind, through her in-
tended having discarded her for the sake of another, leaving
her enceinte ; and on her sister going downstairs she found
the poor girl in the water-butt, with her heels uppermost.
An alarm was instantly raised, when police-constable Kett,
N 291, was immediately on the spot, and took the deceased
out in her night clothes. A medical man was called and
promptly attended ; he used every means to restore anima-
tion, but without effect.