The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-06 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES.

The meeting which was inaugurated at Harrow was an
indisputable success, and Mr. Topham will, I presume,
have little cause to regret his racing venture in that locality.
Although it is difficult to prognosticate the future of newly
established gatherings, yet the manner in which things
passed off at Uxendon inclines me to regard the ultimate
success of Mr. Topham's project as a certainty. The course is
very beautifully situated, and from its elevated situation
visitors ware enabled to enjoy• a rare prospect of the sur-
rounding landscape. Cockneydom was powerfully repre-
sented, and along the lanes streamed such an enormous
number of " Hansoms" that I began to wonder if there
were any of that class of vehicles left to accommodate
the citizens left behind in the modern Babylon. The
"fields" were not particularly strong, but the animals who
took part in the different encounters were of a somewhat
superior "class." Mr. T. Stevens's clever little colt, Ar-
dour, won in his old style, but people were rather surprised
to see Newcastle no nearer the front at the finish. To-day is
the grand day at Harrow, and in all probability it will
be crowned with a success even superior to that which
characterised the proceedings yesterday.
Bedford, Hereford, and Richmond commence to-morrow,
but :the attention of turfites will be almost exclusively
directed to the meeting on the Home Circuit. Joyeuse,
despite her 31b. penalty, ought to win the Bedford Two-
Year-Old Stakes, and I think old Romeo may be
able to beat the very moderate lot left in the Bedfordshire
Stakes ; if he is beaten, it will probably be by Neva. The
Produce Stakes I award to Queen Charlotte ; Fractious
and The Speaker look as well in as anything for the Surrey.
The other items at this ducal meeting are unclosed.

I expect to see Lucia, della Robbia victorious for the
Hereford Handicap ; the Express Handicap lies be-
tween Apollo and Clara Webster—my preference is for the
former. Table Bay or Linda ought to win 'the Nursery,
and Misty Morn the Cup. The result of the Licensed
Victuallers' Plate and the Juvenile Handicap Plate will
depend upon previous running.
The Richmond meeting is the last of the Yorkshire
series this season, and it will, doubtless, be a very success-
ful affair. Cornlylro' or Dacrow may win the Richmond
Handicap, Shafto, if meant, ought to win one of his races
at least. A FRESH MAN.

THE LATE FATAL RAILWAY ACCI-
DENT NEAR DUDLEY. •

SPECIAL VERDICT OF THE JURY.
BRIERLEY MILL, TUESDAY.

The jury empannelled as to the deaths of the 13
persons killed by the collision which took place be-
tween the Brettel-lane and Round-oak stations of
the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Rail-
way on 23d August, reassembled yesterday for the
seventh time, for the purpose of concluding their
investigation, at the Bell Inn at this place.
It had been arranged, after the termination of the
evidence on Thursday last, that the coroner should
read through the voluminous depositions, and that
after that the inquiry should'be adjourned till two
this afternoon, when he would proceed to sum up
the evidence.
At the hour appointed the jury reassembled, and
Mr. Sheriff, general manager; Mr. E. Wilson, en-
ineer ; Mr. W. T. Adcock, secretary ; with Mr.
Wood, of the general manager's office, and other
authorities of the company, together with Mr. King
of the firm of Collis, Bernard, and King, of Stour-
bridge, were present, as were also the several legal
gentlemen who had been watching the inquiry on
behalf of the relatives and friends of the deceased
parties. - _

The Coroner, on taking his seat, inquired if Cooke
the guard of the excursion train, was in attendance,
and being answered in the affirmative, Cooke was
called before the jury.,
The Coroner addressing him said—You are called
before the jury, and it is my duty to ask you if von
have any other statement to make in addition to
the evidence you have already given, and which has
been read. over to you. If have it will' zie taken
down by me inwriting, ana May be used as evidence
against you at your trial, if it should be7rriy duty
to commit you, and if the jury should find you
guilty.
Cooke replied that he had nothing to add to the
eviO.Lence he had already given.
The Coroner then proceeded to address the jury.
He remarked that he had to thank them for the
great patience they had bestowed upon this very
painful investigation, which he doubted not would
prove to the benefit of the public at large. Ile
should detain them as short a time as possible in
recapitulating the evidence which had been pre-
sented to their notice. It appeared that on the 23d
of August last Mr. Sheriff, the general manager of
the Oxford, Worcester; and Wolverhampton Com-
pany, issued a placard signed by his name for an
excursion of school children, their parents, and
teachers, from Wolverhampton to Worcester, at a
shilling less than the usual fare, and that a great
number .of people other than the parents and
teachers availed themselves of the excursion. Mr.
Sheriff in his evidence stated that all the minor
points in .connection with the excursion train and
its passage to and from Worcester were entrusted
to Mr. Adcock, the secretary and superintendent,
and Mr. Harris, his assistant. The coroner then
proceeded to recapitulate the evidence relating to
the morning journey from Wolverhampton to Wor-
cester, when the coupling irons of some of the car
riages were represented as having broken twic
during that journey. He then referred to the se-
paration of the train on the return journey from
`Worcester in the evening—the first portion of the
train, consisting of 28 carriages and a break van,
and the latter portion of 16 carriages and a break
van. Having detailed their. course up to the point
of the collision between the Round-oak and Brettel- •
lane stations, when the coupling-irons separated,
permitting 14 or 15 carriages and break to run down
the incline, he proceeded to observe that it was his
duty to beg of them to dismiss from their minds any
prejudice of whatever description which they might
have heard out of doors with reference to the sub-
ject of the inquiry. He would, however, observe,
in reference to the quality of the iron, that it had.
been stated in evidence that the iron was of fhir
quality of which the shackles were composed, and
through which the accident happened at Round-
oak. It was, he must say, strongly asserted by
scientific men of great experience, that Cooke had
not his break on in proper time after leaving the
ROund-oak station, and which, had it been so,
would have prevented the lamentable occurrence ;
stud, consequently, would have obviated the neces-
sity of the jury being present on such a painful in-
quiry. He must, however, tell them that if Cooke-
did not put on his break in the ordinary perform-
ance of his duty as guard on that occasion, a ver-
dict of manslaughter must be returned against him.
It was, however, for them to consider whether the
evidence led to such a conclusion.

The jury then, at four o'clock, retired, and at
half-past six returned a verdict of manslaughter
against Cooke, the guard. The following appendix
was also agreed to by nine of the jury, and dis-
sented from by five :—" The jury, in giving their_.
verdict in this very important inquiry, teel they
-are called upon to deliver their opinion,- and in the -
performance- of their :duty to the public
,to, pro-
nounce their opinion as to the general manage-
ment of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhamp-
ton Railway, derived from the official evidence that
has been produced before them on- this occasion—
namely, that of gross insubordinate conduct on the
part of their station-master, in the apparent uncon-
cern of the higher authorities thereto, that suffi-
cient care is not used in selecting the materials,
such as chains, shackles, &c., and also as to
quality and workmanship. That from the
apparent irresponsibility of officials of the com-
pany, from the highest teP the lowest, it
is the opinion of the jury that a suffi-
cient number of servants are not employed at their -
various stations for the safety and comfort of the
public. The jury also censure in the strongest
terms the practice of allowing the public to ride in
the second-class break carriages, where the break
is exposed to the use of passengers, and unprotected
by any servant of the company."
The Coroner stated that he could only receive
the verdict of manslaughter, and could only enter
that on the requisition. Ile. accordingly issued his
warrant for the apprehension of Cooke, who, being
in attendance, was immediately taken into:cutody.
The Coroner then adjourned the Court until four
. o'clock to-morrow (this day) for the purposelof
having the requisition signed by the jury.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

om the Registrar-Gencrars Rettt;•n.)

The deaths in London, which had fallen consider-
ably below a thousand in the previous week, rose
in the week ending last Saturday, Oct. 2, to 1021.
In the ten years 1848-57 the average number of
deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week
was 1284 ; and as the number now returned oc-
curred in an increased population, and the average,
if raised in proportion to that increase, becomes
1412, a rate of mortality diminished to the extent
shown by a comparison of these numbers will ap-
pear an eminently favourable result. If, however,
the excess of deaths that arose in epidemic seasons
is withdrawn from the above average, the compa-
rison will still give a reduction of 240, to show that
the present time is unusually healthy.
Sixty-three districts of England in which the
mortality is least have been selected, and their
average rate of mortality in the last three months
of the year has been ascertained. If the deaths in
London last week had been according to the
" healthy rate" thus obtained, and which it is use-
ful to adopt as a standard, they would have been
770 ; and the actual excess, or the number of un-
natural deaths, is 251.
It is to be regretted that scarlatina shows a con-
stant, though not a rapid increase. During four
weeks that have elapsed since the weekly deaths from
it rose above 100, the numbers have been consecu-
tively- 115, 118, 125, and (last week) 134. Of these
134 there occurred 11 under one year of age, 18 at
one year, 19 at two years, the same number at three.
21 at four, 37 at five, 5 at ten and under fifteen, 4
at twenty years and upwards. To take a few of the
sub-districts where scarlatina appears to be most
prevalent, there were 8 deaths from it in Islington
West, 7 in Lizehouse; 6 in Bow, and 5 in St. Peter,
Walworth.

Of 40 deaths registered last week, and placed in
the tables to violence, 30 were accidental, 4 were 15
suicide, and no fewer than 6 by murder or man-
slaughter. Of these last 5 were the deaths of infants.
Of nonagenarians in the present returns 3 were
men, and of these the oldest had attained the
.age

of 9t years.
Last week the births of 861 boys and 865 girls,
in all 1,726 children were registeredin London. In
the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1848-57
the average number was 1,571.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.942 in.
On the first three days the mean daily reading was
above 30 in. The highest reading was 30.36 in.,
and the lowest 29.47 in. The mean temperature of
the week was 57.6 deg., which is 3.6 deg. above
the average of the same week in 43 years. The
highest point attained by the thermometer in the
shade was 71.8 deg. on Wednesday lowest
point was 40.1 dcg. on Friday. The entire range
of the week was 31.7 deg. The mean daily range
was 16.3 deg. The range of temperature on Monday
and Tuesday was remarkably small—namely, 9.9
deg. on the former day, and 6.7 deg. on the latter.
On Friday it was 25.3 deg. The difference between
meanfr from
ofn the the
the mean dew-point temperature and air tempera-
ture was 6.4 dc g• The mean temperature
iegn.d
Thel
Nv
de-
greewat of water of
utinleiiTlihtyamweassw7aBs.
south-west on every day except Wednesday. No
b
rain fell, except a little of Wednesdav,ni ht and
Thursday morning, tpountiiig to 0.06 in, g