The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-12 00:00:00

TANDEM DRIVING.-A COLLISION ON

THE ROAD.

At the Ramsgate petty sessions on. Monday, Ed-
ward Packer, a carrier, appeared to answer a sum-
mons charging him with having, on the 27th ult.,
wilfully destroyed a hat, value 118., the property
of May Osmund Alonzo Durant. Defendant
pleaded not guilty.
The complainant deposed—On the 27th Decem-
ber last I was driving a tandem from Margate down
King-street, not far from this place. When I drew
near Cullen's public-house I saw three carts, and as
I came up defendant drew his abreast of the other
one and obstructed me by completely blocking up
the road. I asked him to go on, when he challenged
me to fight and swore at me. He used such language
as I seldom hear. In order to get past him I had to
draw up on the footway, the nave ofmy wheel nearly
going through a shop NI indow. My boy's hat then
name off—how I cannot tell, for I had enough to do
to manage my horses ; the leader had been in har-
ness only a few times. The Yalu:: of the hat is lls.
I am quite sure there were three carts in a line,
with two black horses in each. Defendant was in
charge of the hindmost one, and as I came up he
pulled abreast of the others. I had said nothing
to him before. The lad had blown his horn pre-
viously, to let him know I was coming. I pulled
up a little lower down, and the boy went after his
hat. I returned in half an hour afterwards, and
the carts were still there. Had the lady who was
with me screamed, an accident would have hap-
pened.
Benjamin Edgar—l am servant to Captain
Durant. I was with my master on the 27th of
December last in King-street. He was driving a
tandem. The defendant caught hold of our
" wheeler" and " threatened" my master to fight.
My master drove on, but the defendant brought his
cart forward and stopped my master's going on.
He got past by getting on to the footway. I
think it was the jerk of the cart that knocked my
hat off. I got oft' while the carriage was still going
on. As I got to the hat the defendant jumped on
it, and kicked it under the cart, which I ran under
and fetched it. The hat produced is the one that
,he kicked. My master was driving a lady in the
gig. My master asked defendant to shift. The
latter replied, " D—d if he would." Defendant
was coming up the street and had time to pass. I
blew the horn, and defendant looked at me. My
master cracked his whip over defendant's horses'
heads.

•
After some further evidence,
George Wm. Cullen deposed—l am landlord of
the Duchess of Kent Inn, King-street, in this town.
About noon on Monday last I was standing at my
bar, around which there were some seven or
eight persons. Defendant and his cousin came
in with some two or three others, and called for
a quart of beer, which I served. Defendant was
the first person who drank it; as soon as he had
done so he left the house. About two or three
minutes afterwards I heard a horn blow, and some
person in front of the bar said, " Hero comes the
madman." Having my curiosity raised, I went to
the door. I then saw the complainant near the
Elephant and Castle, or thereabouts. I think the
horn must have been blown before he got there.
He was coming at the rate of 12 miles an hour
when I went to the door. There were two carts
standing just below my door laden with beach. The
defendant was drawing his cart into the centre of.
the road, and was in the act of passing the foremost
cart, when the complainant drove close up to him
and said, " D--- your eyes, get out of the road ;
you have no business here." Defendant replied,
it, I can't ;" upon which complainant
slashed his whip and struck defendant's horse,
which was a very spirited one. Defendant was
then holding his horse's head. Complainant drew
upon the footpath and passed the cart, slashing, his
whip, and struck a lad named Wood, by which
action he knocked off the lad's hat. He was then
going at such a speed that he could not pull up
until he got near the Bell Inn—a considerable dis-
tance. He returned again, and taking up a flint
stone endeavoured to scratch out a name on de-
fendant's cart, after which he went away. There
were a great number of persons present at the time
it happened. I saw the hat kicked about by several
persons, but I swear that the defendant never
touched it. There was no time for the defendant

to get by before the complainant was upon him.
The magistrates retired, and after a short con-
sultation returned, when Mr. Crofton said—The
question before the court is,—has this hat been
injured, and if so, who has done it ? Now, it has
been proved by the evidence of three witnesses (one
certainly more in favour of the defendant than any
one else) that defendant was seen meddling with
the hat, and the bench are of opinion that he is the
party who damaged the hat. and he must therefore
pay 1 ls. and the costs, 19s. 6d., or be committed
to the House of Correction for 21 days.
Defendant applied for time, and was allowed
three weeks to pay it.
The Rev. G. G. Sicklemore said—Capt. Durant,

now that the case is over, allow me to say a few
words respecting the rapid speed at which you
drive through the town. It behoves every one,
whatever his station in life, to be very careful how
he.drives through the narrow streets of a town like
this, in order to prevent accidents to life and limb.
It is but a short time since I myself saw two ladies
nearly knocked down by your servant, who was
riding, and who apparently had not got his horse
under control. Being a magistrate myself, I ant
not fond of laying informations, but I asked mySelf
the question whether I was not wrong in so 'doing.
Captain Durant-I have driven through the most
crowded places and never yet knocked any on©
down.
The Rev. Mr. Sicklemorc—l do not doubt your
abilities as a " whip," but I do hope that you will
be very careful.
Captain Durant assured him that he, would
check the boy.
We understand that the defendant's neighbours
have commenced a subscription to, defray tho.liue
and costs.—Kentish Gazette.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND GREENWICH.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the office, Gresham-house, Old
Broad-street ; Air. J. Wilson in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN read the statement of accounts,
which showed a balance from the last half-year of
£429. To this was added £22,500, the half-year's
rental of the railway due on the 31st of December
last, £6 transfer fees, and £l4B balance of interest
account, making a total of £23,803. From this sum
was deducted £10,206 for interest on bonds and
preference shares, £7 10s. annuity to J. Nash, £lB7
10s.for stamp and commission on a bond for £50,000,
£396 expenses of management, and £261 income-
tax, leaving a balance of £12,025.

The CII:tIRMAN moved a formal resolution ap-
proving the statement of accounts, and declaring a
dividend for the past half-year on the ordinary
shares of the company of ss. 6d. per share, clear of
income-tax.

The resolution was adopted unanimously.
In reply to a question from Mr. Maclaurin, it
was stated that £50.000 of borrowed money at 4t
per cent. per annum became due in the course of the
past half-year, and was repaid by £50,000 obtained.
by the directors on bond at 4 per cent. por annum
for 50 years. The saving in interest would be £125
per annum, but the stamps and commission for com-
pleting the transaction amounted to £lB7.
Mr. MACLAURIN thought they might have bor-
rowed the money from their own shareholders at 4
per cent. without the cost of commission.
The election by the directors of Mr. It. Kynaston
to a seat at the board was confirmed, and having
then retired by rotation, he was unanimously re-
elected. Mr.` J. Pilchard was also re-elected, and
after a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting
separated.