The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-27 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

WHAT IS OBSTRUCTING A LINE ?---This was the questior
raised in a case at the Kingston Assizes, before Mr.
Justice Byles. Two respectable-looking boys, named
Songey and Butterworth, the one 16, the other only 12,
were indicted in various counts for unlawful!• obstructing
the line of a railway, or causing it to be obstructed, and
endangering, or causing to be endangered, the safety of
the passengers in trains upon the line. The boys, it
appeared, from a mere idle frolic and no idea of
mischief, took out of a box by the side of the line a red
flag, and put it up to the signal post. Had a train come
by it would have stopped on account of this signal. No
train did come by. however, and the learned judge observed
that it appeared that in point of fact there was no obstruc-
tion of the line, though there might have been ; and the
statute required, in or ter to create the offence, that there
should have been an obstruction actually caused. The
boys were then charged with attempting to obstruct, hut
his lordship again remarked that felonious intent must be
proved, and the boys did nut seem to have known what
the effect of their frolic might be. Under these circum-
stances they were acquitted.

SENTENCE OF DEATIL-At the Liverpool Assizes, OL
Thursday, Thomas Quigley was tried on a charge of having
murdered his wife on the ISth December last. The case
was one exhibiting the utter brutality of the prisoner. His
wife now and then took, as she admitted when dying, a
glass or two too much, and for that, as she supposed, he
had often beaten her. On the night of the 18th December
last, when she was quite sober, he beat her with a poker
and with a broken chair so severely that she died soon after
in the hospital. He left Liverpool, and was captured in
Holland. A verdict of guilty was returned, and he was
sentenced to death.

THE MARQUIS OP TOWNSHEND AT THE POLICE•COURT
AGAIN.—The Marquis Townshend has again come before
the metropolitan magistrates, this time at Marylebone, on
a charge of assault. The noble lord, it appears, was
solicited by the aunt of a girl in the service of a Mr. Pitt,
to get the girl away from her master. Mr. Pitt had
opened the girl's (Esther Grover's) letters because they
were addressed to "Miss" Grover, it being, in his opinion,
unbecoming in her to accept such a title. Esther Grover
resented the liberty, and gave notice to leave, but Mr. Pitt
refused to allow her. The aunt therefore applied to the
Marquis, who, without sending in his card, and indeed
hardly announcing himself, passed by Mr. Pitt, and,
pushing him aside, went down into the kitchen and
brought away the girl. This constituted the assault com-
plained of, and the Marquis apologising, the charge was
dismissed. Arr. Pitt was then charged with assaulting
Esther Grover, and the charge having been proved he was
fined 20s. and costs.

Four arrests were made at Cork on Thursday
for Fenianism. The prisoners' names are Ferris, Coughlan,
Griffin, and Adams. Ferris has only just returned from
America. The arrests are deemed important.

DESTRUCTION OP A COTTON MILL.—On Thursday
morning, Denton Bridge Mill, near Sowerby Bridge, was
destroyed by fire. The loss is estimated as upwards of
£5.000.

The friends of Mr. Johnston, in Belfast, are
acting strictly on his advice to them not to permit his
incarceration to interfere with his chalices of election,
should a vacancy occur in the representation of that town.
Ward committees, to canvass the electors on his behalf,
have been formed, and other steps taken for carrying ont
his recommendation, or, more properly speaking, his
appeal to the Orange portion of the constituency.

REPRESENTATION OF WESTMINSTER.—At a com-
bined meeting of the Westminster Conservative and London
and Westminster Working Men's Associations, held on
Thursday evening at their offices, 4, Victoria-street,
Viscount Nevill in the chair, it was unanimously resolved
that a requisition be immediately prepared to Mr. W. H.
Smith asking him to stand as a candidate for the city at
the next election.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT. —About five o'clock on
Thursday morning an accident occurred on the Great
Eastern Railway, near Park Station. Several trucks
laden with coals were overturned, and being dragged on by
the engine to which they were attached, tore up the rails
for some length. Several men were set to work to clear
the line and to make it ready again for traffic, which was
effected in about two hours.

The statement of the Earl of Mayo, in the House
of Commons, has led to an inquiry into the manner in
which Mr. Johnston is treated in Down Gaol. " A letter
of inquiry," the Erening Mail says, "was received by the
governor from the Inspector-General of Prisons, requiring
a statement as to what relaxations have been made in the
prisoner's favour by the Board of Superintendence. This
was probably caused by Lord Mayo's erroneous state.
anent the other night. The governor, it is understood,
wrote to say that practically no relaxation of the rules had
been made in Mr. Johnston's favour, and that the only
request he had made, which was to be allowed to see his
wife otherwise than in the ` cage,' had been refused. Mr.
Johnston has no complaint to make of the prison officials,
who are all as kind zs is at all consistent with their
duty."