The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-24 00:00:00

THAMES.

William Robinson, a coal whipper, aged 28, was
brought before Mr Ingham, charged with attempt-
ing to murder Lydia Short, a woman about 30 years
of age, who was led into the court with her head
bandaged, and in a very weak state from loss of
blow].

The prisoner, a malicious, savage fellow, has been
frequently in custody-for,assaults- and outrages, and
came out of prison last Saturday. He was suspected
of murdering a woman • named Caroline Willis, who
died under suspicious circumstances, and on whom a
coroner's inquest was held two years ago.
The prosecutrix, in a low tone of voice, said that
she lived at 10, Taverner's-walk, Shad weil, and had
cohabited with the prisoner for some time. On S -
turday night they quarrelled in consequence of a
friend of hers, a young man, coming to see her. The
prisoner asked her if she was going to sleep wish him?
and she said she was not, and there was a sailor up-
stairs, and she was going to stay with him. The
prisoner asked her to turn him out, and she said she
would not. The prisoner forced her into another
bedroom, and threatened and commenced beating
her. She struck him twice, and he took up a knife
and drew it across her head, and inflicted a dreadful
wound. Tne blood gushed forth in torrents, and she
fell down from weakness and swooned away. (The
woman, who looked very ghastly and was very faint,
was then conducted to a seat near the witness-box.)
The prisoner, who was much excited, said he gave
" his veiU' (the prosecutrix) 4s. out of 6s. which he
had received on Saturday, and she got what she
wanted for housekeeping with the money. When he
came home late on Satarday night, and not seeing her
down stairs, he asked where Lydia was, and the wo-
man below refused to tell him. Hearing a noise in a
room above he went upstairs, where there were two
men—a white sailor and a black sailor, whom she in-
tended to rob. He made her come down stairs, and
asked her if she was going to sleep with the white
man upstairs, and she said that the " darky " was
right for 6s. if he (the prisoner) had not spoiled it.
He told her to go into her own room, and she said
she would not, and threw a plate at him, and in the
senile which took place some images and a teaplt
were broken, and she fell against the edging of a
wainscot and cut her head open. She was very drunk
at the time.

The prosecutrix was recalled, and said she was
was not quite sober, but she was certain that the pri-
soner cut her head with a knife. She had cohabited
with him at different times for eight years.
Two women of questionable character and appear-
ance gave evidence of the quarrel, which arose in con-
sequence of the prosecutrix expressing her intention
of sleeping with the sailor, and said they fuund the
prisoner holding up Lydia Short, who was bleeding
profusely, and he said she had done it herself with a
teapot.

&lr. Daniel Ross, a surgeon of High-street, Shad-
well, was called into the station-house on Sunday
morning at one o'clock, and found the woman in a
state of syncope. There was a wound on the right
temple above two inches in length, completely divid-
ing the temporal artery. The woman lost a large
quantity of blood, and all her clothes were completely
saturated with it.

In answer to questions by Mr. INGHAM, the witness
said the wound was an incised one, a clean cut. The
sharp edge of a broken plate or teapot might have in-
flicted such a wound.

Stockley and Button, police comtables, said they
found a large clasp knife on the prisoner, and disco-
vered the remains of a broken image an a broken
teapot in the room where the woman received the
wound. There was no blood on any portion of them.
They raw nothing of a broken plate.

Mr. ROS 3 examined the knife very closely, and
said there was no blood upon it at all. The wound
might have been inflicted with it.
Mr. INGuam said, the edges of the broken pieces of
teapot were jagged, and be should not think it likely
the wound was inflicted with any of them.
Mr. Ross said he could not at present say what
would be the consequence of the wound. Erysipelas
might ensue.

Mr. INGIIAU—Then I shall remand the prisoner
for a week.

THE DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON

THE EASTERN COUN'T'IES RtkILWAV.

BRENTWOOD, MONDAY EYENING.—This afternoon,
at one o'clock, Mr. Lewis, the coroner for the western
division of Essex, resumed the inquiry into the cir-
cumstances connected with the death of the nine un-
fortunate persons who were killed on the Eastern
Counties Railway on Thursday morning last.
Mr. Glynn and Mr. Ellis, two of the directors of
the company, Mr. P. Ashcroft, superintendent of
works; Mr. G. Richardson, the coaching superinten.
dent; Mr. Gooch, locomotive superintendent; and
Mr. Roney, the secretary, were present, for the pur-
pose of giving evidence if required.
Mr. Maynard, of the firm of Crowder and May-
nard, attended on behalf of the company.
The first witness examined was,
George Kirby, who said he was a foreman in
the employ of the Eastern Counties Company,
and was on the engine at the time of the acci-
dent on Thursday last. lie was at the break.
A man named John Snowdon was driving. He
had the entire control of the engine. The guard was on
the foot-plate, but he had nothing to do with the en-
gine ; nor as far as he (witness) was aware, had he
anything to do with the speed of the engine. The
morning was very foggy, and they could not see more
than 40 yards before them. He recollected passing
Shenfield station, when the usual sound was given.
The whistle was also sounded between the two
bridges, and again at the time of the accident, as soon
as they saw the men before them, and at the Seven-
arch-bridge. 'We were not going more than eight or
ten miles per hour. We heard nothing of the men
being on the line till we saw them. All three men on
the engine were on the look-out. • When I saw the
men they were about twenty yards before us. The
break was on what we call easy," and we directly
put it hard on, I saw Snowdon pull his lever over in
order to reverse his engine. The men at that time ap-
peared to be standing in a group. Witness had been
on the line only three weeks. He had observed men
on the line before the accident occurred, but he did
not notice what they were about. He (witness) had
worked on the Bristol, Birmingham, and Gloucester
line. He had not been previously employed as a fire-
man. He was a fitter. When the accident occurred
Snowdon was standing at his engine and the guard
and witness were keeping a look-out. There was no
talking.
John Jasson, the second guard, was next called.
He was on the train on Thursday morning last. He
was on the fourth carriage from the engine. The
train consisted of two second-class, two third-clasp,
one first-class, and one break carriage. It left Ingate-
stone at 11 minutes before 8 o'clock. He knew that
was the time because he looked at his watch. That
was a minute behind their proper time. It was very
foggy, and the fog increased by the time they reached
Shenfield station. Between Ingatestone and Shenfield
the engine travelled at the rate of 25 or 30 miles per
hour. After they passed Shenfield they put the breaks
on, and slackened the pace of the train. As the train
proceeded between Shenfield and the Three-arch-

bridge, the driver whistled two or three times. After
the train passed the Three-arch-bridge the driver shut
off his steam and the whistle was sounded. He saw
nothing of the accident, nor did he know of it until
they reached Brent wool. The train was brought to a
standatilL before they reached Brentwood. The ine
cline commences about half a mile beyond the Three-
arch-bridge. He was not aware that there was any-
thing to indicate where the incline commenced. When
the accident happened the train was proceeding 10 or
12 miles per hour. He was aware that men were
engaged in ballasting the line, but he did not know
that they were ballasting that morning. There could
be no certainty as to the place where they would be
found on any particular day.
A Juror—lf you had had a telegraphic notice to
logatestone that men were at work under or near the
Seven-arch-bridge, would the pace of the train have
been slackened, or would it have made any diffdrence
in your arrangements? Witness—The driver would
have continued cautiously. I cannot say what else
would have been done.

Edward Muirhead, the engine-driver of the ballast-
train, said—Fie was on the foot-plate of the ballast-
engine on Thursday morning, he was on the left hand
side of the engine. He wasp waiting until the ballast-
trucks were empty. The signal-man gave him a
signal, and he then sounded his whistle. He saw

two men on the ballast-truck which was not unloaded.
Hs heard a whistle from the passenger- train engine,
and he called out to the men to clear the road, for the
train was coming. He dii not think the men heard
him. He looked round, and saw the passenger-engine
knock down one of the men against the step of his
(witness's) engine. At the same moment tbQ train
went over the others. When it had passed he saw
the men were dead. The passenger-train was not
coming " hard." The " steam" was off. When the
whistle was sounded the train was 30 or 40 yards away.
If the whistle had been sounded at the Three-arch-
bridge, the noise of his engine would have prevented him
from hearing it. He thought the noise of his engine
would have prevented any one from hearing the
whistle of the passenger-train. He (witness) had
been on the Eastern Counties Railway about a month,
during which time he had been working a ballast-
engine. He had been bringing ballast down the line
from Clare-street factory. He did not think the
driver of a passenger-train could form any idea as to
the spot on which a ballast-engine might be. Per-
haps on that Thursday morning a driver might have
expected to find the men ballasting at Brentwood
station, as they were at Brentwood the night before.
He did not know that any notice was given on the
Eastern Counties Railway as to the place where men
would be employed. He had been far seven and-a-
half years on the Edinburgh and Glasgow line. It
was customary to give such notice there.
Edward Drury, of Brentwood, said he was a fire-
man in the employ of the Eastern Counties Railway,
and was on the ballast-engine on Thurday morning.
He confirmed the evidence of the previous witness,
and added that he did not hear the passenger-train
until he saw it within five yards of the men who were
struck down. The steam blowing off from his engine
would prevent him hearing a whistle. The train was
going at the rate of eleven or twelye miles per hour.
John Patience said he was employed` ballasting
on Thursday morning, and had assisted to unload the
trucks. As soon as they had unloaded, the ballast•
engine was directed to come back to the station-yard.
He 'saw the first man struck down. He (witness)
jumped away when something caught him on his side
and took his senses away. When he recovered, at the
lapse of about five minutes, he saw all the men lying
there. It was very foggy indeed, and he could see a
very little way before him. He could see the Seven-
arch-bridge, but not the other. He did not hear the
whistle of the passenger-train, on account of the
great noise from the ballast-engine. He had no no-
tice of the rate at which the passenger-train was run-
ning. He did not hear any one say that the train
was due.

CORONER—Why did you go upon the up-line ?
Witness—Because it was safer we thought than
standing on the ballast, from which we might slip.
James Hurrell said he had been up with a message
to the men who were killed on Thursday morning,
and was just returning when the accident occurred.
It was a message to three of the unfortunate men to
come away with him. He had delivered his message
when the accident occurred. Directly he delivered
his message he turned back, and had got about sixty
yards out of the road when he heard something. On
turning round, he saw one man knocked down, and
another under the firebox of the engine. Some of the
men were knocked one way, and some another. He
saw the driver reversing his engine as he passed over
the bodies. The steam from the ballasting-engine
was blowing off at the time, and that would probably
prevent any one from hearing the whistle of the ap-
proaching train.
Thomas Chalk said, he was employed with the de-
ceased men on Thursday morning. When he had
unloaded the trucks, the gangsman said, " The
train is coming ; get out of the road chaps." He got
out of the way, and immediately afterwards he saw
the train coming. It knocked a man down. He
heard a whistle just as the gangsman made his re-
mark, but he did not know from whom it proceeded.
John Snowdon, of Braintree, the guard of the train
by which the men were killed, was next called, and
cautioned by the Coroner in the usual manner. His
evidence was as follows :—I had charge of the engine
on the morning the accident occurred. The engine was
entirely under my direction. The guard was put upon
the engine to show the driver the gradients upon the
line. Before the accident I shut off the steam. I
did this at the Three-arch-bridge. That was on
account of its being too foggy to come along the
curve. It was a little on the other side of the Three-
arch bridge. The fireman put on his break as soon
as I shut off the steam. I whistled likewise, and a
little after that I saw a group of men on the line. I
whistled again and reversed my engine, and brought
it to a standstill. That was about 150 yards after first
seeing the men. When I went over the men I was
travelling at the rate okeight or ten miles per hour.
The gradient there, I think, is about lin 100. (his
1 in 90) I have:no particular direction given to me as
to the gradients, but I generally inquire about them
of the guard. I had no knowledge that they were
ballasting near Brentwood. If I had known that the
men were ballasting there I should have come by the
spot at the came speed. I have read the company's
rules, and I don't know of any regulations to drivers
with respect to ballasting. I have been on the
Eastern Counties Railway for five weeks. I came
from the lilaryport and Carlisle line, on which I
worked nine years. I was never discharged
frOin any line. I am not aware that it is usual
on any line of railway to give notice of ballasting or
any other works that may be proceeding. Consi-
dering the state of the incline, and a speed of ten or
twelve miles per hour, I do not think I could pull up
under 300 yards. If I had seen an engine on the
spot I should have stopped.
Several questions were put to the witnesses, but
nothing of material importance was elicited.
The CORONER said a notice bad been sent to him
that a form was always given to the drivers on the
Great Western Railway Company of any works that
were proceeding, and he thought it was a very excel-
lent precaution.

Mr. Ellis (a director) said that the company would
-be very glad to adapt the same course if necessary,
and directed Mr. Ashcroft to apply to the Great
Western for a copy of the form.
Mr. Ashcroft said there was nothing in the form
used by the Great Western Company that was not
strictly attended to on the Eastern Counties Com-
pany, and that the notes on the bottom of the rules
did not apply to ballasting, but to repairs where it
was necessary to break up or interfere with the main
line, when notice was posted at the engine-houses
two days before.
The CORONER, in summing up the evidence, said
they had examined a great many witnesses, and he
believed very properly so • but at the same time, he
might observe that the facts of the case were in a
very narrow compass. It appeared that the poor
men were at work between the two bridges on the
morning of Thursday last, that they had unloaded
three trucks of ballast, had closed the doors, and that
it having become necessary to put back their ballast-
trucks, the men stepped on the line in order to get
out of the way. At that moment the up-passenger
train came up, and killed them on the spot. All the
evidence went to:prove that the morning was ex-
tremely foggy, that the train was not behind its time,
and that there was no negligence on the part of the
driver. Those men who had escaped had been enabled
to give very little account of it, but they agreed that
intimation of their danger was given to them to a
certain extent that the train was due, and that the
steam going off from the ballast-engine prevented
them from hearing the noise of the approaching pas.
stinger-train. It was very probable that the gentlemen
of the jury knew what was the law with regard to the
common highway or road. If a person driving care-
lessly ran over a child, having previously seen it and
not stopping, that person was guilty of murder.
If he did not see the child, but at the same time was
driving carelessly, he was guilty of manslaughter;
bill., if he were driving with care, and a child ran
suddenly before him, and was killed, the person so
driving would be acquitted on the ground of misad-
venture. That law was applicable to railways as
well as common roads. Such was the state of the
case, and he left it •to the jury to form their own
judgment.
After a consultation of about an hour and a half,
The jury returned as their verdict, " That the
death of nine men has been caused by misadventure,
and at the same time express their regret that more
caution has not been exercised for the protection of
the men employed on the line."

Since the beginning of last Sear, thirteen new
Congregational Chapels, in London, have been projected or
built. Besides these, fQur others may be expected to Le
undertals.en