The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-08 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

ACTION FOR LIBEL AGAINST A RAILWAY COMPANY.—
In the Court of Queen's Bench an action was brought by
Mr. Gwynne against the South-Eastern Railway Company
for an alleged libel. The company had published notices
stating that the plaintiff had been convicted of fraud for
travelling without paying his fare, and had been sentenced
to three days' imprisonment. The defendants pleaded
that the statement was true ; but Mr. Gwynne denied
that such was the case. The company did not prove their
plea, and the original facts were entered into, and were
found to be in favour of the plaintiff. The Lord Chief
Justice, in remarking on the practice of publishing
these notices, said that at least they ought to be correct,
It was nuisance enough to have been summoned on sus-
picion, but it was no trifling thing for a placard to be
posted stating that the defendant had been sentenced to
imprisonment when such was not the case. Railway
companies had no more right to issue those documents
than private individuals, and if they did it they must take
care to keep themselves within the law. The jury re-
turned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages £250, being
£l5O more than the plaintiff claimed.
ILLEGALLY ACTING AS BROKERS.—In the Court of
Common Pleas, the Chamberlain of the City of London
brought two actions, one against a Mr. Cousins and the
other against a Mr. Inglis, to recover penalties for their
acting as brokers without being admitted. It seemed that
a person named Ainslie and a friend went to the office
of the op3n Stock Exchange Company (Limited)
and inquired the price of Great Eastern shares.
They saw Cousins, and went with him to the Stock
Exchange, and waited! for him until he bought £l,OOO
stock for each of them. Ainslie was not ready to take up
the shares that day, and the transaction was carried over
to the next account. Some difference arose as to the rate
of continuation charged by the defendant, and Ainslie was
subsequently informed that Inglis had sold the shares. For
the defendants it was urged that they were merely the
secretary and accountant of the Open Exchange Company
(Limited), and had no personal interest in the transactions
complained of. The Lord Chief Justice said that the
defendants had clearly acted as brokers, the one in buying
and the other in selling the stock, and were liable to a
penalty of £lOO. The counsel for the defence gave notice
that he should move the court above.
A BANKRUPT SENT TO PRISON.—In the Court of Bank-
ruptcy Henry Sharpe, it bankrupt, was committed by Mr.
Commissioner Winslow to four months' imprisonment
under the following circumstances. The bankrupt in
examination said that he had executed two composition
deeds, and in one of them he had set down his father as a
creditor for £4ll, and stated that that person held a bill of
sale over his effects. He now denied that his father
held any such security, and said that the statement
had been introduced by the solicitors who prepared the
deed without his knowledge, and that he had never seen
them, though he swore that he had. Being sued by the
national Guardian Insurance Company (Limited) on two
bills of exchange for £7O, he had defended the action, and
pleaded that he had not endorsed the bills ; also that he
had been released from the debt under his second deed.
At the trial he did not appear, being then in Whitecross-
street, and his attorney refused to act for him any longer.
Extra costs of about £3O were thus incurred. His Honour
said that the prisoner had clearly been guilty of a frivolous
defence, and he ordered him to be imprisoned as stated
above.

FATAL PERAMBULATOR ACCIDENT.—A few days
since a perambulator, in which were two children, each of
four years of age, one belonging to Mr. Newsholme, the
other to Mr. Graham, both of Jobn•street, Westgate,
Bradford, was left for a moment by Mrs. Newsholme near
the bridge, on the terrace at Peel Park. Mrs. Newsholme,
though turning in a moment to the carriage from which she
had taken her hand, was horrified to find it going down
the adjoining embankment, and instantly sprang forward
and seized it ; but as she did so the two children were
precipitated to the road beneath, a distance of 14 feet.
Both children were much injured in the fall, and the child
of Mr. Graham, which was the greatest sufferer, has since
died from the injuries received.

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE DEVONPORT
VOLUNTEER RIFLE RANGE.—The coroner's inquest on
the bodies of the two young men, Norman and Gard,
members of the 3rd Devon Rifles, who were shot on
Thursday last while attending a private match at Keyham,
closed on Monday afternoon, when the following verdict
was returned :—" We are unanimously of opinion that the
deceased, Alfred Norman and John Gard, were killed
through misadventure, and we are strongly of opinion that
under all circumstances, whether at private matches or
regular practices, the strictest military discipline should
be always observed, and very much regret that proper
precautions were not taken on the occasion of the accident,
and strongly recommend that rifle-pits should be provided
at all ranges." While the jury were considering their v ?.rdict
the coroner announced that the family of Mr. Gard would be
in straitened circumstances as the result of his death, he
being the only support of a widowed mother and several
brothers and sisters. Messrs. Hodge and Co., bankers,
Devonport, had kindly offered to receive subscriptions on
their behalf. For his own part, he thought it was a case
to call forth benevolence from all sources, and he should
have pleasure in subscribing a guinea. Subsequently,
Captain St. Aubyn, of the 3rd Devon Rifles, stated it was
his intention to give £2O, and that it was a case deserving
great and widespread sympathy and help. The jurymen
also gdve up thdr lee towards, the stkincriptio—_-TR4OI/2.
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