The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-14 00:00:00

THE ACCIDENT TO THE IRISH MAIL.

The inquiry into the charges of criminal negligence pre-
ferred against the railway company's servants was brought
to a close at Abergele on Tuesday, and further proceedings
will now be suspended until the next assizes for the
county of Denbigh.
The magistrates present were Mr. J. Lloyd Wynne and
Mr. R. B. Hesketh. Mr. Yeatman, of the Midland
Circuit, appeared for Henry Cripps, the prosecutor, in-
structed by Mr. Edwards Wood, of Birmingham, who
was said to be unable to attend from illness occasioned by
the injuries alleged to have been sustained by him in the
Holywell collison. Mr. Louis, solicitor, of Ruthin,
assisted by Mr. Davies, Holywell, defended the breaksmen;
Mr. Preston, solicitor, Rhyl, watched the case on behalf
of the London and North-Western Railway.
Mr. Louis declined to call witnesses for the defence.

Mr. Yeatman, for the prosecution, contended that
although the station-master at Llandulas might have
shewn culpable negligence, yet that this did not excuse the
negligence of the breaksmen, who had left the 'trucks
kicked off to come down the line and run where they liked,
whereby the lives of a great number of persons had been
sacrificed.

Mr. Louis replied on behalf of the breaksmen, reminding
tne court that the signal given to the engine•driver`
according to his own admission, was that he should "kick
easy," and that if he had followed this direction the acci•
dent would never have occurred.

The Bench, after consultation, declared that in the
present case there was sufficient doubt to warrant them in
lending the case for trial. The Bench had determined to
commit the accused to take their trial at the assizes for
manslaughter. They were willing to accept bail.
The breaksmen, Richard Williams and Robert Jones
were accordingly bound over, themselves in £lOO and
two sureties in £5O each. The charges against the
breaksmen's solicitor, Mr. Davies, of Holywell, which
caused no little local interest and excitement, were next
gone into.
Mr. Yeatman called several witnesses. The purport of
their evidence was that, at the hearing of the case against
Eaton, just after Mr. Davies had promised to produce his
clients, he engaged a car at Pensarn and brought them
up to the end of the avenue leading to the court. The
breaksmen got out of the car and were standing near it,
when the police, who had warrants against the men, rushed
towards them to apprehend them. The men became alarmed,
and at the same moment Mr. Davies waved his stick as a
signal to them to drive off. The driver of the car galloped
off in the direction of the railway, and the men got away.
An imputation was thrown out at the time that the railway
officers had connived at their escape by having a special
train in readiness, but it was now shewn by unimpeachable
evidence that the general goods manager was on his usual
visit of inspection, and that the officials in the special traiu
were entirely innocent of any complicity in the escape.
Mr. Louis, who defended Mr. Davies, before calling
evidence submitted that no case had been made out for a
committal. He contended that a professional man was
not, merely because he waved his hand, to be committed
on so serious a charge as that of feloniously assisting the
escape of persons charged with committing a felony.
The Chairman said that the charge against Mr. Davies
was dismissed in consequence of the want of sufficient
evidence to prove so serious an offence. This decision was
received with applause in court, and when it was known
outside a cheer was set up, which was renewed when Mr.
Davies left the Town Hall and was seen by the crowd.
We are informed that the valuable diamond ring found in
the d4bris after the accident, supposed to belong to Lord
Farnham, and which was forwarded to Hunt and Roskell
for examination, is proved by the most satisfactory
evidence to have been worn by the lamented Lady
Chinnery.

The appointment of Sir Henry Itawlinson, late
M.P. for Frome, to a seat in the Indian Council is
gazetted.

'The boiler explosion in South Staffordshire has
resulted in another death, making in all thirteen. Tho
other two injured men are expected to recover.

Lady Edith Hastings (the wife of Mr. Hastings,
of London) has purchased the revision to the Marquis of
Hastings's extensive estates in Leicestershire, Derbyshire,
and Yorkshire, including Donnington Park.

We are glad to learn (says the Kentish Gazette),
that the Archbishop of Canterbury is recovering from his
somewhat severe bronchial attack, but his medical attendant
still thinks it advigablo that he should keep within doors.

The Church News states that a very beautiful
processional brass cross, literally covered with gems, is
being manufactured for use in St. Barnabas Church,
Pimlico. Most of the jewels have been presented by ladies
of the congregation.

The Corriere di Sardegna gives some account of
Garibaldi. He is always calm, kind, and affectionate.
He said recently to a visitor, " I do not suffer so much,
but I feel lam growing old. lam a weather-beaten hull,
which has made many a voyage ; a plank is at one time
wanting, at another a nail—always something : but an
earnest will supplies all deficiencies ; and when the
country may need of the last timber of the old barque I
shall willingly make the sacrifice.
THE BRILLIANT METEOR.—The fire-ball which
astonished us on Wednesday night, 7th inst., by its extra-
ordinary size and briiliancy, was observed at many
places within a considerable compass. An eye-witness in
Paris says that, being in bed, lie was suddenly awakened
at about a quarter to twelve by a strong glare, which at
first made him think that his room was on fire ;
sprang out of bed, and was just in time to see the meteor
pass rapidly away and disappear behind the housetops.
About ten minutes after he heard two loud reports, like
gunshots. At Rouen the phenomenon was perceived
about the same time, the direction being from S.S.E. to
T.N.W. It is described as an incandescent globe, which;
on bursting, split into two tongues of fire, and in this
state fell into the Duke of Almazan's pleasure-grounds.
The latter statement is in contradiction with that of the
Figaro, which asserts that it fell at La Varenne, St.
Hilaire, close to the Vincennes Railway, on M. Lamy's
property, where it was found to measure a metre in length,
and about twenty centimetres in thickness. The sound was
certainly heard at Roueu aS 701_ mi 1134. tick, !NI it_Wag,
not heard in Englad, •