The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-15 00:00:00

ILLICIT DISTILLERIES.

L'wo extensive illicit distilleries have been discovered ir.
Nottingham. For several months past the Inland
Revenue officials have had suspicions of a wholesale
manufacture of illicit whisky, and on Saturday, from
information received, several excise officials visited a house
on the High Pavement, occupied by a joiner named
Alfred Methringham. They searched the place, but
for a long time their efforts were ineffectual, but at length
Mr. Southgate, supervisor of excise, on rapping the wall,
found a concealed door, which was cleverly pasted over with
paper, so as to match the wall. Having obtained an
entrance, they discovered a complete distillery plant, com-
prising a copper still of about sixty gallons (which
was in full work at the time), and other complete apparatus
for the making of spirits. A similar seizure was made
at the house of Henry Smith, in St. Nicholas-street,
the articles being of precisely the same character,
and a number of barrels of whisky were found at
both places. By these means the persons owning the stills
could defraud the revenue of between £6O and £BO weekly,
and there is little doubt that they had been in active
operation for a considerable time. Mrs. Methringham
and the man Smith were taken into custody on tho
premises, and brought before the magistrates the same
day. They were each ordered to pay £3O, or in default of
payment three months' imprisonment with hard labour.
By the offence they had incurred a penalty in the aggre-
gate of £l,OOO, part of which, it was understood, would b 3
subsequently inflicted.

EXPLOSION OF PA R.AFIN ON A RAILW Al

Another explosion of paraffin on a railway has occurred,
suggesting once again the question whether the dangerous
material should be carried about so commonly as it is.
The accident took place on Sunday morning last, on the
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway. It appears
that on Saturday night a goods train, containing two casks
of paraffin left the Battersea depot of the company, and
proceeded at five o'clock to London Bridge ; thence it was
despatched with an additional quantity of goods, and pro-
ceeded on its journey to Brighton. The train arrived at
Three Bridges, and a dripping noise having some time
previously been heard, the two guards (Harris and French)
proceeded to discover whence it came, taking with them
their lamps. They had hardly commenced their investiga-
tion when a terrific explosion took place, and they were
instantly enveloped in flames. The explosion was heard
for a considerable distance, and the other persons in
charge of the train rushed to the assistance of the guards,
when they were found to have been fearfully burnt. The
porters and officials on duty with the trains at the junc-
tion lent, of course, immediate assistance, and both the
sufferers were at once sent to the Brighton Hospital.
French was deeply burnt all over his body, and, though
sensible and able to hold conversation during Sunday,
died the same night at half•past ten. Harris is very
much burnt about the legs and arms, and his condition is
most precarious. The flames did not spread much. The
truck which contained the cask was completely destroyed,
with the whole of its contents, and the two adjacent
trucks and what they bore were also damaged a good
deal. The flames are described to have lighted up the locality
for miles around. The intensity of the heat was such that
the hand-lamps held by the deceased and Harris were
almost completely fused. The rails have been displaced
and twisted, and the keys of the main down line, some
score yards off were touched and scorched by the liquid
fire. The truck containing the inflammable material and
its contents have been burnt to what looks like a cinder
heap, but the number and initials of the railway are yet
distinguishable on one of the beams. There is but scant
hone of Harris recovering.