The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-03 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL.

A court-martial assembled on Tuesday morning,
on board her 111,,jesty's sloop Impregnable, 104. in
Hutnoaze, for the trial of William John Lowry,
acting•lit utenant of her Majesty's sloop Britomart,
8, on the following charges :-
1. For that the said Wi,liam John Lowry, %%then
acting lieutenant of her Alajesty's sloop Britomart,
and in :actual service and full pay in her Majesty's
fleet, did, on the 1.4 of April, 1849, on board the
said sloop sleep upon his watch,
2. For that the said William John Lowry, when
such acting lieutenant, and in actual service, and in
full pay as aforesaid, was, on the lit day of April,
1849, drunk on board the said sloop.
3. For that the said iVilliam John Lowry, when
such acting-lieutenant, and in actual service and full
pay as aforesaid, did, on the 16th day of November,
on board the said sloop, disobey the orders of William
Charles Chamberlain, &q., the commander of the said
sloop, his superior officer, by getting upon the poop-
grating of the said sloop during the watch of the said
William John Lowry, although ord,red by the said
Commander William Charles Chamberlain not to
do so.

4. For that the said William John Lowry, R hen
such acting lieutenant, and in actual service and full
pay, as aforesaid, did, on the 16th of November,
1849, on board the said sloop, behave himself with
contempt to the said Commander William Charles
Chamberlain, his superior officer, being in the execu-
tion of his office.
The Court was composed of Vice-Admiral of the
Blue Sir John Louis, President; Captain Hope
Johnstone, of the Agincourt, 72 ; Captain Robert
Smart, of the Indefatigable, 50; Captain Sir Thomas
Maitland, of the Impregnable, 104; and Commander
Charles Hall, of the Agincourt. William East-
lake, Esq., officiated as Judge-Advocate. The
prisoner, by permission of the Court, was defended
by Mr. John Beer, jun., of Devonport.
The Judge-Advocate read the correspondence of
Commander Chamberlain, of the Britomart, to
Commodore A. Fanshawe, C. 8., in command of the
station on the west coast of Africa, authorizing the
assembling of a court-martial, when most expedient,
for the trial of Lieutenant Lowry on the above charges.
William Charles Chamberlain said—l was com-
mander of her Majesty's sloop Britomart, and was on
board on the Ist of April last. The prisoner was
acting lieutenant, and was in full pay, at that time
serving in her Majesty's service. I was absent from
the Britomart on the evening of the Ist of April upon
duty. I returned to the ship between eleven and twelve
o'clock that night. I was received at the gang-
way by Mr. Townshend, the midshipman of the
watch, the sergeant of Marines, and the boatswain's
mate. I turned round to address the officer of the
watch, and, not seeing him, I asked where he was.
I asked Mr. Townshend where be was, and he replied
that he was below. I added " Where ?" The answer
was, "In the berth." I then gave him orders to go with
the boatswain's mate and sergeant, and that all three
were to report to me where he was, and in what
state he was. They went and shortly returned, and
each reported to me that he was asleep upon the table
in the midshipmen's berth, and that he was drunk. I
sent for the first lieutenant, and whilst waiting for
him I observed the prisoner get up the main hatch-
way and stagger against the gangway ladder quite
drunk. I placed him under arrest.
Q. State what you know relating to the third and
fourth charges against the prisoner P—A. On the
16th of Nov., 1849, I was walking the deck during
the six to eight watch, of which the prisoner was the
officer, and observed him to be standing cn the poop-
gratings, in company with the surgeon and master,
holding conversation. I went up to him, called
him down, expressed regret that I should have
to speak to an officer for disobeying an order
which I had before given him, not to stand on
the poop gratings, and desired him never to stand
on the poop-gratings whilst officer of the watch,
but to keep his watch attentively on the weather side
of the quarterdeck. He replied, " I was speaking
to the Master, Sir, about the log." I told him that,
as the officer of the watch, it was his duty to see
the log written himself; without conversation with
the other officers ; and that, if there was occasion to
refer to the master, he could do so when relieved. I
went on to say that there was no earthly necessity
for an officer to be upon the poop-gratings, to which
he replied in the most disputatious, contemptuous
tore of voice, " I don't think so at all ;" and added,
" Do you mean to say, Sir, that I am never, at any
time whatever, and on any account whatsoever, to get
up on those poop gratings ?" I told him that he
was to go and walk the deck, reserve his conversa-
tion, and not get up on the poop-gratings any more."
He walked the deck for a tew minutes, and then got
up on the poop gratings, and looked slowly round
the horizon, got down again, and walked the
deck. He again got up on the poop-gratings.
and as I saw him wilfully defying my order, I
called him down, and in a peremptory manner again
repeated my order—" Ile was never again, on any
account, to get up on there gratings whilst officer of
the watch." lie said, in a tone highly improper,
" Then, Sir, I have not charge of the watch—l
cannot be answerable." To which I replied that
he was to continue in charge of the watch. He
said something may go, and I cannot be re-
sponsible if I am to continue in charge of the
watch. I will go upon_the poop; and if I cannot
go up on the poop I won't sign the log:, I sent
for the first lieutenant to witness the execution of this
threat, and mentioned to the first lieutenant what
the prisoner said be would do, and then I said to Mr.
Lowry, " I desire you, sir, to walk the quarter deck
immediately, keep charge of the watch, and sign the
log." He obeyed the order, and very shortly after
he was relieved by another officer, and after consider-
ation of what happened, I thought it my duty to place
the prisoner under arrest.
By Captain Johnstone—When the prisoner came
up the hatchway, I was about four yards from him
He was dressed as officers usually are, with the
exception that he had no shoes on over his stockings
I did not observe the prisoner walk after he came on
deck, but I observed him to reach the gangway by
the help of the main bits and the third gun. I did not
speak to the prisoner on that occasion. I heard the
prisoner speak, and his tone of voice was that
of a drunken man. It was a clear light night, but I
forget whether the moon was above the horizon. I
had not given a general order previously that the
officers of the watch should not stand upon the poop
gratings, but I had given :a special order to Mr.
Lowry, as I had so frequently observed him lounging
about the poop. I considered the prisoner's manner
with reference to the fourth charge decidedly con-
temptuous.
Evidence was called which fully corroborated
Commander Chamberlain's testimony.
In his defence the prisoner admitted the truth of
the first charge, but urged it was the first time in his
life he had been guilty of such misconduct, and
denied having spoken contemptuously to his com-
mander.

At the conclusion the court was cleared for about
an, hour. On re opening, the JUDGE-ADVOCATE
read the sentence, which was, that the prisoner,
William John Lowry, be dismissed her Majesty
service.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE EAST LANCASHIRE
RAILWAY.—On Tuesday evening, one of the most dread-
ful accidents which has occurred in this locality for a
long period of time happensd at the Maghull station on
the East Lancashire Railway, attended by a fearful loss
of lite. It appears from the narrative of a passenger
that a train left Preston at a quarter before 8 o'clock
last evening for Liverpool, with only one carriage
attached to the engine, consisting of first. and second
class compartments. At the Ormskirk station there was
a considerable accession of passengers, for whom it did
not appear that there was adequate room. When the
train arrived at the Maghull station there was a spare
carriage on the siding, and to get hold of this carriage
the train crossed the line on to the other rails, and fur
about 10 minutes was moving up and down on the rails
on the wrong side of the line, when an alarm was given
that a train was coming up; and being in the way of
any train on the wrong rails, it was apprehended by the
passengers that a train might be coming up on the same
line as that on which they were moving, and under this
apprehension several of the passengers jumped out, when
a train towards Liverpool passed at a rapid rate, and the
night being dark, and the passengers on the track of
the advancing engine in a state of the utmost confusion
and alarm, three of them were caught by the engine
and killed on the spot. Their bodies were immediately
picked up, but in a shocking state of mutilation. We
have
inot be r! able to obtain the names of the parties,
but it s ved they were country people who had
b n transacting business et Orinskiik. Had these un-
fortunate people retained their seats, they would have
sustained no injury, but the continuous moving of the
train up and down the line at the station, the knowledge
that they were on the wrong rails for their own train,
and the sound of the approaching engine, appear to
have caused a panic resulting in this melancholy termi-
nation. Whether blame attaches anywhere or not.
cannot, as yet be ascertained, but no doubt the iehole
of the facts will transpire at the inquest to be held on
the bodies of the unfortunate passengers.—Liverpool
Courier.

ABRIDGED REPORT OF PHILLPOITS v. GORHAM.--
The Pope. his compassion for sinners to prove,
Sends Bulls, without mercy, to bore 'em;
Our Phillpotts, to show his more fatherly love,
Refuses permission to gore 'em.
—Punch.