The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-24 00:00:00

CHARGE OF DRUNKENNESS AND

NEGLECT OF DUTY AGAINST AN ENGINE
DRIVER.

At Chelmsford petty sessions, on Friday, Andrew Wrzght,
an engine driver, in the service of the Eastern Counties Rail-
way, was charged under the Act 3d and 4th Victoria, with
being found drunk and incapable of taking care of his engine
on the 15th instant.

The investigation, which lasted nearly six hours, excited
considerable interest, the Court being crowded with the
employes of the railway. Mr. Widdicombe, from the office of
Mr. Duncan, the solicitor of the Company, appeared to sup-
port the charge ; and Mr. B. W. Rawlings, solicitor of Rom-
ford, for the accused.

Mr. Widdicombe briefly stated the case, and said that the
present proceeding was taken under a public Act of Parlia-
ment for the regulation of railways, the 13th section of
which gave the magistrate the power of sending a person
to prison for any term not exceeding two months, with or
without hard labour, should they be satisfied with the guilt
of the party charged with a similar offence to that of the
accused. They had the power, in addition, to inflict a penalty
of any sum not exceeding 101. By the 14th section of the
same Act, should the case be one of a flagrant nature, they
had the power of sending the prisoner for trial at the quar-
ter sessions. when, on conviction, the party was liable to be
imprisoned for any time not exceeding two years. The Act
gave the magistrates summary power. Therefore, should the
case be proved against the accused, he should call upon them
to act summarily on the present occasion. He begged to
state that the Eastern Counties Company had, for the safety
of the public, ordered the investigation to be closely pur-
sued, not with any degree of personality or harshness to-
wards the accused, but solely to show the public at large
that the slightest charge of neglect of duty against any of
their servants should be strictly investigated.
Evidence was then gone into, no fewer than twelve wit-
nesses being examined on behalf of the prosecution. From
their evidence it appeared, that on Saturday night last the
defendant left Colchester as engine-driver of the up cattle
train about five minutes past ten, and according to three
witnesses who conversed with him, he was quite sober. On
arriving at about seven hundred yards from the Witham sta-
tion, Packer, the guard, observed the red light in the centre
of the line (the signal to stop). Instead of doing this, the
accused went on one hundred yards beyond the station, al-
though, according to Packer, there was plenty of time for
him to have stopped before reaching the station on seeing
the red light. Packer then thought the accused was drunk,
which supposition was strengthened when they reached a
place called Boreham. At this place there is no station, but
two white lights are placed at the spot to denote a crossing.
On arriving at this spot the defendant reversed his engine
and went back for one hundred yards, but on being spoken
to by the guard; again reversed •the -engine and went on to
Chelmsford. Here the guard informed the night porter that
the accused was drunk, and incapable of taking charge of
the engine. Mr. 11PKenzie, the station master, was called
up, and being also of opinion that the defendant was in
liquor, he was given into custody, and the train was taken
on to London by another driver.
Mr. Rawlings addressed the bench at some length on-be-
half of the accused, and called a host of witnesses, all in the
employ of the company, who saw the accused at the Chelms-
ford station, and who swore that ho was not drunk, and was
quite capable of taking the train to London.
Mr. Scott, the superintendent of the locomotive depart-
ment, gave the accused a most excellent character for so-
briety, and said that every one, when they heard of the charge
against him, was greatly surprised.
After a most minute and patient investigation, the accused
was discharged, the chairman remarking that he trusted it
would act as a caution to all engine- drivers not to take any-
thing to drink when in the performance of their duties.

IPSWICH INCOME-TAX COMMISSIONERS.—Accounts
lave reached us from various parties that the affairs of the
:ncome-tax Commissioners in this town, are neither con-

ducted with courtesy, good feeling, and, we were about adding,
common good faith towards those who seek for justice at
their bands. Whether this is occasioned by the Commis-
sioners themselves, or through their functionary, we are not
informed. We are told that surcharges on grounds the most
frivolous have been made, and a wide feeling prevails that
this cannot be done either through inadvertence or a fairly
grounded presumption that such surcharge approaches
nearer the income than the return made. At any rate,
where an official addition has been made to the presumed
taxable income of a person, the Commissioners should at
least perform so much of their duty as requires them to
hear the appeal of the party, particularly when they have
themselves fixed the day of appeal. Wednesday last was a
day of appeal, the time of hearing eleven o'clock. Though
appealing parties were present, not a Commissioner made his
appearance until two o'clock, then only one, and it is said the
proceedings dragged their slow length along until half-past
three, when an adjournment took place until Thursday, in
order, says a correspondent, that " Mr. Gross might go home
to dinner." On Thursday, a few Commissioners attended,. it
is true, but only, we suppose, after they had been told, that
if parties who had attended punctually on the previous day
were called by their business and professions many miles on
the next, that the Commissioners must take the con-
sequence. The tax itself is surely odious enough, without
being rendered more so by those whose duty it is to render
it less disagreeable.—Suffolk Chronicle.
THE COLLIERIES.—The principal coal-masters in
this county appear to be apprehensive of another strike, and
are evidently preparing for the emergency. Immense quan-
tities of coal are being stored up at the Babworth, the Cinder-
hill, and other collieries. Nor is such an anticipation un-
reasonable. The great demand for labour, superadded to the
greatly increased demand for coal which the new railways
occasion, render a strike probable. The colliers, too, are well
organised by their trade unions, and meetings frequently take
place. One of these assemblies was held at Ilkeston on
Saturday last ; of course the proceedings were private. The
men, however, are now in a better state, as respects employ-
ment and wages, than they were some time back.—Notting-
ham Review.
ALARMING HIGH TIDE AND NARROW ESCAPE.

Saturday morning, between one and two o'clock, great excite-
ment prevailed among the inhabitants of Ewer-street, Gravel-
lane, and Bankside, which at one time threatened the most
serious consequences. The dwellings are chiefly inhabited by
poor Irish persons, some of whom sleep in the rooms on the
ground floor and cellars. It appears that soon after mid-
night the inmates were awakened by hearing a rushing of
water coming into their apartments from the common sewer
at the rear of the premises. Much alarm prevailed, and after
considerable difficulty they got out of their beds in their night
clothes and wended their way through the water, which was
nearly knee-deep. Various things were completely spoiled
by the inundation, which they attributed to the heavy rains
on Friday. The inhabitants of this part of Southwark
the
re
constantly subject to these floodings, which are owing to
defective state of the sewers.
DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP ABEONA BY FIRE.—
The following is an extract from the log-book of the barque
Diamond, Pearse, commander, of this port, which arrived
here, Newport, from St. John's, N. 8., on Saturday, 15th
instant, after 33 days' passage Monday, Nov. 10th, wind
S.E., lat. [5O, 16 R. long., by chronometer, 8 30 W. ; at
1 r.m., saw smoke. on the weather bow,—supposed it was a
steamer. On nearing, it proved to be a ship on fire. Passed
to leeward of her; tacked, and stood towards her. She was
a mass of fire on deck, except a small part forward ; her
bowsprit was out, and her masts under the bows. She had a
gilt female bust head, and a hoard, with the words New
Ross,' in gilt letters, floated alongside. Supposed to be a
ship of 500 tons, timber laden. At 3 P.M., hauled our wind,
and proceeded." by subsequent accounts, it appears that
the ill-fated ship was the Abeona, of New Ross, from Quebec
to Waterford. We have heard that her crew were safely
landed at Liverpool a few days ago.—Monmouthshire Merlin.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT TO A BUTCHER'S BOY.

Saturday an accident of a very painful character occurred
to a boy named William Howe, aged fifteen years, in the
employ of Mr. Butler, the butcher, carrying on business in
High-street, Southwark. The lad, it appears, was directed
to reach a joint of mutton from a high hook, and while so
engaged his foot slipped off the steps, and in his descent his
left hand got fastened on the hook. His cries attracted the
attention of the shopman, who upon going to his aid, dis-
covered that the poor fellow was completely suspended, and
before he could extricate him, the flesh of the hand gave way,
and he fell to the floor. He was removed to the nearest sur-
geon's residence, but the limb was so dreadfully lacerated
that be advised his removal to Guy's Hospital, where he was
immediately placed in bed and put under the care of Mr.
:Morgan, the house surgeon. He was on Saturday in a very
exhausted state from the hemorrhage consequent upon the
injuries, which were certainly of a most frightful character.