The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-30 00:00:00

MANSLAUGHTER

Wiliam &oho(Ile', aged .10hn Howard, aged 18, were
placed at the bar, the firmer under au indictment found by the
Grand Jury, and the latter under an inquisition, (the (;rand
Jury having ignored the bill) charg,el with having at Levens-
uu the 23:1 of September, caused the death of James
WaliPrs.

It appeared that several carts were racing along a road on
which the &ceased was passing with au ass. One or inure of
the carts ran over the prisoner, and thus he was killed. There
was nut distinct evidence to show which of the carts ran against
the deceased, and the Jury acquitted the prisoners.

MANS(.At
Dennis Baxter. aged 31, and William Breyers. aged 20, were
charged with haying caused the death Of Alice Hunt.
Mr. HubroN conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Mutt env
defended the prisoner Breyers.
The prisoner!, had acted as engineer and fireman on one of
the engines of the Live; pool and Birininghani Grand Junction
Railway Company. The charge against them was that on the
9th of Sep ember last, they, through negligence, caused the
death of Alice Hunt, by suffering the Grand Junction train to
run against the Boiton train.

It appeared that on the 9th September last the deceased took
her place in the Battu() ttaiu, which proceeded to the Kingston
junction, where it had to be attached to the Manchester
which it seems Was snmeahat late. It arrived thereabout seven
o'clock in the evening. The weather was somewhat foggy. and
,:otne rain had fa len. While the proper persons were engaged
in fastening the two tiains togeVaer, an alarm
,was given that
the Birmingham train was coming up. Two men, Thos. Mort
and John Warlitmun, ran forward and made signals for the
Birtnin4hant train to stop. It was at this time about three
cluarters of a tote aft; anti it was seen that the strain front th“
engine had been finned off. The Bolton train had the signal
lamps up. Mort and Warburton seeing that the train wascom-
ing at the rate (in their opinion) of !hitt). miles per boor, called
to the people in the Bolton train to get out. Sand was thrown
on the ruiis with the view of inerea•ino• the fiiction, amid War-
burton tan some distance forward repeating the signals for the
t an ht stop. It however came up at the rate of about fifteen
u it .s per hour, and sit uck against the Bolton train, breaking
suv rat of the carriages to pieces. When the carriages were
examined, Airs. Hunt was found lying insensible in one of the
cat

The surgeon who attended the deceased detailed the injuries
which she had received. The witnesses generally agreed, that
it was the duty of the engineer to keep a look-out, and that the
fireman also was expected to do so wnen not otherwise employ-
ed. Th- usual mode of stopping the train. it appeared, ass, to
throw off the steam and let down the breaks. The rain. it was
stated, which had fa;len, would make it more difficult for the
trains to stop. The eligmeet had a break to the engine, and
the guard also had (illative of breaks, which it was necessary for
him to put down whin the train was to be quickly stopped. The
engineer was seen with his hand on the break as the engine
shot past one of the witnesses.
Mr. Mug PHI' addressed the jury in defence of his client,
contending that. as a fireman he might have been emptived at-
tending to the fires, and could not therefore be expected to be
always on the look nut.
Baxter, aho was undefended, slated, that he was examining
the glass tube, which indicates the height of the water in the
!miler, when the firemen turned off the steam, and told him that
here was a light in froth. The fireman ran to the break, and
he ran to the lever. This lever, which governed the eccentric
was out of order, and it was tied Lip to the railing to prevent it
from slipping out. It was tied an fast that he could not undo it,
consequently he was unable to reverse the engine in time.
Collier, the engineer of 'the Bolton train, was recalled, and
he proved that the lever was tied...lf it had been in repair, it
would not have required to be tied. •
His Lordship summed up with great minuteness.
The Jury retired. They returned in about half an hour, and
on their return they gave in a verdict of guilty against Baxter,
acquitting Breyers.
'I he sentence nut passed upon Baxter.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

Thnmas Bales, aged 27, John Thompson, 32, and Robert Wrig-
ley. 22 were placed at the bat% charged with having assaulted
and rubbed Thomas Duckworth. at Oldham, in December last.
Another prisoner named Samuel Bardstey was committed, hot
he was placed in the box ea evidence.
_ _

Mr. Hondas and Mr. Whigham appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Murphy for the defence.
Thoma 3 Duckworth stated, that he resided at Black-lane, in
the neighbourhood of Blackburn. Ile was hankman at a coal-
•pit, near Oldham. On Friday, the 29111 Dee. last, he left the
pit about nine o'clock in the evening to go home. He was
alone. He called at Mr. Potter's. and received some money.
About a quarter of a mile from the pit, as he was crossing a
field, he heard a man coining behind him It was dark. He
turned his head, and 837, a man v,hkrn he did not know. He
was crossing over a fence into a pl,intal ion. when he saw a man
squatting down near the bank. lle exclaimed " Hallo!" and
the other person said " Halo!" in a faint voice. He thought
that was the voice of Robert Wrigley. Wrigley worked in the
same mine as himself, and had known hint many elrs, and
seen him every day for the last six years. When he had pro-
ceeded a few yards in the plantation. he received a blow on the
back 111 his tonsil. Other pers"ns came up, and the blows %vele
repeated. Witness called ant, "Oh. dear!" and was then pull-
ed down. It was a hard substance with which he was struck,
and not a fist. .`'lllllP person grasped his throat as he lay on the
ground. He heard three different voices. They took his money
white they were throttling him. .He had a calico purse in his
pocket, containing two sovereigns, some half crowns and shil-
lings..in all. £B. Ile begged of Iheic to spate his life, and out.
of them said, " Has! it ?" (have von it ?) The answer was
" Ave." The first person said. " Let's go then." Some one
e, He does not know its:' He thought Robert Wrigley's
voice was heat(' on that occasion. Ile was left on the ground,
and thought the robbers went away over the fence.

Samuel Batasley deposed, that he was living at Oldham last
Dec. The witness went on to state, that ha was employed at