The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-10-26 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

FRIGHTFUL OCCURRENCE.  The little village of Walton, near —Wakefield, where a fatal affray recently took place between two boatmen, has just been the scene of another most frightful and shocking occurrence. Three young men, named George Setton, William Johnson, and George Stamp, platelayers on the Midland Railway between Walton and Oakemihaw, were engaged in fog-signalling. They than went to Walton' elation, and received their wages from Mr. Dicken, the station-master. On leaving the station apparently all good friends, they proceeded to work in the tunnel near Walton, known as Chord Tunnel. Before going into the tunnel Stamp filled two large lamps with naphtha, which is used in all the tunnels on the Midland [system. Johnson took one of the lamps, and Sefton the other. Sefton,who had been acting as " ganger " over the other two men Irons the previous Friday, had not taken more than a couple of strides when the outside of his lamp, which had been filled to overflowing, began to blaze all round. Sefton placed the lamp on the ballast, upon which Johnson asked him if he might pour a little more naphtha upon it in order to make it blase harder. Sefton informed him that if he did so he would kick the blazing lamp upon him. Johnson then said to his ganger, "Thou will? where dons thou think I shall be to let thee ?" Sefton answered, "Teem some on and try me." Johnson then held a lamp over Sefton's, as if in the act of pouring more naphtha upon it; but whether lie actually did so, or only professed, in not known. Immediately Sefton ' saw what Johnson was doing he kicked the blazing lamp, and it went upon Johnson. The effect of this rash and unfortunate act it in impossible to describe. In an instant the poor young fellow's clothing was enveloped in flames. Unfortunately, Johnson started to run down the line towards the station, and by this moans he caused the flames to spread over the whole surface of his body in a few moments. His two companions,who were awestricken, had sufficient presence of mind to lay hold of their great-coats, cashed after Johnson, threw them around him, and endeavoured to smother the Eames. All their efforts, however, were in vain, and Johnson fell to the ground. He wee most horribly burnt on almost every part of his body. A platelayer's tarry was fetched to the place without delay, and as quickly as possible Johnson was removed to Walton Station. A special train MLA provided, and in a short time the poor sufferer was conveyed to Wakefield. He was carried to the Clayton Hospital, where he reeeivea every attention from the medical officers, but he gradually grew weaker, and about eleven o'clock on Saturday forenoon he died from the shock. Sefton was at once taken into custody by the West Riding police. An inquest was held on Satur. clay night at Mr. Bennett's, the Talbot and Falcon Inn, Wakefield, before Mr. T. Taylor, when the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Sefton, and the coroner committed him to take his trial at the next West Riding Assizes, at Leeds, but offered to take bail. As Sefton was not prepared with bail he was removed in custody shortly after eleven o'clock at night.  A CONSTALBLIS STEA_LING Boom. On Saturday, John Skeeton, a London constable, was charged at Marylebone Police-court with stealing a pair of boots from the Portland Town Pollee-station, and also with unlawfully disposing of a pair of boots, the property of the receiver of the metropolitan police, and was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour.  ROBERT GILMOUR, who ig accused of the murder of a miner, at Shotts, and who had been in hiding since the begicning of this month, has volun• tartly given himself no. THE ABERDEEN TEMPERANCE SOCIETY have prefaced their yearly report by a map, wherein all the publio.houses in the city are dotted down in small black squares, licensed grocers escaping with a sort of mourning border round them.  AN ANGLINt3 FEAT Of TO ordinary description has lately been performed on the river Tyne, where an angler is said to have captured no less than fourteen salmon to his own rod in one day, or nix more than were taken this year by rods on the Severn.  MR. D.