The Sun. — 1865-06-12 (London, England)

THE CASE OF MRS. GREY.  Colonel SYKES gave notice that to-morrow he should ask a question of the Government as to whether steps had been taken to obtain compensation for Mrs. Grey, whose husband had been murdered near the Cape of Good Hope.  The Fatal Accident on the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway.  WEST FELTON, Saturday.  This morning an inquest was resumed on the bodies of the nine persons who had lain dead at the Rodnal Station, all of whom aro now identified.  Tho company were again represented by most of the leading officials of the line, with Mr. Gricrson, the general manager, at their head. Mr. Tyrrill alone was absent. Mr. Chandler, solicitor, of Shrewsbury, was again present, representing the relatives of Miss Jones, deceased, and certain of the injured persons.  After some further evidence had been given, the room was then cleared, and in somewhat over an hour and a quarter afterwards the jury were prepared with their verdict, which the foreman read as follows : "We bring in a verdict of accidental death. Wo find that there is great blame attached to the officials of the Great Western Railway Company in not providing sufficient brake power before leaving Chester, and in not providing better carriages and engines in this excursion train. We consider that the enginemen were guilty of gross and culpable negligence in not attending to the signal put up by the platelayers ; and wo believe that the enginemen were going at too great a speed over a defective portion of the line between Babbin's Wood-bridge and the scene of the accident. We think the platelayers wore also guilty of gross and culpable negligence in not properly and sufficiently packing the sleepers so as to make them secure enough to bear so heavy a train as the excursion train at the pace the train was then going." Tho Coroner—By the word "culpable," you do not mean wilful ?  The Foreman—We exclude the word " wilful." W have studiously avoided using the word wilful, because we did not intend to return a verdict of manslaughter. The Coroner—lt is not, in my opinion, a verdict of manslaughter at all.  The Foreman—" Gross" is not wilful, in proof whereof we have had the dictionary, and hero it is in the room ; and if the lawyers can make anything'elso of it they may. We hope the verdict will give as much satisfaction to the public as it does to ourselves. We have very carefully considered all the circumstances.  Mr. Jones, on behalf of the company, desired that the coroner should place upon the record the specific statement of the jury that they studiously avoided returning a verdict of manslaughter.  Mr. Grierson then addressed the Court. He said—l need scarcely say, on behalf of the directors, that this very unfortunate accident will be a source of the deepest regret to them ; and with regard to the verdict, which will of course be laid before them, I may state—particularly with regard to the first portion of it—that the directors are, if possible, more anxious than the public can be to provide for the safe and efficient working of the line, and that ever since the present board has been in office, which has not been long, they have devoted the greatest amount of attention and anxiety to the subject, with the view of preventing such unfortunate occurrences as these ; and they have authorised the construction of continuous brakes to the trains, which are thought the most efficient for the purpose of stopping them under ordinary circumstances, particularly, in special cases, such as the present. Some of them are already attached to the trains, and others are being constructed as rapictly as possibly. They have also authorised the extension of the telegraph arrangements over the line, the application of the improved locking apparatus to the signals and pciints, and generally to the most improved means calulated to insure the safe and efficient wo7king of the line, as shown to be desirable and necessary by experience, and as recommended by Captain Tyler and the other Government nspectors ; but, of course, in a large system. like the Great Western, it required time to carry these improvements out ; buteverything I can assure l tbh jury, ee done bn ty thhreoug h he directors t m't et he ine public,ure s thatafty and comfort on their lines.  It was now past nine o'clock, and it wds'arranged that rather than detain the jury longer, they should assemble again on Monday at the Rednal station to complete the inquiry in the terms that the law required.