Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1874-05-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE ACTION FOR SLANDER AGAINST MR LEEMAN, M.P. This case came up in the full Court of Exchquer on Tuesday afternoon, shortly before the hour of adjournment. The plaintiff, Mr Ralph Ward-Jackson, formerly member of Parliament for West Hartlepool, sued the defendant, Mr Leeman, member for York, for alleged slander, arising out of certain statements attributed to the latter gentleman with respect to the former in connection with the amalgamation of the West Hartlepool with the North Eastern Railway Company. The action was tried before Mr Justice Quain, at the Durham Asizes, when a verdict was given for the plaintiff, on pleas of justification. Nominal damage., 408. The defendant having in pursuance of leave reserved at the trial, moved for and obtained a rule nisi calling Upon the plaintiff to show cause why a verdict should not be entered for the defendant on the ground that the statement made by Mr Leeman, containing the alleged slanders was a privileged communication, inasmuch as he had made it whilst acting in the capacity of vice chairman of the North Eastern Railway Company. The case now came on for argument on the question of making the rule absolute. The Solicitor-general (Mr Holier, Q.C., M.P.,) appeared along with Mr Charles Russell, Q.C., and Mr Edye for the plaintiff, to show cause againSt the rule; while Sir John Karslake, Q.C., Mr Kemplay, Q.C., Mr Harschell, Q.C., and Mr Crompton were for the defendant, in support of the rule. The Solicitor-General had only just entered on his statement of the case when the Court adjourned, the further hearing of the case, it is understood, being deferred until Thursday.  FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT IN LONDON, On Tuesday morning, shortly after eleven o'clock the premises 27 and 28, Newgate-street, recently occupied by a firm of wine merchants and a firm of tallow chandlers, fell, burying in the ruins ten men and lads who were engaged in demolishing the houses. The Salvage Corpse and a brigade of police were soon on the spot, and, after half an hour's labour, four men dreadfully injured were taken out and removed to St, Bartholomew's Hospital. One man, named Sylvester Crawley, who fell with the ruins from a great height, emerged from the debris without a scratch; but the fright prostrated him for some little time. About half-past twelve another of the men was unearthed, whose injuries seemed to be very severe. He was frightfully cut about the head and face, and his legs were wedged in by bilge beams, which had to be cut away. Two more men were rescued from the ruins later on, but their injuries are very severe. They have been removed to the hospital. The cause of the accident is very easily understood. It appears that the demolition of the premises were in the hands of four parties who were working quite independently of each other—some in the basement, some on the second floor, and some on the walls, which had partly been demolished. The removal of a mass of bricks under one of the supports, caused the whole structure to give way, and it fell, scattering great masses of debris into the thoroughfare. It is almost marvellous that none of the passers by were not killed, as many tons of bricks fell into the street. The few policemen in the neighbourhood quickly gathered, and stopped the traffic. By-and.bye 100 men, under the command of Supt. Forster, arrived and kept order. A Press Association telegram says :—The ten men and boys buried in the ruins of the fallen houses in Newgate-street, London, have been extricated. None are dead, but there are several cases of terrible injury.  THE DUTCH IN Acintax.—Advioes from Aoheen state that the Ackeenege in force attacked the Du?,lion the lltb and 16th, but were repulsed with heavy loss. Fresh attacks were expected daily. The greater part of the Dutch expedition was to leave on the 28th, leaving only 2,500 troops in Acheen.  THE DOUBLE SUICIDE fl