The Sun. — 1863-04-08 (London, England)

WOODLAND V. LONDON AND NORTH •WESTERN RAILWAY.  Mr. Woodland, vicar of Stone, in Staffordshire, brought 'an action against the London and North-Western Railway Company to obtain compensation for having been falsely imprisoned. On 26th January last the plaintiff left Stone in a second-class carriage of one of the defendants' trains, on a visit to his wife, who was staying in Liverpool with a friend named Proudfoot. He arrived at the Edge-hill station, near Liverpool, at 10 45 p.m., and as he was not encumbered with luggage, at once jumped out of the train when it stopped, and after availing himself of accommodation for "gentlemen only," he went to the gatekeeper, de-1 livered up his ticket, and was about to leave the station, when he was detained by one of the defendants' servants (a man named Thorpe), who said he had been riding in a first class carriage with a second-class ticket. Mr. Woodland was naturally indignant at Thorpe's insolence, and told him he was a liar, and also refused to give his address, Thorpe then gave plaintiff into the custody of the police, and he was locked up in one of the cells of a police-station, although he gave his address and denied the charge, until his friend Mr, Proudfoot came and bailed him out. The day following he surrendered at the police court to take his trial on the charge of having travelled in a first-class carriage when he had only paid for a second-class ticket. The police charge stated in the usual way that "the prisoner could read and write, had a knife in his pocket," &o. The magistrates presiding on that day and the following one were shareholders in the railway company, and therefore could not investigate the case, but ultimately it was decided, and the plaintiff was dismissed. It appeared that the ticket collector, Thorpe, merely suspected some one of having been guilty of the offence with which he charged Mr. Woodland, and as the plaintiff left the train hurriedly, and did not immediately leave the station, he concluded that he must be the offender. The most conclusive evidence was adduced that Mr. Woodland did not ride in a first. class carriage, and the jury, after they had been addressed by Mr. Overend, Q.C., intimated to Baron Martin that they had agreed upon their verdict, and that it was therefore unnecessary for his lordship to sum up. A verdict for the plaintiff was then returned— damages, £lOO.  Extraordinary Suicides in a Family at giugsland.  An inquiry was held by Mr. Humphreys, at the Lord Truro Tavern, Ralston, on Monday night, respecting the death of Mr. Thomas Shirley, agE d 67 years, a wealthy tradesman, who committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor on Thursday evening last.  MraSarah Shirley said that deceased had for a number of years carried on business as a grocer at Kingsland-green. He was latterly much depressed on account of the extension line of the North London Railway, which was to be carried through his premises, as he thought the amount of compensation which the company were to allow him for turning him out of his house insufficient. The company of fered only £4OO, and he found it useless to resist, and assented, but the agreement had not been signed. Witness was deceased's third wife. He had children by his two former wives. Two of the children by the second wife had committed suicide, and inquests had been held upon them. One of them—the son—had destroyed himself and the young person to whom he was engaged to be married. The daughter threw herself into the river Lea and was drowned. There was no particular reason for her doing so. There were two children living with deceased at the time of his suicide. Mr. Frederick Shirley, deceased's son, said the spring alwaye seemed to have operated in a peculiar manner on deceased, and made him more nervous. The Coroner, noticing this remark, remembered, as curious, that last spring he had to hold inquests upon some of deceased's children who had committed suicide. The son that destroyed himself was going to be married, but the match was disapproved of at home, especially by Mrs. Shirley, and on his going to his father's horse with the young woman oh one occasion, the reception he got was such that he took his intended to a coffee-shop in the City-road, and poisoned her and himself with cyanide of potassium. When he (the coroner) viewed the bodies they were still locked in one another's arms. The daughter filled her pockets with stones and leaped into the river Lea, apparently from domestic unhappiness. The deceased and his two unfortunate children appeared to have been subject to an extraordinary liability to depression, resulting in suicidal mania.  The jury returned it verdict of " Suicide while of unsound mind."  Importing Tea without colour on the leaf prevents the Chinese passing off inferior leaves as in the usual kinds. Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore, always good alike. Sold in packets by 2,280 agents,