The Telegram. — 1900-04-17 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

WEYMOUTII NEWS.  (Continued ). something out of the Common to occur that evening. Air. Temple then callea Frank William who said : I am a fireman in the employ Of the (cat 'Western Railway ComPanY. am 18 years old, and live in Derby Street, Weymouth. On the ifith December last I %WI working Trim prisoner, and left Weymouth with the 6.50 paisenger train for Portland. Pris,euer was in o.iitrao of -- Back the engine. When we were over me oa,_ water Bridge I put some coals on the tire. I then noticed nothing unusual. IVnen we passed Littlefield crossing it was usual to blow the whistle, and when I blew the whistle I missed the driver. I had only been a fireman for four or live weeks before then. When I missed him tile train was going at the rate of 15 to 20 utiles an hour. It would not be easy for anyone to :jump off into the Backwater when the train was going at tnat pace. When I missed prisoner I tit very nervous. I looked round on both sides but could not see him anywhere, and I thought it best to go on to Bodwell. I took the train to fiudwell station and stopped it thieve. The tram was kept waiting there for 25 annulus, an I then another driver took charge. I hal noticed that prisoner was accustomed to smarten himself up after the 8.50 train, but on that evening he did so uefore starting with the 6.50 tram Frederick Benton, chief inspector of the Detective Department of the Great Western Railway, stationed at Paddington, sail • On toe 3lst of March I olitained a warrant for the arrest of prisoner. On Monday, the 9th inst., I traced him to a amain hamlet called Feteharn. near Leatherhead, in the county of surrey. Ile was in a shied, and carrying on the business of a wood chopper. I read the warrant to him, and he replied, "They say [left the engine." I then conveyed him to the Police-station. Be said to me, "Will you go and ace my wife ?" I said, " You mean your wife's sister.' I then went and saw Ellen Summers, the wile's sister, and I found they had been living as man and wife in lodgings with a him Freeman at a rent of 4s per week in furnished rooms. They were living in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. The woman was very far advanced in pregnancy. On the way between Leatherhead and Waterloo on the morning of tile loth inst., prisoner said, " I have been in a good deal of trouble." I said, " Your wife's sister is likely to become a mother, I see." He said, " Yes, I knew she wan like that before I left Weymouth." Re also said, " I shall never forget that night. I remained iii may wet clothes all night, and I could see it in my mind what would happen to the train. I conl I see it running into the stop blocks at Portland and the peonhi being killed. I was falling from the engine, and I jumped to save mysel:.  Charles Ballard, foreman in charge of the locomotive and carriage department of the Great Western Railway at Weymouth, anti living at 5, Great Western Terrace, !Aid : Priemer was in my eilarge and is a properly appointed engine-driver in the Company's service. He has been in the serslC3 of the Company 10 or 11 years. thi Deceinhor 18th last he was in charge of the 6.50 p.m. passenger train from Weymouth to Portland as engine-driver. About 7.10 that evening I received information by telephone Lest he WAS missing front the engine. 1 arranged to get another man to fill his place, and to search the Backwater, under the impression that he had fallen oft the engine into the Backwater, but in spite of every search and enquiry I could find no trace of him. I consider it very dangerous and likely to cause loss or use to leave the control of the engine to a lad like Willis, who was very inexperienced. John Palmer, station-master at llodwell, in the joint employment of tna OW, and the L. A: S.W. Railway Companies, said I erts at the station on the arr,val of the 6.50 p.m. train Loin Weymouth on the 18th Dec. On the arrival or the train at &Awe!l there were, I should think, between 50 and 60 passengers in it. The lad Willis was on the engine. The train an ived at 7.4, and was detained just half•amhour. Rodwell station is about half•a-mile trom Littlefield crossing. Chief Constable Ei'teock produced his report book, containing a report made on the evening rif the 18th December respecting prisoner tieing missing from his engine. He said every possible enquiry was made by the police, and every Mort was made to recover his body from the Backwater, but they could find no trace of him. Believing be was in the Backwater witness communicated with the Harbour-master asking him to close the data—By Mr. Temple : He had heard prisoner state in Court that morning that he was in such a state of mind owing to the trouble he had got into, that he thought it would be better for him to commit suicide.  Mr. Temple said the Company would be quite satisfied if the prisoner got two mouths imprisonment. The Mayor said the majority of the Magistrates felt that two months' IU% quite inadequate, and they did not like to take the responsibility of dealing with the ease, hut thought the man ought to be sent before 12 of his fellow-countrymen to be tried. Mr. Temple then asked that prisoner should be committed for trial at Quarter Sessions, remarking that there was no juri.alictiou at the Assizes. lii reply to the formal charge read by the Mayor, Prisoner said lie did not wish to :ay anything. The Mayor: Do you wiqi to a,k for bail. Prisoner: I have got nowhere to go if I do. I shan't go back to live with my wife. Re was then committed for trial, and removed from court into custody,