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    at Guildhall , Rochester . Dougherty was dismissed , with a light fine , on account of hm g ood character ; but Roufke and Dann , who made no defence , were P A dreaclful murder was perpetrated on the 8 th in the neighbourhood of Stranorlar , Donegal , the unhappy victim being a person named David Moore , who held a confidential situation in the employment of the under agent of the estates of Colonel Pratt , of Cabra Castle . At the early hour of six o ' clock in the morning Moore was met at the gate of Manor Pratt , the lodge of Colonel Pratt , by two men , who fell upon him and beat and mutilated him so unmercifully as to deprive him of all sense . The » BR » RRins then fled , and the body of Moore was brought

    into one of the offices of the lodge , and a doctor was immediately sent for : on his arrival , however , he at once pronounced the case to be hopeless . The skull was laid open , both legs fearfully mangled , and one hand nearly cut off . He lingered , however , till ten o ' clock on Friday night , when death put an end to his tortures . The causes which led to this dreadful affair have not clearly transpired . It is stated by a writer in the Dublin Evening Mail , " that a short time since Colonel Pratt voluntarily ordered a revaluation of his extensive estates , and consented to a reduction of rent , varying in amount from 30

    to 50 per cent ., and that more recently , on learning that even this abatement did not satisfy some of his tenantry in Donegal , he signified his intention to cause a second valuation to be made , with a view of meeting the wishes of the discontented tenants . But even this concession was of no avail , and it was pretty plainly intimated that the malcontents had come to a resolution to hold their lands free of all rent . The murdered man was a Protestant , and bore an irreproachable character . He has left a mother , 98 years of age , and a sister to deplore their bereavement . _

    Last October a quarrel fell out between the Brighton commissioners and the Brighton fly-proprietors , about some regulations then issued . As a retort to the regulations , the fly-proprietors withdrew their vehicles . One alone . came out , and stood before the Old Ship . Three of the fly-drivers " on strike " descryed the solitary fly , and instantly went to engage it to take them for an hour ' s ride . The driver refused at first , and there was a row , but at length he agreed to drive them out . Instead of going up to East Cliff , a policeman

    ordered the driver to take them to the Town-hall ; and on arriving there Mr . Slight , the clerk to the commissioners , ordered them to be locked up . They were confined for two hours and upwards , and then taken before the magistrates ; and ultimately , after a remand , set at liberty . An action was brought against Mr . Slight for damages , and tried last week . Mr . Baron Alderson made light of the whole affair , joking several times during the trial . He summed up with a bad and old joke about the flys , " and the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs—Damages , One Farthing .

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    ACCIDENTS . Bedminster ia acquiring a fatal reputation in tragic accidents . Indeed , in the colliery districts , life seems pretty generally to be held in small account , especially by the colliers themselves . They are rash and reckless to an extent which passes the limits of daring and courage , and becomes simply culpable disregard of life . An accident occurred at the Malaga Vale Pit , in Btdminster , on Saturday , certainly not owing to the too prevalent recklessness of the workmen , but to a flaw in the machinery , for which other parties must be responsible . As a " turn of men " were bring lowered in the bucket the rope broke , and they dropped to the bottom of the shaft . The depth was 240 fathoms , they had descended

    the greater part ; but the fall was still so great as to cause the death of the four men and a boy who were in the bucket . In a short time the mouth of the pit was surrounded by anxious friends ; and great , fears were experienced for the safety of the men who were working in the bottom , vein . Preparations were made for a descent . The pumps were kept going . A flat rope of 150 fathoms was borrowed , but Ik ing too short by nearly 100 fathoms it had to be spliced , a very difficult task . The required length of round twisted rope was added after a long time , and the bucket let down with lights by way of experiment . Then two mm , John Reynolds and Henry Lovell , descended ; returning after some time , they reported that with the round rope they could not safely descend to the vein , but that they had seen and conversed wiili the men in the vein , and that all who went down in

    the bucket were dead . A flat rope was then borrowed ; and after great exertions the first two bodies , those of Philip Piing and Joseph MofFatt , were brought up . They were dreadfully crushed by the falling of the iron bonnet of the cart . Moffutt had his throat cut , caused by hie neck being driven against the edge of the iron cart . In about another hour the tlnce remaining bodies were recovered ; lint they were only slightly bruised , and had evidently loHt their lives by drowning in the wider at the bottom of the shaft . We have been informed that the rope and !)(¦( n spliced only four duys previously , in the very place where it parted ; mid it is alleged to have always I ) eon ; i defective one . The coroner , J . 1 $ . ( Jrinrion , Esq ., ' : » the afit moon , held an inquest upon the body of the <>!

    commenced un inquest upon the body of the five sufferer , winch was , however , adjourned until Thursday next , in order to afford time for the arrival of the ( Jovertiment inspector . In the mean time ihe rope , has been impounded by the police . Robert . Mollatt has left a widow "lid No . vf / n children ; Thomas J'ike , a widow and two children ; l'hilin l ' ring , a widow and one , child ; Wil-| > i » Smith wus unmuiricd ; and William Weimar was a t » oy of fourteen years of age . We iniibt state that the •¦ liguieer suys he observed a defect in the rope ; but that ix'lon ? he could stop the engine , it hud bioken . The nqucst begun on the aumc day wus continued on Wed nesday No Government inspector had arrived .

    The point of interest in the inquiry is the state of the rope . The collier spoke very decidedly as to its bad condition , and asserted that they were afraid to speak of it Henry Watts said it was an- old rope , but he " did not like to complain , because men don ' t like to speak their minds . " Waiter Smith said : — " There is scarcely a roan that has worked under the ground but has complained of it to Mr . Pillinper [ the foreman ] , and on the Saturday morning two of those who were killed got into the cart when we went down , but we would not let them . We said we would not go down more than four or five , because the rope was so bad . So late as last Saturday rooming , in Mr . Pilhngers we complained . He might have heard

    presence , it , but I can't say . We ordered off two who got on the cart when five persons were in it , or we would not have gone down . The Coroner here asked why , if they thought the rope bad , they had not complained to their masters ? They must not suppose that because they wore better coats they had not honest hearts beneath them ; Smith Poor men are tied down too tight now . A Collier : We are not allowed to speak . Smith : For the evidence I have given today I shall be out of work . I should wish much to see the splice [ it was produced ] . Is that the splice which they say has broken ? The Coroner : Yes , they say bo . Smith : It is a wilful lie . I have looked at the two pieces of rope . I do not believe that either of them belong to the part of the rope which was

    broken last Friday night . The inquest was again adjourned . Railway casualties in Liverpool have lately been numerous . On the 13 th , a keeper , named Hesketh , who exhibited a light , to signal a train to proceed more slowly , on account of some repairs , was knocked down by the train before he was aware it was so close , and ere he could get out of the way the buffer of the engine struck him , several of the carriages passed over him , and he was picked up a revolting spectacle of mutilation . Not more than four hours afterwards , on the same line , about half-past twelve at night , a goods * train , in charge of an engine-driver and fireman , was approaching Liverpool at the usual speed , when , owing to exceedingly

    culpable negligence , the engine with several of the waggons was precipitated down a fissure caused by the removal of part of a bridge , near the Church viaduct , and literally dashed to fragments . The driver is seriously injured ; the fireman escaped . On Sunday morning there was a dreadful accident on the Great Western Railway , imputed to the fog , but really arising from official negligence . An excursion train , starting from the Paddington station , on Saturday night , was found to be too long , and therefore was divided into two trains . The first started about half-past six , and reached Bristol in safety . The second , which did not start until eight , proceeded as far as Bath , the

    engine terribly exhausted , * and the speed very slow . Suddenly the engine stopped . Meanwhile an engine and tender had left Bath , and was approaching the excursion train . Passengers looking out saw it coming . There was a fog at the time ; it was dark also ; but still the passengers saw the coming engine . One moment , and there was a shock , followed by 6 hrieks , and a smashing of carriages . Twenty persons were injured very considernbly , some severely . The excursion train had the red lights behind . The engine and tender were proceeding slowly ; the engineer shut off the steam and reversed the engine , the moment he saw the tail of the motionless train . But it was useless . The crash was tremendous . The wreck of

    the train and the wounded did not reach Bristol until between four and five in the morning . On Monday the engineer and fireman of the engine and tender were charged before the magistrates of Somerset with having negligentl y omitted to stop an engine , thereby endangering the life and limbs of several people . The two men pleaded guilty to the charge ; but urged in mitigation of punishment that they did not see any signal till too late to pull up ; that , although the night was foggy , no fog or detonating signals were placed on the line by the policeman , as ought to have been done : and that , although thev had missed have been done ; and thatalthough they had passed

    , a red light , not seeing it , the next , just before they ran into the excursion train , was a white one , signifying " go on . " After some deliberation Major James eaid that both prisoners had pleaded guilty to this charge , and in the minds of the magistrates very properly so ; there was no doubt there hud been a great amount of carelessness shown by them . They should fine Thomas Coltman , the engine-driver , £ 5 , or in default one month ' s imprisonment with hard labour ; and John Wright , who Bceincd not to have had such command as the other , £ 3 , or twenty-one days , with hard labour . Whether it would be piudent for the company to employ them again they hud nothing to do with .

    As a very heavy train was proceeding up the incline of the branch line from Folkestone Harbour the coupling of the engine broke , and the train ran hackwurdu down the incline . The line abutted on the aea cliffs . The train ran down at momently increasing speed , under and past the « hed , over some planks thrown down to check it , until it stopped on reaching the cliffs , over which the hindmost carriage fell on to the beach . The injuries of the passengers were very slight . The tiuin was again Blurted at a quarter to five , hut did not get in till eight o ' clock , three hours and a . half after time , when great confusion took place in the delivery of the vust pile of * KK K « i which was not cleared for three quarters of an liour , although cabs were summoned from ull neighbouring points .

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    1 ' O 1 , I C E . I he lianelagh caae has grown to enormous proportions . Two colminiH in Monday ' h papers , and two and a hulf coJumiiH in Thursduy ' s . On Saturday Mr . Seeker heard the charge brought by Sergeant Price , the railway constable , agahiet Lord Kanelagh and Mr . Itowun . We aUted , th « particulars laat week . Three new point * arooe

    in the evidence . First , Sergeant Price , and Widdows , the porter , charged Lord Ranelagh with having used an expression which we cannot publish ; a charge not brought before , and which is emphatically denied . Secondly , the " cane , " which Widdows swore was " broken about his head , " turns out to have been a gutta percha cane , and was produced in court unbroken . And , thirdly , it is alleged that Lord Ranelagh said Price had done his duty , but that Carpenter was in fault , and he would ruin him . The whole of the evidence for the constables is just where it was : the affirmations of the accusing part ) ' are as distinct as before . On the other hand , Colonel M ' Dowall stated most positively that Lord Ranelagh did not " use any violence whatever , '' that he " particularly watched , " that there was not room for his lordship to go to the wall and square , and that he did not use any bad expressions whatever . Mr . Seeker summed up as follows : —

    " The charge is , that these two gentlemen did unlawfully and wilfully obstruct Price , he being an officer of the South-Eastern Railway Company , and in the due execution of his duty as such . The state of the circumstances appears to me to divide the transactions into two distinct periods , on each of which I shall deliver my opinion as well as I can , after having heard the voluminous and contradictory evidence that has been given . The first part of the transaction is the conflict arising between some passengers on a railway station , and the officers who are there placed to execute certain duties . The second part is with respect to certain acts of violence that occurred at a subsequent period of the transactions , and which by themselves appear to be the foundation of a different charge .

    " With respect to the first , I am called upon to convict two passengers , what their condition in life may be it matters not , for assaulting and obstructing officers of the railway while in the execution of their duty . In order to convict them of any such offence , it seems to me that I must first believe that those officers were in the execution of their duty , and that , being so , they were obstructed by the defendants . Now , in my opinion , the officers were not in the execution of their duty ; and it is for this reason that I have had it put in evidence that these parties who presented themselves at the railway , and who are accused of attacking the officers , are entitled by the payment of a certain sum to be carried by the railway company . By that payment the railway company

    contracted an obligation to admit them to the platform , so that they might avail themselves of the licence to travel by their train , which they by such payment had obtained ; consequently these passengers were entitled to have free ingress to the station and egress from it , in order to make use of the train in the fulfilment of that contract . These passengers , then , having been permitted to pass the outer barrier , had a right to expect that the coast would be clear , and that they would not find any one interfering with them . If , then , these passengers , having thus acquired this right to pass , were improperly interfered with , can it be said that those officers who were guilty

    of such interference were in the execution of their duty ? I think not . Therefore , with respect to this charge , in which I am asked to convict Lord Ranelagh and Mr . Michael Rowan , for that they did unlawfully and wilfully obstruct William Price and Thomas Widdows , being officers of the South-Eastern Railway Company , they being in the due execution of their duty , I am of opinion that those men were not in the execution of their duty , and , therefore , the information must be dismissed , and I dismiss the complaint accordingly . With respect to the assault which might be considered to have been committed at the station by these officers , that is another question , which must be gone into on the second inquiry . "

    The hearing of the Ranelagh charges against Widdows , the porter , and Price , the policeman , took place on Wednesday . New evidence was put in by Lord Ranelagh , —Mr . Septimus Edmundus Carlisle , who lives in the same bouse as his lordship ; but his evidence amounted to nothing . The result of the examination was , that Price and Widdows were bound over to appear at the Central Criminal Court . Carpenter , the policeman , was also placed at the bar ; but Mr . Seeker , after hearing the evidence over again , dismissed the case , absolving Carpenter from the charge of having exceeded his duty . Nevertheless , Lord Ranelagh declared his intention of including the name of Carpenter in the indictment .

    Iwo of the missing witnesses in the St . Alban ' s caae have come home at last . About eleven o ' clock on Wednesday the Albion steamer , from Boulogne , arrived at London-bridge Wharf . On board of her were two men as passengers , ThomaH Birchmoro , aged seventy-two , and James Skegg , aged sixty-eight . There was also in the same boat a Mr . Unsworth , of Fish-strcet-hill , who recognized the two interesting travellers as per-8 ons concerned in the ! St . Alban ' H ease . Upon the arrival of the steamer ut the wharf , Mr . Unsworth passed the word to the officer stationed there , and he instantly went up to the two venerable nun , and whispered , "Do you know St . Alban ' s ? " Their nrtlt't-H reply in the- affirmative interested this zealous functionary in their favour . He requested the pleasure

    of th < lr company to the Mansion-house , that he might have the gratification of presenting them to the sitting alderman . To the Mansion-houhc uccoidingly thry went , and the returning heroes of JSt . Alhuu ' s were accommodated with a place in what i . s vulgarly culled " the dock . " Here the question arose , upon what authority were they arrested ? and how could they be detained ? Everybody knew that a short while hack a pi ice . bad licen net upon the hcudu of the St . Aluuu ' s witnesses , hut who could produce the warrant ? The bill offering the rewaid for their upprehension , witli the name of the Queen ' s printers subscribed , was indeed still posted up in the police-office ut the Munsion-house . Thin document stated that the prisoners , when apprehended , were to be delivered , into the custody of the tfer / rcnnt-ut-Arms , and that the application for reward wan , to be [ made to the Lords

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    Ava . 16 , 1851 . ] « & « % t ( t * tV . TJX

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 16, 1851, page 771, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1896/page/7/