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CHARGES AGAINST SIGNALMEN.At the Leicester assizes on Tuesday, Thomas Butler signalman at the Desford station, on the Midland Railway, between Burton and Leicester, was indieted for manslaughter. On October 22nd a mineral train arrived at Desford station at 8.49 a.m., and was shunted by the prisoner into a siding to allow theexpress from Burton to Leicester to pass. The pointswhich passed the train into the siding are facing points, and the prisoner forgot to close them. In consequence the express, which followed the mineral train at an interval of 12 minutes, ran -into thesiding, killing five passengers and seriously injuring several others. It appeared that until the 14th of October, the facing points of the semaphore home-signal were worked by an interlocking apparatus, so that the points could not be opened unless the semaphore stood at danger ; the storm of October 14 had, however, blown over the post of the semaphore, which had not been put in thorough working order. This semaphore was protected by a man with a hand flag under the orders of the signalman, who had signified by exhibiting a white flag that the road was clear for a passing train. The prisoner was a man of good character and considerable experience.— The jury found that he had been guilty of neglect but not of a criminal nature, and he was therefore discharged.On the same day Thomas Dippie, the railway signalman wbo was apprehended in connection with the collision between a passenger and a mineral train at Tayporfc in November, by which six persons were killed and many injured, was brought up for trial at Cupar Fife charged with culpable homicide and violation o£ duty. Dippie pleaded not guilty to both charges, and Ida trial was adjourned to February 2nd.The Bavarian Government has requested the Curia to give instructions to its Nuncio at Munich to abatair from carrying on negotiations with foreign Powers ax such a proceeding is likely to‘give rise to serious trouble.At Brigg petty sessions Benjamin Warsop, ofCaistor, jomer, waa committed for trial upon a chargeof wound ing John Whattam, of North Kelsey, railway porter with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. The. prisoner fired a gun at prosecutor, but hewas not injured. Prisoner overtook him and struck him a heavy blow on the head with th® butt end of the gun, knocking him down and causing a severe wound.mi. - V__•__ t- d i.ls ^ T t _______
Newspaper Details
Centaur
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Jan 28, 1882
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
GB 27 Oct 2018
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