On Monday, at the New Bailey, two men, named William Hatfield and Mark
Clegg, the former an engine-driver and the latter a fireman in the employ
of the London and North-Western Railway, were brought up before Mr.
Trafford, the stipendiary magistrate, and Captain Whittaker, charged with
drunkenness and gross negligence in the discharge of their duty. Mr.
Wagstaff, solicitor, of Warrington, appeared on behalf of the Company,
and from his statement and the evidence of the witnesses it appeared that
the prisoners had charge of the night mail train from Liverpool to
London, on Saturday, December 25, 1847. The number of carriages and
passengers was not stated, but the pointsman at the Warrington junction
being at his post, waiting for the train, was surprised to hear it coming
at a very rapid rate. He had been preparing to turn the points in order
to shunt the train on to the Warrington junction, but as the train did
not diminish in speed, but rather increased as it approached, he,
anticipating great danger if he should turn the points, determined on the
instant upon letting the train take its course, and not turning them.
Most fortunate was it that he exercised so much judgment and sagacity,
for, in consequence of the acuteness of the curve at Warrington junction
and the tremendous rate at which the train was proceeding—not less than
forty miles an hour—it does not appear that anything could have otherwise
prevented the train from being overturned, and a frightful sacrifice of
human life ensuing. Meantime the train continued its frightful progress;
but the mail guard seated at the end of the train, perceiving that it was
going on towards Manchester, instead of staying at the junction,
signalled to the engine-driver and fireman, but without effect, no notice
whatever being taken of the signal. Finding this to be the case, he, at
very considerable risk, passed over from carriage to carriage till he
reached the engine, where he found both the prisoners lying drunk. At
length, at Patricroft, however, he succeeded in stopping the train just
before it reached that station, a distance of 14 miles from Warrington.
This again appears to be almost a miraculous circumstance, for at the
Patricroft station, on the same line as that on which the mail train was
running was another train, containing a number of passengers, who thus
escaped from the consequences of a dreadful collision. The prisoners
were, of course, immediately given into custody, and convoyed to the New
Bailey prison, while, other assistance being obtained, the train was
taken back again to Warrington junction. The regulation is in
consequence of the sharp curve at this junction, that the trains shall
not run more than five miles an hour. The bench sentenced both prisoners
to two months hard labour.
—_Manchester Examiner_.