3.--A special meeting of the Norwich Town Council was held for the
purpose of considering and passing resolutions authorising the Council to
petition Parliament against the Norwich Gas Bill, by which the British
Gaslight Company sought to acquire additional lands and to raise further
capital. It was decided to oppose the Bill, and the action of the
Council was confirmed at a common hall held on the 4th.
--Died at 26, Highbury Place, London, the Rev. Luke Hoult Wiseman, aged
53. He was a son of Mr. Samuel Wiseman of Norwich, so well known for his
long and devoted services to the British and Foreign Bible Society. He
became private secretary to Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, and afterwards
entered as a candidate for the Wesleyan Methodist ministry. A popular
and powerful preacher, he was appointed, in 1868, one of the general
secretaries of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. In 1871 he was elected
secretary to the Conference, and in 1872 was appointed its president.
Mr. Wiseman wrote much for the Press, and all his writings bore the
impress of a clear and vigorous intellect. His best known works were
"Christ's Temptation in the Wilderness" and "Men of Faith."
4.--A fire, which resulted in the destruction of the treadmill-house and
of a small storage building, occurred at the City Gaol, Norwich. An
alarming rumour of an attempted escape of the prisoners was circulated,
and a detachment of the 7th Hussars was summoned from the Cavalry
Barracks. The prisoners, however, were safely removed from the south to
the north side of the gaol, the fire was extinguished by the city police,
and the cavalry were ordered back to quarters.
5.--The Norwich Town Council discussed the question of the proposed site
for the new pauper lunatic asylum, and decided to erect the building at
Hellesdon.
23.--The Sheriff of Norwich (Mr. J. Youngs) and the Under-Sheriff (Mr. F.
Foster) opened a court at the Shirehall for the assessment of damages in
the claims brought against the Great Eastern Railway Company by the
relatives of certain persons who had been killed or injured in the Thorpe
collision. At Norwich Assizes, on April 6th, before Mr. Justice
Blackburn, Alfred Cooper, formerly night inspector, and John Robson,
formerly telegraph clerk at Thorpe railway station, were indicted for
feloniously killing and slaying George Robert Womack, on September 10th.
Mr. Womack was one of the victims of the collision. The jury acquitted
Robson, and returned a verdict of guilty against Cooper, who was
sentenced to eight calendar months' imprisonment. At the same Assizes, a
special jury tried the civil action, Morse _v._ the Great Eastern Railway
Company, in which the Rev. Charles Morse sued the company for
compensation for injuries sustained in the collision. The jury awarded
plaintiff 2,050 damages. On April 17th it was announced: "It is now
expected that the amount of compensation claims will not exceed 40,000.
About 10,000 has been paid in the amicable adjustment of minor claims,
and juries have awarded some 15,000 more." At the Summer Assizes, on
August 6th, before Mr. Baron Bramwell, a special jury awarded Mr. C. R.
Gilman the sum of 6,497 3s. 8d. for damages, medical attendance, and
extra expenses consequent upon injuries received by him in the collision.