ACCIDENTS. , 377 



that men should be degraded as felons, when their 

 utmost punishment, if convicted, could not exceed a 

 twelvemonth's imprisonment; so .he remonstrated 

 with the gaoler, who, however, replied that it was so 

 ordered by the mayor. Knowing something of that 

 dignitary, who was a surgeon in extensive practice at 

 St. Albans, he waited on him, but got no redress, as 

 he said he could only in such a case refer to his legal 

 adviser, the town clerk, and he believed the practice 

 was quite correct. The town clerk being then waited 

 upon, soon proved from a book containing Acts of 

 Parliament that the degradation was sanctioned by 

 law ; consequently the men remained in irons for six 

 months, when they were tried at Hertford, and 

 sentenced to the utmost penalty for their offence — 

 viz., twelve months' further imprisonment in the 

 county gaol. 



The sentence does not appear severe, considering 

 the dreadful result of the conduct of the two 

 drivers, who, utterly regardless of the lives of 

 their passengers, raced against each other in the 

 most reckless manner, the driver of the Chester 

 mail having designedly, by crossing in front of the 

 leaders of the Holyhead mail, -forced it up the bank 

 by the side of the road, and thus upset it. Causing 

 instant death to one passenger, and fractured 

 Jimbs to another, does not appear to be adequately 



