The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-07 00:00:00

'A CLERGYMAN ATTACKED IN A
RAILWAY TRAIN.

On Thursday in last week, an attack of a violent
character was made upon an English clergyman
while travelling by the express train from Calais,
which reaches Amiens at six o'clock in the morn-
ing. On the arrival of the train at that town
the assailant endeavoured to effect his escape,
but was taken into custody. The victim of the
attack was the Rev. G. F. Whidborne, of
St. Pancras, London, who was on his way to
Charnounix, to act there during July as chaplain for
the Colonial and Continental Church Society. The
secretary of that society received a telegram from the
rev, gentleman dated June 28th, in which he stated—
"An attack was made upon me in the train last
night, and I was a good deal knocked about, and
though I am well enough to go on to Paris to-day, I
very much deuht whether I cin get to Charnounix in
time. I think I had a narrow escape of my life."

The Paris Correspondent of the Daily News, in an
account of an interview with Mr. Wnidhorne, says
He thinks his aggressor was shorter than he is, but
strong looking. At the same time Mr. Whidborne is
of opi-ion that he would have been more than a match
for him had the man been unarmed. Before the
attack was begun the door of the carriage was opened,
fortunately as it turned out for the clergyman, who
was dozing when he was violently and repeatedly struck
with the cold chisel. Directly he saw the door open it
occurred to him that the aggressor intended to do his
worst and then make off. He then pulled the iron
tool which was used as a weapon to fell him from
the man's hand, and flung it away by the open
door. After that the revolver was drawn from a
pocket, and presented. Mr. Whidborne took it also,
but after a tough struggle to keep 'the muzzle so
directed that if the trigger were drawn the ball would
do no injury. He was hampered in defending himself
by the idea that if he got hold of the pistol it would
ill-become a clergyman to make a deadly use of it. As
soon as he wrested it from the man, and cast it on the
floor or seat, an attempt was made to gouge his left eye,
but he cannot remember whether the thumb or a finger
was used in pressing against the under lid. The pres-
sure was strong, and it has left a black mark, though
not a very disfiguring one. Mr. Whidborne, on dis-
arming his aggressor, rapidly stepped out of the com-
partment and walked along the footway until he got
to a carriage, where there were some gentlemen. He
knocked; they let down the window, and on hearing
of his adventure dragged him in. Weak from loss of
blood and intense excitement, he collapsed on enter-
ing and finding all danger over. The alarm was
given, and a guard despatched to the compart-
ment in which the struggle had gone on. The
train was not stopped, but at Amiens an engine
was despatched to a station near which Mr.
Whidborne understands the man jompei out.
He saw him brought into the station and taken into
c,:stody by the pniiee, remarked his deadly pallor, and
that he was wounded in the head; but whether the
wound was caused by a pistol shot, or by the leap from
the train, he could not say. I asked it the aggressor
seemed to heleng to what are termed the " dangerous
classes." "No," was the answer; "when he got in at
Calais I scarcely noticed him. He was fairly well
dressed." "It did not in the struggle occur to you
that he might be a lunatic ? " "No. I saw that I
must disarm him. He did not speak one word, and I
did not hear him speak at Amiens. Not knowing
French, I did not well understand what the police
were about,"

It is stated that Sir Charles Dilke has arranged to
deliver his long-promised address to the Glasgow
Liberal Association about the end of October, and to
address a political meeting at Paisley the following
day.