The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-16 00:00:00

SUPPOSED SUICIDE IN A RAILWAY
TRAIN.

Mr. G. A. Charsley, coroner, held an inquest on
Tuesday afternoon at the Eton Union on the body of
a gentleman unknown, who is supposed to have shot
himself on Monday night while travelling on the Great
Western Railway between Paddington and Windsor.
Inspector Townshend said that on the arrival of the
10.30 train from Paddington at Slough on Monday
night the guard called to him and said, "There is a
man who has shot himself in a first class carriage."
On going into the carriage, witness found the deceased
sitting with his head dropped on his bosom, and blood
was flowing from a wound in his right temple. Wit-
ness at once sent for a doctor. The deceased was
then breathing heavily. Inspector Turner showed him
a revolver, of which he took possession. Five chambers
were loaded and one empty. Dr. Bull came, and
advised that deceased should be removed to the Union
Infirmary. There were no signs of any scuffle having
taken place in the carriage, nor was the dress
of the deceased disarranged. No one heard the shot.
Inspector Turner said that on the arrival of the train
at Slough the guard called his attention to the de-
ceased. He saw the deceased in the corner, with his
head leaning on his hand and blood streaming from
his forehead. The revolver and a hat were lying
beside him. He removed the revolver and hat. Ser-
geant Hebbes, of the Bucks Constabulary, stated
that at half-past eleven he was called to the railway
station, and found the deceased lying on a trolly. Dr.
Bull was summoned, and the witness examined the
gentleman. There was a bullet wound on his fore-
head, from which blood had flowed. He found on
deceased a white handkerchief with the name cut
out, a gold ring, a bunch of keys, a latch key, a first-
class railway ticket from Paddington to Windsor, a
silver matchbox, a theatre ticket, and 6s. sd. in
money. The body was dressed in a black cloth
dress tail coat, black cloth top coat and vest, white
linen shirt, with buttons, white tie, a mixed-coloured
Jersey, black trousers, a pair of patent dress shoes,
and dark coloured socks. A black silk hat was found
in the train, and a six-chambered revolver, five
of the chambers being loaded and one having been
discharged. Dr. Bull deposed that he found
deceased bleeding from a wound in the head, and as
he could do little for him at the station he had him
taken to the workhouse, where he discovered a wound
which had penetrated through the skin to the skull,
which was fractured; there was also a swelling on
the forehead over the left eye. While he was exa-
mining that, deceased was seized with difficulty of
breathing and convulsions, and died five or six
minutes afterwards. Mr. Dodd, the surgeon who
made a post-mortem examination of the body, said it
was that of a tall, well-made man, about 6ft. high and
medium build. There was a star tattooed very dis-
tinctly on the inside of the right forearm. The hair
was short and dark brown, the eyes hazel, and the
age 40 or 50. The front teeth were right, but some
of the others were missing. Sergeant Hebbes, re-
called, said the deceased's name had also been cut
out of the shirt. This was all the evidence. The
coroner adjourned the inquiryfor a week, and ordered
the body to be kept at the Union as long as possible
for purposes of identification.