The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-08-21 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CLERGYMAN.

A shocking fatal accident occurred at the Stour-
bridge Railway Station, on Sunday evening last,
under the following circumstances, to the Rev.
Alleyne Rogers, M.A., of this 1 own. The unfor-
tunate gentleman was some years ago the minister
at Brockmoor Church, but from some cause or
other he did not agree very well with the church-
wardens, and he ultimately sold his living, and
retired from thelministry, and A ent to reside at the
Longlands. Occasionally, Mr. Rogers did duty for
other ministers, and on Sunday last he went to
Smethwick to do the duties of a brother clergy-
man. On returning home by the 9.0 p.m. train,
the deceased gentleman got out of the train whilst
it was in motion, and in doing so his foot slipped,
and he fell between the,,footboard of the carriage
and the coping of the platform, and was literally
crushed to death. The employees had to raise the
train by means of a screw-jack, before they could
get the body out, which had been dragged some
few yards. The deceased gentleman was
conveyed home, and an inquest was opened on
Monday afternoon last, before Mr. R. Docker,
coroner.

Mr. Superintendent Freeman was called, and
gave sufficient evidence to identify the deceased,
and the inquest was adjourned until yesterday
afternoon, at the Talbot Hotel.

The firs't witness called was John Raybould,
who said he knew the deceased Alleyne Rogers.
He was a clegyma.n of the Established Church.
He srw deceased ou Sunday night last, open the
door of a carriage in a railway train, when it was
near the small bridge at the station. The car-
riage was either a first or second-class one; he
could not say positively which. The train had
just arrived at the Stourbridge Station from Bir-
mingham. Witness was standing on the platform
whim he saw deceased open the door of the car-
riage. The train was going slowly at the time;
it was stopping. When he opened the carriage
door he stood as if he was going to get out, and
witness called out to him to watt until the train
had stopped. He did not see deceased get out,
and when he saw them carrying him down the
platform, he said that was the man he told to get
out. The train went about 30 yards after wit-
ness saw deceased open the door. Deceased was
not quite dead when they passed me.
By a Juror: I saw no other door open besides the
one at which deceased stood. No one else got out
of tha carriage before he did.
Robert Homes Betts said he lived at Amblecote.
He was on the platform at the station ou Sunday
night when deceased was killed. Witness was stand-
ing near the bottom of the steps by the bridge on the
platform, and as the train came in he saw deceased
standing at the door of a first-class:cartiage, which
was open The train was in motion at the time.
About 40 yards further on he he saw deceased fall.
That was before the train had stopped. He was
thrown down between the carriage and the piatforme
He afterwards saw deceased eztricated. He though.
deceasee was quite dead when theyibroughkhimback.
James H. Phillips, station-master, gave corrobo-
rative evidence, and a verdict of" Accidental death"
was returned.