The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-30 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.-011 Monday morning an
accident occurred near to the Churchill station, on
the Great Western line, but was happily not
attended with any serious consequences. A coke
train, which left Merthyr about midnight, was
passing through Churchill about ten o'clock on
Monday, when the axletree of one of the wagons,
about the centre of the train, broke, and this and
two following wagons were thrown off the line, and
their contents stuttered in all directions. The
guard was badly shaken. The Birmingham express
to South Wales, the Malvern excursion, and the
ordinary trains were delayed a considerable time
in consequence of the accident, and the down line
was not clear before five o'clock in the afternoon.
Suiciux.—A painful feeling was excited in Kid-
derminster on Tuesday, by the tidings which
spread about that Mr. Joseph Worth had com-
mitted suicide. A few years ago, Mr. Worth was
in business on his own account, but latterly he
has been acting as commission agent for Messrs.
Thompson, of Leicester, and other houses. About
a quarter past one on Tuesday afternoon, Samuel
Carter, weaver, saw Mr. Worth lying in a field at
the bottom of Clensmore Lane, and, on advancing
towards him, he found that his throat was horribly
gashed, and he was bleeding profusely. A razor
which lay near was evidently the instrument with
which the wounds had been inflicted. Carter
obtained assistance, and Mr. Worth was removed
to the Kidderminstet Infirmary, where the surgeons
at once saw his case was hopeless, and that his
death was only a question of a greater or less
number of hours. Everything, however, was done
for Mr. Worth, under the circumstances ; but be
himself said, when it was proposed to telegraph for
his wife, who is at Tenby, that before she could
arrive he should be no more. He expressed a
desire to see two manufacturers in the town, who
where sent for. One ot these gentlemen was from
home at the time, and did not return till evening.
It is stated that two other members of his family
have died by their own hands. Mr. Worth was
alive on Wednesday, but his condition was so
critical that it was hardly expected he would sur-
vive. Mr. Worth died on Wednesday night. An
inquest was held on the body on Thursday even-
ing, at the Infirmary, before Mr. M. Corbett,
Deputy-Coroner. Thomas Gale, letter carrier,
said he had been engaged by deceased in his Tare
time. About twelve o'clock on Sunday he saw
Mr. Worth, and had some conversation with him
about business affairs. Deceasedappeared greatly
distressed, as he said he had done no business for
some time past. He saw deceased at the Infir-
mary, and was with him at the time of his death,
but deceased never disclosed the reasons which led
him to commit the act.—Samuel Carter said he saw
the deceased in Mr. Austin's orchard about 1.15
on Tuesday. When about ten yards from witness
Mr. Worth went on his knees and with a razor cut
his throat three times, and then inserted his hand
in the cut to cause the blood to flow. He at once
prevented any further injury being done by the
deceased. Several medical gentlemen were soon
in attendance, and deceased was conveyed to the
Inirmary.—Dr. Langford said the wound was a
transverse one immediately above the air tube,
apparently about five inches long; it had severed
the wind-pipe and gone deep into the gullet.—
Mr. E. H. Addenbrooke, surgeon, said the deceased
never rallied after his admittance into the Infir-
niary.—Mr. W. Tinton, with whom the deceased
resided, gave evidence as to the mental condition
of the deceased—The Deputy Coroner briefly
summed up the evidence, and the jury returned a
verdict "That the deceased committed suicide
while in a fit of temporary insanity."