The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1871-09-30 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE RAILWAY TRAGEDY.  jealouey which he had entertained, and to which this violence WM attributed by his friends, the testimony Was conflicting. The inquiry was adjourned. •  The London Standard makes the following reflections on the tragedy  " The murder and suicide in the railway eartlage on the Yorkshire and Lancashire line have received 101 mucli of revelation Irs W. to have been expected, and as much probably se in possible. It is the ohl and terrible atory of drink, jealousy, :not crime. A railway pouter notices muoke issuing front the viimlow .1 ialo of the carriages in the train that draws up at Kirby Junitidt. lie opens the door, and thole two human beings stone dead—one foully murdered, the Alter self-destroyed :ii wonian stretched a c.wpse upon the floor, the blood Moving front the left temple in streams a man reclining on the seat where he mink Mick allot p his own hand through the mouth. In Ids hand NOS a small and Ire.. four-barrelled revolver, two chamliem Ibf which were still loaded. init the two which were discharged had done their deathly. work. That there had Imola struggle was plain. It may have been that murder was not the first intention of hint alio wan the murderer, that he contemplated nothing more than a cowardly attack upon the wretched woman by Iris si.le, and that it was her resistance to the dastardly attempt is hkh caused the final aim to be taken and the shot to be fired. In allot relation did these two stand to eacli other! That was the fret suggested, auol that iilleSt ion has now Well answered. It was surmised from the first that the pair were man fool aife, that they had quarrelled mid were about to separate. The information whieh hail been elicited by the inquiries already made shows at any rate that the first of those Min... Was correct. The bnaher of the wretched man who is dead and the father of the murdered wornahi have clue forward to identify the bodice, and to tell all they knew about the origin and the motiree of the erinie. No doubt t here was much to blame hi the conduct of Robert Wanks* and his wife. For the laid , two years we are told. they hail Hot lived happily together, ' owing hr Wanless Inoleg jealous or his wife, and his taking to drink hire left him four months ago, snot ha took to drinking and logt his situation.' last `Monday week Waniese, lio bad gone to live with his brother at Sutton tisk, left to vidt his wife, who, he had ascertained, was staying at inn sister's, near Wigan. Ile went and returned inn WedoeteleY lase lie left again ; awl Ins broth, knew no none of him till he saw him a aelf-made corpse In the Liverpool dead-house. ''alp a few days before Ire shot his wife Robert Wetness had some conversation with his fatherindaw ' I've clone to see how thiligs are to be,' lie sail. If I hail iny life to live over again I would act very differently. Within tw el ve hours attire Unit when he committed the toned, r Wittile. had an interview with his wife. Ile asked her vrhether her love for hitn had entirely gone! And she replied Yes.' l)n the day after this WAni.ll, knoaing of his wife's intended departure. got into the mune carriage, with what purpose in his Main no living man enrur atty. 'that a 0401 W. hi hia possession is no absolute proof that minder au in his thoughts from the very first Ile may have Witaled tO threaten rather to kill. lint jealousy anti drink together—jealousy it seems probable, whose inspiring cause think was—had robbed Wanless of all control over his own autumn. The shot was fired, anti it was nairder. What motive prompted the second shot 110lme can certainly say. It may have been part of his delibunite stint original scheme ; it may have 110C11 the act of a moment of intense agony, overwhelming terror, and remorse. It is idle to speculate ripen this. Ali we know is that that idiot was fired, and the same hand which had wrought lit, wife's death wrought that of Itoliert Wanless himself. 'the story is a terrible one, but it sustains a terrible warning too '