The Warwickshire Herald. — 1892-09-29 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT ACOCKS GREEN. On Monday morning last, a FUICiIIO of a mos; determined character was committed on the Great Western Railway, near Aeoebs Green Staten, shortly brfore two o'clock, when a man, who ha since been identified as Charles Matthew., I. Green•lanes, uas seen to jump over a fence about MO yards from the station, rush on to the line and deliberately place his neck across the metals at; the 10.3 London express was appro:whing. This action was seen by a man named Atiderton, who was standing on the bridge at the south 'We of the station. and by the driver ofthe express. The driver immediately applied the brakes, but before the train !mild be brought to a standstill, the the wiwels of the engine passed over the inati's neek. and completely seveftd his heal from the body, the head being dashed along the embankment for about forty yards, and the body was also frightfully mangled, the legs being broken in several plac.,s.  _ TIIE INtrESTOn Wednesday morning, an inquiry into the eireumstaneee relating to the death, was held by ale Edo in flogger, at the Great Western Hotel, Aeocks Green. The first witness called was the eon of the deceased, Thomas Matthews, who resided wild his father. deposed to the bad health and stats of hie father timing the last five years, rspecially dining the hot three werks. The depree-ion witness thought was the result of a man widi whom hie father werked being ; that, he believed, had upett deceased, for since the occurrence he did not seem to (MO It t.•o lads. alSCittle.sl •.! •,• body ',poke to him. Deceased had several titles previously threatened to make away with himself. the last time being about two years ago. Insanity seemed to be very prevalent amongst his father'.. relations, his uncle having committed suicide hy throwing himself in front of a train, and his mud cut her throat. Edo in Archer, painter, ef Sparkbrook, said that the deceased came up to him in Avondalerued, Sparkbrook, on Monday morning, between nine and ten o'clock, and asked him to go and have a gallon ot beer. Clem u iteess sentsite deceased asked him if he would do him a friendry turn. Deck-need then stated to witness that that one his last day on earth, and that he wae going throw himself under a train, and that when lie twitnesel heard of the oecurrence to communicate with 172, Green-lane. He then shook hands ait h the deceased and petted ; thinking nothing of the affair as the deceased was very drunk. Having read the statement in a daily contemporary, hc Informed Policiaconstable Hind of the stateinnt ' be had made to him in the nittning, and aceompanied him to Green-lane, where they found Mrs. Matthews standing at the door waiting the return of her hueband ; and found that the description tallied with the missing man. He had since identified the body as that of the man who spoketo him on Monday morning. John Anderton, of Shelley Village, machinist. scud that on Monday morning, about tee minutes r,, two, he aas crossing ever •bc bridge on the steell side Aceeks Green Station, when he saw the I deceased on the railway in the act td lying down, which he did with hie head on the hac!elc rail and his ' back to the approachicg train. He shouts(' to deceased, but be took no notice. '  John Ernest Russell, porter vt Aoock. Station said he ass on the platform, by the signal box, when the 10-5 express from L 'talon was op. pa oaching a lie asaition. He noi iced that :lie drivel N fie whistling and applying the brake very forcibly. He then ran down the line nod mw the body of the deceased in a very mangled state, Oa, heal being nticut forty or fifty yards forther down the line. _ _  John Fennell, driver, 32, Ford Avenue, (,/e..1. Pal k, LuLtlmi, s..kt th.-.t a= t!!cy approach, ,' Acoeks Green Station they came round a curve, and he could only see about 2011 yards ahead, on passing under the bridge on the south side of the station, he saw the body of the deceased on the railway, the Lend being on the inside tire. He blew his whistle, but deceased did eat move. He then applied the brakes but was unable to t..p before the train bad passed over the body. As soon as it stopped he went b.‘ek and felt the b..ay tu see 11 it was warm, and to satisfy himself that the man wns not dead before the train passed over him. He then asked the stationmaster to take charge of the body, end pruceeded on his journey. The Coroner briefly summed up the evident,., em• phaeining the fact that deceased had suffered from bad health and a depressed mind during the last live years, and that insanity bad been prevalent in Lis family. The jury returned a verdiet of "Suicide whilst ternpor,rity insane. HARVEST FESTIVAL AT THE IVESLEVAN