The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-09-25 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE ON THE RAILWAY.  On Monday eveumg a shucking discovery was inade at the Coveutra hallway Station. A gentleman about to enter a second-elass railway carriage to proceed to Birmingham, was startled to perceive the figure of a man lying half on and half off the seat, breathing heavily. As he thought there was something wrong, he called the foreman porter, who got into the carriage to shift the man into a baler position. As he leaned over him he was horrified to see a large " hole," as he himself calls it, in the side of the man's head, from which the blood was pouring thickly. He at one raised an alarm, and assistance having been procured, the deceased was taken into the waiting-room. In scarchiug the carriage a five-barrelled pistol was found, which had dropped out of the hand of the deeeased. It contained two freshly discharged barrels, and three still loaded. The deceased was respectably dressed in a snit of light tweed, and by his side were an umbrella and a black leather bag, such as is generally used by commercial travellers, and in which was found a box of revolver cartridges, which fitted the pistol. Medical aid was at once sent for, but when obtained it was useless. Dr. life having examined him said that he could do nothing for him. Owing to the bullet having taken an -upward tendency, the d.a3eased lingered cn until eleven o'clock, when he died of concasion of the brain. The body presented a terrible appearance, the brain protruding from the gaping wound in the head. From papers found in deceased's pockets it appeared that his name was Charles Ed ward Booker, and that he was a commercial traveller, of Hockley, Birmingham. After death the body was removed to the "Three Tuna" inn, to await THE INQUEST  which was held on Tdesday, before Mr. Coroner Dewes, and a jury of which Mr. Thomas Loveitt was foreman.  The following evidence was taken : George Booker, 124, Well-street, Birmingham, warehouseman, said: Deceased was my son. He was 21 sears of age, and was a commercial traveller. I never heard that he was in the least difficulty. His employers always seemed to have great c.)nfidence with him. Some 3 years ago he was out on Malvern Hills, with a young lady, when he pitched bead first, and sustained serious iLjury to the head. Since- then I do not think he has hardly been mentally what he was before. There was no suicidal tendency on his mind that I know of, but now and then. he would say "I feel inclined to cut my throat" and other obsertations of a similar nature, but I treated them merely as jokes. That was about ten months ago. He has lately been expecting some money from America, and went away from home on Wednesday or Thursday last week. He has not been doing any business - lately. I received an intimation that he was coming home yesterday. Deceased was not, to my knowlade, in the slightest pecuniary difficulty. I think, however, that he wail not in his right mind when he destroyed himself. He left his situation in July last. Henry Allen, foreman of the porters at the London and North-Western Railway Passenger Station, said: On the arrival of the 4.10 train from London, due at Coventry at 6.17, my attention was called to the deceased by a gentleman, who said he did not like the looks of him. Deceaserl was lying on the seat, with his head resting on the arm-rest. His left eye was black. There was no one but deceased in the carriage when it arrived at Coventry. I got in the carriage to look" at the deceased, and I saw then that there was a hole in the side of his head, and the blood lying about. I called for assistance, and bad him removed to the waiting-room. I am satisfied that there was no one else in the carriage with deceased, because it stopped right opposite to me.  -Inspector Coombs said: I took charge of the body of deceased last night, and had it brought to the place were it now is. I also took charge of the revolver. I was with him some time before he died, but from the time I saw him until he died he was not conscious.  Dr. Chas. Webb Iliffa, M.R.C.S., said: I visited the deceased about 6.20 yesterday, and found him in the waiting-room, Buffering from a bullet wound on the right side of the head, just above the temple. He was not conscious. I endeavoured to roue but failed. The brains were portruding, and the sides of the aperture aorresponded with the bullets of the revolver. The weapon was a five-shooter, and two of the barrels were wet with the discharge. Only one bullet was in the skull, and it still. remains in the brain. I looked upon it as a hopelees case, and was present when he died, about a quarter to eleven. There was no doubt that the wound was self-inflicted, as there was a corresponding patch of blood on the inside of the hand which held the pistol clwre to the head. From the fresh appearance of blood, which was still pouring out, I believe that the wound had only been inflicted u few minutes before the train arrived in the Coventry Station. The eyes were very black from the contusion and owing to the bullet having taken an upward tendency, the deceased was a long time before he died, which was about eleven o'clock, when I was present.  Daniel Clowes, foreman at the London and North Western Railway Station said: I was the fiat man who got into the carriage where the deceased was. As we were removing him, I found the revolver -rear his right hand. He was with his back towards Lugby, and he had evidently leaned his arm cn the rest when he fired. I also found in the carriage a black leather traveller's bag, pocket book, and umbrella. In the bag was also a box of cartridges, and in the pistol were two empty cases and 3 cartridges. The Coroner, in briefly summing up, said that after the evidence of the father, they would have little difficulty in arriving at a verdict.  The jury unanimously returned a verdict that deceased destroyed himself, but that there was no evidence to show the state of his mind at the time.