Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1889-09-21 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF THE  DECAPITATED ON A COLLIERY RAILWAY.  The mining district of New Herriugton was thrown into a state of intense excitement on Thursday morning by the report of the death of a married woman alleged to have been caused by poisoninr, and the suicide of her husband by throwing himself before a long train consisting of thirteen coal waggous. The man's name as Wm. Walker, who is about 48 years of age, and he has resided with his manly for some time at oue of the houses in Shop-row, which stands on the left hand side of the colliery village of Philadelphia, and eater passing the colliery railway, which intersects the road leading Irons siwbottle, the houses are seen to be of an old type, and very low. They contain a irout and bac' room. Walker btu been employed for a lengthened period as a horsekeeper at the Peggy Pit, close to the village, and owned by Lord Durham. 'The deceased woman is about fifty - six years ot age, and is his second will. tier own name was Wilkioson. The couple had not been living together lately, and the house of the man was looked after by a daughter twelve years en age. Although muted, the man and woman seemed to have entered on drinking bouts together now and a,aili, and on Wednesday the latter went to the house. Soou after both went out together. the last that WEis seen of them was on Wednesday about coven p.m, and they were then in the house; b,,th were intoxicated. They let the house, and nothing more was seen OE them until l'hareday morning about he o'clock, when Walker again entered his house. This time he was carrying the woman, fie placed her on the bed in the front room, and then went into the kitchen. His dauguter spoken of was present, and to her he tillict tie Dithered her meteor was dead. The child did not heed much what her lather said, but commeuced to make hiui some collect which • he asked tor. She poured the liquid out of a jug Into tile kettle, aud an doing so some of it ran into tue tire and olaied up. 'the man, seeing ' this, said to the girl that she would I have so put the water out of the kettle, as there bad been matches an ' the jug, trona wujuch at was at first ! poured. the girl looked into the jug, mei there appeared to be the remains of matches at the bottom The man now became impatieut, and, alter making some inconereut remark, he left the kitchen auci went out into the garden. Then he was ouserved to go Out at the gate and on to a railway which leads to the pit already mentioned. There was a locomotive wail a set of thirteen coal waggous attached standing ready !10 be moved away. Walker spoke to William • Ureausett, the fireman. The latter then moved round his engine aud lost sight of the man. • beou a.ter, the eugme, which was at the back oi the waggous, comineuced to push them away. Greensett did not again see Walker until his attention was called to the latter by John Hall, a mineral guard. Hall saw what apI peered to be au almost lies,these body crawling about the line, and after the waggone bad passed Hall was horrified by the snocking sight for a tow moments, hecovering his self-pos,:ession, however, he called for a.ssistauce aud by tune tiine Walker had ! stretched himself on the ground in a death , struggle and be expired almost immediately. The : ' iy was recognised an 1 taken up, aitor being ! wrapped in a checked pit !Minuet and pawed on a ! ! stretcher, and was carried in W aler's House, ! where tile truth of tue niata's words became too paiu:uliy aliparent. 'The woman was • ound to be deal atio. Dr. Larralue and ! Police Coasts Au Duduey were sent tor at once. Tue doctor, on examination of the bodies, pronounced Inc to be extia3. Inspector • 1 Cruickshank, of Scotism Harbour, gave instrucItions to inform the Coroner of toe dreadful 'I occurrence. The body of Walker wee laid oa the ' floor of the front room of his house, and covered with a sheet. His neck presented a ghastly aid ' sickening appearance. The woman does not ~how any signs of a violent death—au lack there • is not • scratch to be seen a'ociat her, and her ' features are comparatively placid. • I IN° one saw Walker commit the act of throw; iog himself amongst the wheels of the waggous. llt is also surmised that he had steeped the matches in water, and used the II jug relerred to by his daughter for Ithe purpose, by some means not yet known. It is further supposed that he had given the woman ; sufficient oi the liquid to thing, either alone or mixed in some other thud, to cause her ' death. Of course a post-nun-tem examination will reveal the truth of this belief. It would further ! appear Walker and his wife did not get on 11 well together. Hence the separation, and Whilst they lived with oa-h other the family were to accustomcd to similar I. orgies to that described by the daughter, i though the conduct of their father and mother at an earlier part of the night of Wednesday W &II not looked npon as unusual. I a Walker, a native of the district, was formerly a ' farm servant, lie was looked upon as a fairly steady mau until the death oh his first wife. After this he took to drinking worse than pre) j viously. The second wife seemed to have been of drunken habits. None of the man's ee-1 ; quaintauces, however, had the least idea that he ' I would ultimately end his life in the manner detailed, or that he had any intentions of a r j murderous kind against his wife. Police Superintendent Wilkinson, who bad been • ! detained with the Houghton -le - Spring 11 Petty Sessions has since visited the scene of the ) tragic occurrence. Numerous bodies of men and f I women hava also hastened from the adjacent ;colliery villages, and remained about Phila. ' deletea anxious to hear every detail connected with the mysterious affair.