The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1873-08-30 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

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 Kidderminster on Tuesday, by the tidings which spread about that Mr. Joseph Worth had committed 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 survive. Mr. Worth died on Wednesday night. An inquest was held on the body on Thursday evening, 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 Infirmary, 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 Infirniary.—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."