The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1871-09-23 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

SUPPOSED ATTEMPTED VIOLATION AND MURDER OF A WOMAN.  SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  A horrible occurrenee, almost unexampled in the annals of railway tragedies, was perpetrated in a second-class carriage of a railway train which was on its journey on Thursday evening between Wigan and Liverpool. At present the affair is surrounded by considerable mystery. The Liverpool detectives, however, have the matter in their possession, they will be able to bring to light circumstances which have led to the perpretration of this terrible crime. It seems that about seven o'clock on Thursday evening a telegram reached the Exchange station to the effect that a man and woman had been found dead, under circumstances which led to the belief that they had been murdered, in a compartment of a second-class railway carriage, while travelling on the Lancashire and. Yorkshire Railway, between Wigan and Liverpool. The superintendent and inspector of the station communicated with the Liverpool police, and police-constable 384 and other officers, along with a medical man, were at the station awaiting the arrival of the train. When the train got to the station, and the door of the compartment indicated was opened by the officials, a horrible sight presented itself. The only inmates—a man and a woman, who were quite dead—were lying at the bottom of the carriage in a pool of blood, while the seats and the roof were bespattered with blood and brains. The medical man who examined the bodies found that the woman had been shot through the left temple, and the man through the mouth; and,lll his opinion, in both cases deaths must have been instantaneous. A six-barrel revolver was found lying on the seat of the carriage. The weapon was a new one, one of the most approved pattern, and two of the six barrels were discharged. The woman was found lying in a position which leads to the supposition that her companion had attempted a criminal assault previous to murdering her. Her clothing was disarranged, and her crinoline torn, indicating that a struggle had taken place. The bodies were taken to the deadhouse. On being searched, railway tickets were found upon the man which showed that he hal booked from Pemberton, near Wigan, to Rainford Junction, and upon the female a ticket from Pemberton to Preston-road Station. The tickets, however, were not consecutive numbers, and therefore it is assumed that the deceased could not have booked together by the sande train.  The police, assisted by Detective Hardisty of the railway company, have, since information was conveyed to them of the shocking affair been making inquiries into the circumstances attending it. They have discovered that while the train was between Rainford Junction and Kirby Station—a part of the line which runs through bleak morass, and which is known, owing to its length between the stations, as the long stretch—the passengers occupying the compartment next to the deceased, named. Robert and Alfred Whitaker, of Wellingtonstreet, Farnworth, and Thomas Young, heard a scuffling and struggling. A few minutes afterwards they heard two cracks, which, being followed by a smell of powder, excited their apprehension, and they communicated with the guard, telling him that they thought that something was not right in the adjoining compartment. The guard, it is said, looked into the compartment, but came to the conclusion that the inmates were drunk, and took no further notice. When the train arrived at Kirby station, a railway official, named Murphy, and his wife, who were proceeding to Liverpool, opened the door of the carriage for the purpose of entering, when to their horror they discovered that the compartment was covered with blood, and that the two persons occupying it were shot through the head and apparently dead. Murphy communicated with the Kirby stationmaster, who telegraphed to the Liverpool Exchange station the shocking intelligence and asked that the train should be met, which was done in the manner above stated.  At the deadhouse the bodies were carefully examined and searched. The woman appears to be about 35 years of age, and from her dress seems to have occupied a respectable position. She was dressed in a black silk skirt, cloth jacket, white petticoat and crinoline, and had a wedding ring upon the third finger of her left hand. The only thing found upon her affording a clue to her name was a pawn ticket, with the name of" Ellen Whitehead" as the pledger of a ring and brooch, in May, 1871, with Messrs. Robert Harrison and Thomas Swarbrick, pawnbrokers, Wigan. The man appears to be about 34 years of age and is intelligent-looking and well attired. lids hair and beard are long, and his appearance is that of a respectable tradesman. 'Upon him were found a silver lever watch with gold appendages. and a number of letters and testimonials, addressed "Robert Wanless, Sutton Oak, St. Helen's." and others, of a more recent date, were addressed to Robert Wanless, Rose Mount, Perberton, Wigan. A letter was found upon him addressea from the Old Hall, Oldhall-street, Liverpool another, an application from him for a situation in the Victoria Colliery Company's office, Liverpool, in which it is stated that the applicant, WanleFs, was ten years in the employ of the Norley , Company, Wigan, that he was 31 years of age, that be applied for the situation of underground underlooker, that he had had considerable experience in colliery matters, and that he could undertake the duties of surveyor. In the carriage where the deed was perpetrated was found a package of patent cartridges, a portion of which it is supposed the man had used to load his revolver. Near the woman were found a doll, a satchel containing some provisions, and a parcel wrapped in the Wigan Observer and the Liverpool Weekly Herm y. The authorities believe that the woman was at Wigan to make some purchases, that she was joined by the man, who was a stranger to her, in the train, and that he assaulted her before the train got to Kirby. What strengthens this view is that, before the altercation was heard in the compartment where the crime was committed, the train had passed the station for which the man had booked. On the other hand, it is said the deceased were related, and that a letter has been found support. ing this view. No doubt the mysterious affair will be fully sifted, and all the particulars ascertainable brought to light.—Liverpool Mercury.