The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1880-05-29 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE SUICIDE ON THE GREAT WESTERN  RAILWAY AT H AGLEY.  Mr. R. Docker held an inquest at the Swan Inn Blakedown, on Saturday last, on the body of a man, supposed to be Walter John Withy. a printer, of Bath, who was killed on the Great W estern Railway on Thursd.,y evening. There was no one ! present to identify the body, and Police-con, table Smith said he could not learn that deceaset had any friends in the neighbourhood. From an address found on deceased he went to a house in Curzon Street, Birmingham, and the description of the deceased corresponded with that of a man who had , lodged.„there. William Tolley, Leominster, engine-driver, said he drove the 6.30. passenger train from Stourbridge on Thursday evening. Between Hagley and Stourbridge he saw the deeeaed on the line on which the train was running Witness opened his whistle, and deceased got out of the four-foot, and he walked along. When the train was close to him deceased stopped, turned round, and looked at witness. He was about 10 yards from him at the moment, and deceased immediately threw himself across the rails it, front of the engine. The train passed over him. He stopped his train as soon as he could, but by the guard's orders he took the train on to Churchill, and came back to the spot On a light engine. They found the body where they had run over it. The body was completely cut in two, and was otherwise mutilated. Mr. John Spefforth, surgeon, Kidderminster, spoke to the injuries, and said death would be instantaneous. Police-con-table Smith said he received the body into his custody on Thursday evening In the pockets were three or four studs, a lend pencil, a broken tube, and a small piece or paper, on which was written "W. J. Withy, No. 7, back of 27, Curzon Street, Birmingham." He had enquired at that address, and found a man named Withy lodged there up to the 9th of April. He was a printer by trade, and about twenty-five years of ace. The person who kept the house said Withy w,s a native of Beth, and that his parents resided there, but he did not lino w the address. Withy came to Birmingham about Christmas, and had partial employotent th re. Afterwards he went to Stone, in Staffordshire, in search of work. Smith said L-Avis, the keeper of the house in Curzon Street, described Withy as a respectable man, but he owed some money for his lodging when he lefr, and en his writing to press him for payment, Withy replied on May sth, asking that the matter might stand over till after Whitluntide. when he would Ipay the amount. That was the last he heard of him. Lewis identified the handwriting in deceased's  - pocket as Withy, s. The Coroner said he supposed they might take it the deceased was Witity, though it was not proved. The question for the jury was as to the cause of death, and of this there could be no doubt. Th,?re wss no evidence to show the deceased's state of mind when he acted es had been stated, and though there wen some who held that a man never destroyed himself in a sound state ot mind, the law did not say so. The jury found that the deceased de4roye:l him • self by throwing himself in front of a train, and that there was no evidence to show the conditi3u of his mind at the time.