Glasgow Courier. — 1853-01-04 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT MANCHESTER.  On Thursday morning a man, named James Rowe, employed at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in Manchester, before going to his work, murdered his son John, a boy seven years old, by cutting his throat. He then went to the railway, and placed himself acmes one of the rails, in front of an express engine, which was going down the incline into Manchester, and before the engine could be stopped the wheels had passed over his shoulders, and he was taken up frightfully mangled and quite dead. In his pocket was found a razor, stained with blood. At the moment when his wife was informed of the suicide; one of her children came to her to say that its brother was bleeding, and this was the first intimation she had of the murder. The man had appeared deranged in his mind for some time past. On Wednes, day evening he was writing, and his wife, thinking hi mind not fitted for study, destroyed his papers; and on the same night he had said he thought of destroying himself and two of his children. He bad manifested nothing unusual in his conduct before going out on Thursday morning, and took leave of his wife by saying • God bless you,' as was his usual custom. Au inquest was held on the bodies on Thursday evening, before Mr. Herford, the coroner for the burgh of Manchester, and the following evidence was given:—  Ann Rowe, widow of the deceased James -Rowe, said —About nine o'clock this morning Mrs. Leicester, a neighbour, called me into her house, and told me that my husband had been killed; and while she was telling me this, one of my children came in and said that my boy (named John) was bleeding on the floor. I went and found it wan so. His throat wan cut, and he was dead. My husband had gone out at 8 o'clock to his work, and ' God blamed' us as usual. I thought that he was light-headed, as usual. He has been no about twelve months. I believe the cause was some injuries to his head, received in his employment (as waggou-sheet-makae to the railway company). This morning he put some tobacco In his shoes. We had no disagreeable words together. He wan never in the house after going to his work in the morning, so that he must have killed the boy before he went out, at the time I spoke of. I thought be looked wild, bat observed nothing particular about him. The boy, when I last saw him in the morning, was lying in bed between the two other children. ' He must have taken him into the front-room up stairs, which was made no use of. My husband had got up between five and six o'clock, which was earlier than usual. Last night he bad been writing a good deal and 'mithering' his head, and I took the papers from him and threw them away. He said last night that he had been thinking of destroying himself and two of his children. The child was his favourite child, and he has said before that when he (the father) died this child . .  should die the same day. John Logan .aid-1 am a fireman on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. This morning, about five minutes past eight o'clock, I was coming on an engine down the Victoria bank to the station, to tiring the express out, and just as we got into the tunnel I saw the deceased James Rowe step out from an abutment at the side, and kneeling down by the side of the line, he laid his body across the rail, We were then about twenty  PRICE 44d.  yards 0=1:11. Misa, and ran over him before I could tarn to the or pat the break on. We stopped as woo se Was wad found him lying on the mils, with Wolfe* &wowed'. The wheels seemed to have gone over hie alsoolder-bladas. He was quite dead. He WWI taken No =tied to the Highlander Inn, and thence S. wan taken home. I have never noticed anythingarelmiler in his manner; but I did not know much of  Robert Oliver, foreman over the labourers on the railway, said--I board theta man was killed this morning, and I afterwards searched him, and found a razor and the other artiabse now produced. There is blood upon the razor. I bad very little to do with him at the railway. Sometimes I have thought him a little lightheaded. I hove seen him once or twice in liquor, bat believe he was generally a sober man. Thomas Halms, labourer, said—Deceased came about 10 minutes before 7 into the room where we go before we work. He said he was middling in health, and I thought he hung down his head. He smoked a pip*, and said to another man there that he had been making sonw leggings which he had forgotten, and he would go back and fetch thcm. We left him in the room where we answered to our names, and I did not see him afterwards. Usually he has joked • good deal, and was cheerful; but for the last few days he seemed to have no life in him. He has never appeared silly when he has been at his work that I know of. I did not know of his beim* uncomfortable at home.  Chernoek, another labourer, confirmed this  deeeaseeT's brother, said—Deceased has with his wife, but I don't think she was to  Jolt returned a. sersHot to the effect that John Rowe was :murdered by James Rowe, and that the latter, while in a state of insanity, committed suicide.  .6.41 1471111 r 114 • wav,