Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1876-09-29 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SHOCKING ATTEMPT ;TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. _  RELIGIOUS MONONI AN lA. After the disposal ef seine county business at-the Shirehall, Dorchester, on Saturday last, the officials adjourned to the county prison, where, before Mr. E. Pearce, the youn„,., man Joseph Barge, who it will ba remembered made such a t,rrible attempt upon his life a short time ago in a railway carriage, was breught up charged with attempting self-murder. The pris.mer'x throat W3B closely bandaged, and he looked pale and weak, and he had to sit during the hearing of the case. He was formerly in the employ of Mr. T. Bennett, of Dorchester. Having saved a little money, he went to Bridpert and took a temperance hotel. It was a small affair, and he failed. His wife had to go to service. No doubt this preyed nisei him, and in addition his separation from the " friends " at Dorchester further operated upon a mind diseased. Mr. Superintendent Batty watched the case for the police, and the following evidence was given : "0,4 William Charles Davis, a porter at the Ever. shot station on the Great Western Railway, whe gave his evidence in a most intelligent manlier, stated that on the sth of September he was on duty to meet the 7.15 from Weymouth, due at their station at 8.50 p.m. On its arrival he went down the platform te, collect tickets. On casting his eye round a thirdclass dark department—it had no light in it-- he saw 3 man lying on his left side at the back of the earria„-e. He also saw what he thought to be water at the bottom of the carriage, but he did not examine it further, thinking it might be a drunken man. The train was a comjsmite one—goods and passengers—and he went to the fore part of the train. On returning he noticed blood underneath the window of this carriage, lEe then opened the door and examined the floor, which he found stained with blood to a great extent. There was ids,, blood on the cushions. He then found the prisoner lying on his left side in the seat. He then got into the carriage to examine him, and, said the witness, "on moving his collar down a little way I found his throat cut." James Higgs, the guard, then came up, and they took him out int.) the waiting-room, and put him on a table, keeping his head upright. He (the witness) got some wadding and bound up his throat. After the man had been on the table for a little time he said, " Lord, have mercy on my soul; trouble that's I lone it." Dr. Clapcott was sent for, and arrived in about half an hour. The witness remained in charge of him all night. About one in the morning he said " I did it myself, and I threw the knife towards the window; it was failing in business and my wife having to go inte service." _ _  -The -defendant asked no cmestions of the witness. John ('hristopher, of Holywell, Evershot, butcher and dealer, sail on Tuesday evening, the WI if September, he went to the Evershot station about nine o'clock, when he met the station-master, who said, " For God's sake, go into the waiting-rim and lend assistance; there's a man there who has cut his throat." He went there and found prisoner. He remained with him until the doctor came, and during that time they asked him where he came from, and he said Dorchester. When Dr. Clapcott came he told him he believed that he was a young man named Barge, who used to work for Mr. Thomas Bennett. Prisoner was subsequently removed to the inn, and he remained with him for some time. He asked him what made him do it, and he said he had not known what he had done for the last fortnight; he did it himself, and with a knife, and he threw the knife towards the window, and added he did it between Maiden Newton • and Evershot, and that his circumstances had preyed upon his mind and made him do it. P.C. Moore (14), stationed at Evershot, on the morning of the 6th took the defendant into his custody at the railway hotel. He was then in bed. He searched his clothes, and in his trousers pocket he found a purse, which contained in money, and a third-class ticket from Dorchester to Maiden Newton and a letter. He remained in charge of him until he was brought to the prison and remanded. Dr. John Good, the medical officer of the Dorset County Prison, said the prisoner was brought in on the 7th of September and placed in the Infirmary under his care. He examined him, and found he was suffering from an excised wound round the throat about six inches long, and near the root of the tongue. The wound had been previously stitched by a medical man. As far as he was enabled to judge from the nature if the wound, it was a jagged one, and made with an instrument not very sharp, and made from left to right. It was a dangerous wound, inasmuch as he must have lost a great ileal of blood, for be was in a state of great prostration. He had since then been prostrate and morose in his manner, and made no statement beyond that he sail he (lid it with a knife, which ho threw out of the window. Beyond his being sullen lie could not form any judgment as to his state of mind.  • The prisoner was then asked by Superintendent Batty if he would like so say anything to the magistrate. The Clerk to the magistrates then read to him the usual caution, and he said, " I should like to be just allowed to say that, after separating myself from a Christian people whom I have been accustomed to meet for years, I began to doubt my acceptance of God, and my humble wish was to quit this world, and I had no power to shake off from myself the desire to commit self-destruction, which I had felt for several days previously. I have attempted it in many ways—by drowning, and at times I really did not know what I was doing. Things seemed to be going against me, and I really had no hope whatever. I don't feel at all like that now, for my spared life gives me a hope." The prisoner was then formally committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions. On the line between Maiden Newton aml Evershot, a common table knife stained with blood has heels found, and although it has not been identified, there can be little doubt it was the weapon used. Upon the prisoner was also found the following writing on a scrap of paper "I leave behind a lung and true wife, a kind father, aud a dear mother. I can no longer live. I have no power to resist this ni.?4t wicked act, which I pray God through Jesus will C rrgive."