Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1878-06-29 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE ON THE MILWAY NEAR STALYBRIDUE.  THE INQUEST  On Saturday morning Mr F. Price, coroner, held an inquest at the Rose and Crown Inu, Marketstreet, Stalybridge, touching the death of a young man unknown, bun supposed to be named Allen Ramsay, who was killed on the railc ay at Herod, on Thursday. The body of the deceased bad not been identified, and the supposed nen. was taken from a club card which woe in one of his pockets. —Mr W. Bayliss, stationmaster,. was present during the inquiry. The following evidence was given t Ootavias Carr, a young man, said: I lodge with a Mr Jenkins in Spring street, Stalybridge, and am a blacksmith's striker. On Thursday I was returning from Moseley sometime between twelve and one in ,the day. I was on he high road to Stalybridge, and when I was a bit past Black Rock I saw a man walking on the line of the London and North-Western Railway. He was going towards Moseley. The road I was on is higher than the line and I could see his feet. He was walking on the left-hand side of the line, and not between the rails. I saw a passenger train coming up from the direction of Stalybridge going towards Moseley. When the train was about five yards off him I saw him balance over and fall no the line. I think be put himself purposely in the way of the team. When he was falling over the train knocked him down and ran over him, and thou I 'saw that his bead was cut off. His body was between the rails on which the engine ran, and his head was outside the rails. I felt so had that I did not go down to it I came on to Stalybridge and met Inspector Whitehead on Cocker Hill, end asked him the way to the 'Bridge. I did not mention it to him, aa I forgot all about it. Before I came away from the place I saw a train coming down from Moseley, and it stopped towards the body, and then I came away. I think he threw himself purposely in front of the train lie might have been startled by the train corning upon him suddenly, and his death may have been accidental He looked from his appearance to be a bricksetter. By the jury: Before the train got up to him I saw him turn his head on one side, and he might have seen the train then. I would only be a few yards from him then. I know an engine whistle, and I heard that engine whistle before it was on the man. John Hughes said I live at No. 26, Leamington I street, Leeds, and am a fireman in the service of the London and North Western Railway Company. I wee the fireman of the engine which ran over the deceased on Thursday Met. It was the 11 47 train out of Manchester. About a quarter-poet twelve we were near a level crossing. I Paw a man standing in the gutter on the left hand side of the line. He was standing etill. When we got within twenty or thirty yards of him he threw hitnself down. I stand on the right-hand side of the engine. He crept across the line and laid his neck deliberately on the lice- His body was in the four-foot. and his head in the six foot. The engine passed over his neck, and I saw his head fall from his body. My mate saw him also The last van had just gone over his body before we stopped. We put the steara off and whistlel when we saw him creeping I over. I did not go down to the body. We stopped the other express coming down, and after the body was put into it we went on. The body was put in a horse box. lam quite certain he deliberately put himself in front of the train. By the Jury': We would he 200 or 300 yards from the Black Rook signal box, and were just near to I the distance signal from Black Rock. It occurred ' withiu a few yards from the footbridge at the level creasing oppoeite the printworks. Mr W. Baynes, stationmaster at Stalybridge, said: On Thursday last, the body of the deceased was brought by a London and North-Western train to the station. The head was severed from the body. I did not notice any other injuries. The body was brought to this honse. It appears to be that of a bricklayer, and the age I should suppose to be about 22. He was not in the employment of the company, and he was trespassing on the line. Inspector Whitehead said a bricklayers' club card was found in one of the pockets of the deceased bearing the name of Allen Ramsay. He had oleo two trowels and a piece of string, such as bricklayers use, in his possession. Chief Constable Chadwick mid the secretary of the c ub had promised to make inquiries and let him know, but as he had not done so he presumed that he had discovered nothing as to the identity of the deceased. The Coroner, in summing up, said they would have Peen the unintelligent way in which Carr had given his evidence. and it was a question whether they could rely upon his statements. He thought they should learn this evidence out of the question. and rest on the evidence given by Hughes, which proved beyond all doubt that the deceased deliberately and purposely put himself in the way of the train, and when he did that he must have done it with the intention of committing suicide. The Chief Constable said if the place indicated by Hughes was correct, Carr could not poasibly have seen ths occurrence at all, and he believed that Carr  17,d—0-on-cocted his evidence. The jury then returned a verdict that the deceased, unknown, committed suicide, and that there was no evidence to show the state of his mind at the time he committed the act.  We have to record the accidental death of Mr John Heledon Locking, one of the assistants in the Free Reference Library, Manchester, where his courteous disposition had gained him the esteem of those who came in contact with him. Whilst bathing in the Rochdale Canal, at Newton Reath, he was suddenly seised with cramp. lAn elder brother, seeing his dangerous condition, vainly attempted to rescue him, and nearly lost his own life in the endeavour. The deceased, who was about twenty-one years of age, was interested in Sundayschool work.