CORONER’S INQUEST

A MAN FOUND WITH HIS HEAD CUT OFF ON THE RAILWAY

An inquest was held yesterday (Friday) by C G Thomson Esq at the WHEATSHEAF INN, SEDGEWICK, on the body of a man who had been found on the rails of the Lancaster and Carlisle line with his head cut off, as was briefly stated in a paragraph in our first edition.

               The following evidence was adduced : -

Robert Storey, of Crosscrake, in the county of Westmorland, husbandman deposed -

I was going to work this morning about half-past seven o’clock. I am at present working at Well Heads in Hincaster. In order to get from my own house to Well Heads, I have to cross the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. I cross at a level crossing called the Rayne’s Crossing in the township of Sedgewick. Whilst I was crossing the line this morning I saw a man lying across the six foot about four yards distant, and on the north side of the crossing. His head was lying towards the east, and his legs towards the west. The up-line is the east side of the railway, and the line upon which a train from Scotland would run to the south. The cap of the deceased was lying about eighteen yards from the body, nearer Oxenholme. I went to where the man was lying, and found his head lying hard up to the metals and there was a piece of his skull lying on the other (the south) side of the crossings, at a distance of about six yards from the body. When I found the body of the deceased, I saw that the whole of the upper part of his head was crushed. The deceased was lying upon his back when I found him. I also found several quantities of hair between the deceased and the place where I found his cap. I observed marks in the “ six-foot ” as the body had been dragged from the place where the cap was found, to where the body was lying. The cap was not lying in the “ six-foot ” but on the other side of the down line of rails. I afterwards obtained assistance, and we removed the body from the line of the railway and afterwards brought it to Sedgewick.

               Joseph Robinson of Sedgewick, in the county of Westmorland, sworn and examined, -

I am constable for the township of Sedgewick. I have examined the body of the deceased carefully. >From my examination deceased appears to be a man between thirty and forty years of age, about five feet and three and a half inches in height, very thin - I scarcely ever saw a thinner man. The whole of the upper part of the head is so much crushed that I cannot tell what colour his eyes are. His hair appears to be of a dark brown colour, and his whiskers and moustache the same. He has a very bushy beard, which covered the lower part of his face. He did not appear to be in the habit of shaving at all. His dress was as follows : - A blue pilot round jacket ; black satin vest, single breasted, narrow striped grey cloth trousers, fly fronted ; brown and white scarf ; blue striped shirt ; blue Guernsey singlet, and a thick white flannel singlet ; a pair of thick white flannel drawers ; a pair of grey stockings, with white toes ; and a pair of Wellington boots - the left boot with the sole torn open at the toe. I have examined the whole of the wearing apparel, but find no marks thereon. I have also carefully examined the body of the deceased. With the exception of the head of the deceased, I found no wounds or bruises except on his hands and one elbow, which appeared to have been caused by the dragging of the body along the ground. On the left arm of the deceased I found the letters J.H.S. and below the following letters E.N.J.C.E.N., and also a cross. The letters are of blue colour, and appear to have been pricked into the arm. On the other arm I found the representation of a woman, of the same colour, and done in the same manner as the letters on the left arm. The deceased appears to have been recovering from a slight soreness on the legs, as both legs had bandages round. I also examined the pockets of the deceased, and found 1/, 10s in gold and 7s in silver, a little tobacco loose in the trousers pockets, a cotton handkerchief in his jacket pocket, a sail maker’s needle and a palm also in the pocket of his coat, and a railway ticket in his waistcoat pocket. The ticket is dated 7^th January, 1864 and is No 2156. It appears to have been issued at Dundee, as it is marked Dundee to Liverpool. The ticket was a third class ticket, and headed “ D, and P, and A Ry, In.”

I produce the whole of the above mentioned articles, also the cap of the deceased which appears to be much torn. From the dress and appearance of the deceased, and the articles found upon him, I think the deceased has either been a sail maker or sailor.

               The inquest was adjourned until Thursday next, in order to afford time for further inquiries to be made and for the attendance of the guards of the night trains.

               The above appeared in our second edition of last week and we now subjoin the evidence taken at the

ADJOURNED EXAMINATION JAN 14^th

Charles Taylor, of 37 Edward Street, Hampstead Road, London, deposed : - I am a conductor on the London and North-Western Railway. I was in charge of the night train on the 7^th inst. I commence my journey at Glasgow and proceed through to London. The Perth carriages join the train of which I was conductor at Colt Bridge. There was only one carriage which joined the train in question. It consisted of one first class compartment, one second class compartment, and two third class compartments, all partitioned separately from each other. This carriage would run through to London. In the first class compartment there were two passengers ; in the second class there would be seven or eight, so far as I can remember ; and in each of the two third class compartments there was more than one passenger, but I cannot tell the exact number. Any passengers from Dundee must have been in the Perth carriage. Sometimes the passengers for Liverpool change at Carlisle, sometimes at Preston,and sometimes at Newton Bridge. I did not particularly observe any sailor in either of the third class compartments I was not in the Perth carriage myself at any time during the journey. I do not know whether any passengers changed from the Perth carriage into the Liverpool carriage at Carlisle. We have two third class carriages run through from Carlisle to Liverpool ; both carriages are open end to end ; they were occupied by a miscellaneous class of passengers. I think there would be some sailors amongst them. We seldom travel any night without some. I judge that they are sailors by their dress. After leaving Carlisle the first stopping place is Penrith ; we then do not stop again until we reach Lancaster. On the night of the 7^th instant nothing particular took my attention until we reached Lancaster ; I was riding in a Liverpool first class carriage. On reaching Lancaster, as I was walking up the platform, a passenger said to me, “ I believe a man has jumped out of the train.” I said “ Did you see him jump out ?” He replied

“ No I was asleep at the time, the other gentleman riding in the same compartment will, I think know more about it than I do.” I then asked the other gentleman if he saw him. He said “ No ; he was dosing at the time, and when he awoke the train was stopping at Lancaster, and he missed this man out of the carriage.” I asked what sort of man he was. He said he was just like a sailor, with a Guernsey frock on. I then said that I saw a man of that description on Penrith station, and we concluded at once that this was the man who had got out at Penrith. I had no further conversation with the gentlemen, who changed carriages at Newton Bridge, but whether for Manchester or Liverpool I cannot say, as I left them there. The two gentlemen were riding in a third class compartment of the Perth carriage. They both  seemed to me to be respectable men. I do not know whether I should be able to recognize them again or not. The gentlemen did not say whether or not they were asleep when the train passed Penrith. I saw that the near window was down, but I did not notice the off window. The off side doors of the carriages are always locked, and if a passenger had left a carriage on the off side he must have gone through the window. From the position in which I have heard that the body was found, the deceased must have gone through the window. The carriage in which the gentlemen were riding was the eleventh from the tail end of the train and the seventh from the engine. I had no further conversation with them, except that which I have given, because we were all of opinion that the man to whom they had referred had got out of the train at Penrith. The train left Carlisle at one o’clock in the morning of the 7^th instant and arrived at Lancaster.

               By the Jury. - The man who got out of the train at Penrith appeared to me to be dressed like a sailor ; he also appeared to be five feet six or seven inches in height. Both the gentlemen at Lancaster appeared to be quite sober. They appeared at first to be put out of the way about it, but were better satisfied when I told them about the man having got out at Penrith. I remember at Carlisle seeing two bundles similar to those now produced in the luggage van which came from Perth and ran through to Liverpool.

               Richard Robinson, of Lancaster, deposed - I am chief inspector on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. I have by the means of the telegraph and from personal enquiry endeavoured to ascertain as to who the deceased was, but have not been able to ascertain anything about him, except what has been stated by last witness. I have made inquiry at Liverpool as to whether or not there was any luggage unclaimed there which arrived by the night mail on the 7^th inst, which would reach Liverpool about 5.16 on the 8^th inst. I found that there were two sailors bags unclaimed. One of them I have examined and found it to contain a blanket, a quilt, a pair of deck boots, an oil-cloth suit and a cap. The whole of the articles were in a canvas bag similar to the one which I now produce. I examined all the articles. I found no name marked upon any of them, nor anything to lead to the identity of the owner. I produce the second bag. It contains a large quantity of wearing apparel evidently belonging to a sailor. I find amongst the rest the end torn from a scarf which corresponds exactly with that which was round the neck of the deceased. The deceased’s scarf had lost an end. I also find a book published in New York the title of which is “ Love me Little, Love me Long,” and has in it the name P.H.Ford written in lead pencil, and below the name P.Bulk, W, D, 1863. I also find a small Bible with the following written at both the beginning and end of the book, “ Presented to William Stanley by Miss Jane Newton.” In a leather purse I also find two small papers, on one of which the name “ Samuel D Adams ” appears, and on the other “ James Graham.” A knife also in the bundle has the name “ J Graham,” scratched on the handle. These bundles would be in the Liverpool luggage van.

               Verdict : Killed by being run over by a train on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, but how or by what means deceased came upon the said line of  railway there is not sufficient evidence to show.