Mexborough & Swinton Times, December, 2, 1932.
Grim Find on Railway
Head on Line
Roman Terrace Man’s Desperate Suicide
Relatives’ Revelations
Wanted Board at 4/- A Week
During the inquest last Friday at Mexboro Cemetery, on the man whose body was found decapitated on the London and North Eastern Railway near Mexborough Ferry, on Nov. 23rd, a man came forward and identified the dead man his brother, Friend Diggles, 53, unemployed miner, formerly living at Gladstone Place, Roman Terrace, Swinton. The inquest was conducted by Mr. W. H. Carlile and there were also present Inspector Redfern , (W.R. Police, Mexborough), Inspector Clavey (L.N.E.R. Police, Doncaster) and Mr. T. E. Morris (Loco Superintendent, Mexbro’ Plant).
Gruesome Discovery.
George Albert Share, engine cleaner, employed at Mexborough Loco Sheds, and living at 35, Highwood Road, Mexborough, said that on Nov. 23rd, he was sent to Old Denaby to call a man to work and at about 7-5 am, he was walking back to Mexborough station along the railway when he found the body of a man, with the top of the head and part of the face severed. The place where he discovered the body was about 50 or 60 yards on the west side of the Ferry crossing. There were other injuries. He stayed by the body until the man he had called up came along and he instructed him to give information at Mexborough station. Answering questioned by the Coroner, witness said there were no marks indicating that the man had slipped and fallen in front of a train. Near the place was a foreman’s hut which he found a brown leather gladstone bag. It was not the property of anyone connected with the railway and he handed it to the police. The last train over the spot that morning was the 5-58 a.m. from Mexborough.
John Henry White, undertaker, Bank street. Mexborough said he was called to the scene arriving at 8.15, and he formed the opinion that the man’s death had occurred not more than two hours before.
Last Minute Identification.
At this juncture, Sergt. Beecham arrived and told the Coroner that he had secured a person who thought he might be able to identify the body. After a short adjournment, Charles Diggles, miner, 76. Wath Road, Roman Terrace, identified the body as that of his brother. Friend Diggles, unemployed miner who had lived at Gladstone Place, Roman Terrace. He thought his brother was 55 years old. He was single.
“I last saw him alive twelve months ago when he left our house. He was then working. I had heard nothing about him since.” He had no doubt that it was his brother although he had had to identify by marks on the body. He could not speak about his brother’s health or circumstances. Inspector Clayey said he had canoed inquires to be made at the Loco sheds at lmmingham, Ardsley, Sheffield. Mexborough and Doncaster, but no marks had been found on engines. Light engines had passed the spot after the 5.58 from Mexborough.
The inquest was then adjourned for half an hour for further witnesses.
Millicent Hobson, 3, Gladstone Place. Roman Terrace, niece of Friend Diggles, said her uncle resided with her from August 1931 to Friday Nov. 18th, 1932. He had been unemployed for some months and in receipt of “dole.”
“A Bit of Bother.”
“About 9 o’clock on Friday morning last week we had a bit of bother and I told him he had better go, but I never thought he would leave. The trouble was over his board. He complained that I was not doing proper to him and said that 4s. a week would keep him. I never thought he would leave me. We had had the same trouble previously and on those occasions I told him to go but he did not. Although he went out after the trouble, I got his meals ready that day.”
Witness added that she did not report him missing because she thought he would come back or else had found fresh lodgings. “He owed me for a week’s board and I threatened him that he would not get his clothes until he had paid.” About three weeks ago, Diggles had “a touch of ‘flu’ but otherwise was in good health. He had never spoken about taking his life. “Ever since he came on the ‘dole,’ he worried me to keep him for 4s. I told I could not.”
The Coroner: I should think not, too.
Witness: He has not been troubled about being out of work.
P.c. Tully said that when a search was made of the clothing, there was nothing by which the body could be identified, only a penny, pencil and handkerchief being found. In the bag left by Diggles in the foreman’s hut was a shirt, undershirt, trousers, handkerchief and pair of socks. The shirt and trousers were wet through, there were no signs in the hut of the man having changed clothing there. “From the injuries and examination of the rails. I think the man put his head on the rail and waited for a train to come down on him ”
A Heavy Drinker.
Mrs. Hobson, recalled, said that as far as she knew, her uncle left her without taking any extra clothing. She did not know that he had a leather bag in his possession. He was a heavy drinker.
Charles Males: He only craved for drink and cigarettes. He would not pay anybody and those are the reasons why he left my house.
Sergt. Beecham said the Mexborough police had discovered that Diggles had been given a meal by a man at Denaby Main on the night previous to his being found dead. The inquest was again adjourned while the man, who turned out to be Charles James Hall, 103, Doncaster Road, Denaby, was fetched.
Hall told the Coroner that he had known Diggles all his life and on Tuesday Nov. 22nd Diggles called at his home about 5 o’clock. “It was the first time I had seen him for years. He said he had walked that afternoon from Bawtry.” Diggles had a small leather bag with him. Witness gave him a meal and then, because Diggles said he had no money and wanted to get to Roman Terrace, also gave the man threepence for tram fare. Diggles left witness’ house about 6 o’clock. “He seemed quite all right and in good spirits. He was not depressed in my opinion.”
The Coroner said it was a satisfaction to know that the man had been identified. Diggles appeared to have had some trouble when living with his brother and similar trouble had apparently arisen while he was living with his niece. The result in both cases was his being turned out.
“Neither Mr. Diggles nor Mrs. Hobson did anything to reproach themselves for. They could not possibly keep that man for 4s. a week. From the evidence, I am satisfied that Diggles did deliberately place his head on the rails and was killed.”
A verdict of “Suicide with Insufficient evidence to show the state of the man’s mind,” was recorded.