EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN A RAILWAY TUNNEL

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1046, 13 June 1883, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN A RAILWAY TUNNEL

k A tragic affair occurred x-ecently near Manchester. On the arrival at Iladcliffe of the express, passenger train leaving Ducie Bridge, Manchester, for Bacup, at 2.30, the door of one of the first-class compartments; was found open. There was no one in* the compartment, but it had evidently been recently occupied, as an overcoat and two umbrellas were lying on the seat. There was no clue to the ownership of the articles, nor was there any further indication, that anything extraordinary had happened ; hut : about o’clock some platelayers who were at work in the, tunnel abouttwo miles front Victoria Ducie Bridge, found, scrambfirigOn the line, a respectably dressed middle-aged man, who was afterwards ascertained to be Mr J Kay, a retired tradesmen residing at Rad cl life. It was found that bis skull was fractured, his face bruised, and Ins clothing soiled as if he" had been’dragged along'the line. He gave no explanation of how ho came to be in the tunriel, and he was sent to his home. Some railway servants, who went into the tunnel to look for the thing which Mr Kay said he had lost, found the mangled body of a - woman lying across the rails along which 1 the train from Manchester to Radcliffe had passed.. Her legs had been run over just below the knees, and almost completely severed from the body. She was still breathing, but insensible, and in that condition was removed to the Manchester Royal infirmary, where she died shortly after admission without having gained consciousness!; The woman was afterwards identified as Mrs Kay. It appears that Kay and his wife had been to Manchester to transact some business at Brooks’ Bank, and left the city together by the 2.40 train. They were in a .compartment by themselves, and, although several passengers were in the next compartment, no disturbance was heard by them in the tunnel. After reaching home Kay only gave rambling replies to any question put to him. It is said that six or seven years ago both lie and his wife attempted to commit suicide. The deceased was 51 years old, and her husband a little older! The affair remains a complete mystery.