QSR1886/4/5/5

Depositions of Alfred Lunnis, police constable of Pulloxhill, John Minney, station master of Ampthill and George Janes, superintendent of police. In case of William Connor accused of attempting to throw himself from a railway carriage whilst the train was in motion.

26 August 1886

From: 1886 To: 1886

Alfred Lunnis: a police constable stationed at Flitton. On 23 August he was at Midland Railway Station in Bedford. He got into a third class carriage to Flitwick. There were 3 ladies in the carriage when he got in and afterwards the defendant joined the carriage and seated himself opposite Lunnis next to the door. Lunnis thought the man to be under the influence of drink as he was restless. As the train started the man began to sob and cry. About half way between the station and Ampthill tunnel, the defendant rushed to the window and put his head and upper half of his body out of it. Lunnis caught hold of him and pulled him back inside. Connor said he would have thrown himself out if not pulled back and he must and would. Lunnis sat the man on the seat but he got up again and as they were going through the tunnel he tried to get out of the window leg first. Connor got one of his legs out of the window and his hat went out of the window and was lost. Lunnis again seized him and sat him on the seat, holding him until they arrived at Ampthill station. At Ampthill station he was passed into the custody of the station master. Asked what he was troubled about, Connor said he had run away from his wife. The attempt happened in the parish of Houghton Conquest. Joseph Manning: station mater of Ampthill station on the Midland railway. On 23 August, on the arrival of the 4.18pm train, he was advised by PC Lunnis that the accused had attempted to throw himself from the train. The 3 ladies in the same compartment made the same complaint. He asked the defendant why had had done something so silly and the defendant said he wished he had done it. The defendant was asked to leave the train and Manning started the train. As he did so, the defendant made a rush as if to throw himself on the line between some horse boxes at the latter end of the train. Manning and a porter prevented him from doing so. After the train had gone Connor was asked why he would attempt such a thing. Connor replied his wife and child were lying dead at Bedford. At the request of Manning, Connor produced a ticket. It was a third class ticket from Olney to St Pancras. Travelling from Olney to St Pancras would have necessitated him to change at Bedford. Connor was detained and subsequently taken to the police station at Ampthill. On the way to the police station, manning took hold of the defendants sleeve and the porter took hold of the other. The porter filled Connor’s pipe for him as they walked through the Firs. Connor put his hand into his left hand pocket and pulled out a knife. Manning took the knife and asked him what he was doing. Connor said he wished to clean his pipe, but at that point it had been filled. Connor was handed over the Superintendent Janes. Manning did not believe Connor to be worse for liquor. George Janes: superintendent of police at Ampthill. The defendant was delivered into his custody on 23 August. The defendant seemed low on that evening and Janes asked him if he was troubled. The defendant said he had a good deal of trouble in his mind. Asked what the trouble was, the defendant replied he had lost his wife in childbirth, and the child had also died. Connor said they were at Bedford. Asked if he had just left them when he got on the train, the defendant said he had not as he had been to Olney to see his wife’s sister. Connor supplied her name and address but refused to say where his wife was lying. Connor said they had lived unhappily and had separated. His wife had gone to a situation but had been obliged to leave through her pregnancy. Next day, in the Janes’ presence, Connor told Dr Holland that his statement about his wife and child had been untrue and that he had no wife or child. On the same day a letter was written at the defendants request to Mrs Burges and later a letter was written at his request to a Mrs Connor of 9 East Street, Manchester Square, whom Connor said was his mother. Connor appeared emotional whilst in custody. Statement of the accused: he had nothing to say except he was very sorry. He also said “I did it no doubt but I cannot account for my doing it”.

6 pages

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Lunnis, Alfred,
Minney, John,
Janes, George,
Connor, William

PULLOXHILL, AMPTHILL, HOUGHTON CONQUEST, Olney, suicide, railway, station master, Ampthill Station