Willis, Alfred 1906 April 13th
Deaths on the Railway – The Fatality in Salisbury Tunnel
As announed in last weeks Times, the dead body of an unknown man was discovered in the London Road Tunnel on Friday morning, the head being completely severed, apparently by a passing train.
An inquest was held by the City Coroner (Mr S Buchanan-Smith) at the L and SWR Station on Friday evening, Mr Alfred Rogers being chosen foreman of the jury.
Samuel Head, ganger, in the employ of the L and SWR Company, and residing at No 3, Clifton Terrace, Devizes Road, stated that he started on his rounds at 6 o’clock on Friday morning, and upon examining the rails, found a man lying dead about 25 yards from the Salisbury end of the tunnel. The man was lying on his stomach, his body being between the wall and the down rail, whilst his head, which had been completely severed from the body, was found in the four foot way. There were no marks of a struggle there. The body had not been dragged at all; it had not been moved. He went through the tunnel last at 4 o’clock the previous evening, and there was nothing there then. He found the body at 6.50am on Friday. The feet were against the wall, and the shoulders were close to the rails, and the head in the four foot way. The hat was by deceased’s left side.
Inspector Stroud said he was called about 7.50am in the morning to the tunnel, and there found a man lying on his stomach about 25 yards from the Salisbury end. The feet were right against the wall, the head was severed from the body and was lying in the four foot way. With assistance he got the body outside the tunnel, and searched the clothing. He found a silver watch and a silver chain. The watch was stopped at 6.20am. He also found a Star newspaper of last Wednesday and a piece of notepaper with something torn from it, also a pipe and pouch and a pocket-knife, and a catalogue of a horse sale. Afterwards the body was removed to a shed at the railway station. He had made a careful examination of the body, and he should say that the mans age was from 35 to 40 years. He was 5ft 6in in height, of medium build, with dark brown eyebrows, dark brown hair turning grey, high and sloping forehead, grey eyes, round features, dark brown moustache and side whiskers. There were also two vaccination marks and a brown mole on the left arm. He was wearing a hard felt hat, dark grey overcoat, vertical pockets, and black and grey check lining, a grey cloth jacket with a green stripe running through, steel grey trousers and double breasted vest of the same colour, dark brown cardigan jacket, white rubber collar, narrow grey tie, grey flannel shirt, a ribbed waistbelt, red flannel chest protector, red mixture and worsted stockings, black lace-up boots, and his hat, which was lying on the left side of the body, was size 7. There was a slight bruise on the left shoulder, but there were no marks upon the body other than those he had mentioned, by which the man could be identified.
In answer to questions put by jurors, Inspector Stroud said that when he had got the body outside the tunnel, he found that that part that had been nearest to the ground was quite warm. Among the other things he found upon deceased were a pair of leather driving gloves, a catalogue of a horse sale by a London firm, and a green purse with two half pennies in it. The number of the watch was 870,774, and inside the case the letters W L were very faintly scratched. The watch chain had a silver locket fixed to it, but there was no name on it.
The piece of notepaper referred to by the witness was inspected by the jury, and a juryman remarked upon the fact that beneath the piece of paper which had been torn away there was a slight impress of some writing.
The Coroner said he had noticed it, and had put it under a powerful magnifying glass in the hope of deciphering it, but he had been unsuccessful, owing to the faintness of the impression. Continuing, the Coroner said that so far as they knew at present no one could identify the body, although several persons had seen it. There was no evidence that the deceased committed suicide, and, although the position in which the body was found pointed that way, he thought the best verdict they could return would be an open verdict.
In answer to a juryman, the Coroner said that every engine which passed up and down the line about the time had been examined, but nothing could be found to connect one with the case.
Replying to another juryman, the Coroner said he did not think it probable that the deceased fell out of a train.
The jury returned an open verdict.
On Saturday the City Police received a communication from Weybridge, and on Monday relatives journeyed to Salisbury and identified the body as that of Alfred Willis.
Interviewed by a Times reporter, a son-in-law stated that Mr Willis was 44 years of age, and was a cab driver, employed at Weybridge, Surrey. He had a family of children, one of whom, a little boy, was in a Cripples Home at Torquay, and towards his maintainence he had to contribute 15s a week. Deceased’s wife, who was a Salisbury woman, died about four years ago, but all her relatives had left Salisbury and Willis had no friends in the city. He left home on Wednesday morning at about half past eight and asked his daughter not to send any food to the stable because he was “ordered” at 10.15. He did not return and the matter was reported to the police. On Saturday the relatives saw the account of the sad affair in the Salisbury Tunnel and from the description they came to Salisbury where there worst fears were confirmed. The son-in-law added that Mr Willis did not appear to be depressed or melancholy, but was on the other hand a very cheerful man. He could not account for his death at all; Willis had never said or done anything to lead one to think he would take his own life.
The funeral took place at the London Road Cemetary on Tuesday.
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 