RAILWAY TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2429, 18 February 1909, Page 6

RAILWAY TRAGEDY.

MURDER AND SUICIDE IN A CARRIAGE. A dramatic double tragedy was reported on the arrival at Newport, AY ales, on December 17, shortly before ten o’clock, of (lie Soutbampton-to-Cardiff express. Just as the train emerged from the Severn tunnel the , guard was startled to hear several -i shots, the reports proceeding from one jj of the carriages. He immediately ap- j plie the vaccum brake, and brought I the train to a standstill. Getting out j and walking along the train, he was | horrified to find in a first-class apart- ‘ ment the dead bodies of a well-dressed man and woman, evidently of good position. The woman was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with four shot wounds in the neck. The man was sitting with his back to the platform door, shot through the mouth, the bullet having passed out at the back of his neck. On the floor between them, was a somewhat heavy six-chambered, nickel-plated revolver. All the chambers had been discharged, although at the moment only five bullets could he accounted for. From its position the revolver appeared to have fallen from the man’s hand. So blackened was the dead man’s face by powder that it was at first thought he was a colored man. The carriage was bespattered with blood. There appeared.] however, no signs of a struggle. The passengers were, of course greatly' alarmed by the shots and the subsequent stopping of the train. Some of them, indeed, got out to ascertain what had happened. On it being found .that both persons were dead, the train resumed its journey, and brought the bodies to Newport. The identity of the victims and the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were soon established. The story that lies behind it is the same as that in the recent case at Brighton—the love of <a. girl for a man already married. The girl was Miss Katherine Edith. Gwendolin Clarke (aged twenty-one), the daughter of Captain Clarke, of The Yews,. Newport. The man’s name was AVintle, and he is said to have been a Bristol gas engineer. In an interview Air. Lewis, the uncle of the girl, stated that AVintle made the acquaintance of the girl last summer at Cardiff,- the couple striking up a friendship which ripened into love. Her family naturally made inquiries into .AVintle’® career, and recently found out that he was married, and' that his wife, with their two children, was living at Coventry.. Every effort was made to break off the connection, but without avail, and though Wintle was not allowed to visit tho girl in her home they corresponded. On the morning of the tragedy Miss Clarke left the house, stating she had obtained a situation in Gloucestershire. There is no doubt, however, that she met the man at Bristol, and was induced by him to take the journey' which ended so tragically. A number of letters were found on the bodies, which showed the couple to have been passionately attached to each other. Two letter cards in possion of the girl began “My darling Gwen,” and were couched in the most affectionate terms. There is •no reason to doubt that AVintle first shot the girl and then committed suicide.