George Henry Gillette

George Henry Gillette was found dead on the Reading railway line.

George Gillette was an assistant at All Hallows School in Honiton.

He was found lying between the lines at Reading West Junction on 7 October 1929 by a signalman soon after 5pm and died four minutes later. He was said to have come off of the Goring train that had passed just seconds before.

He had been travelling in a Reading going train. He had told the headmaster for his school, who he met at Taunton station on 7 October 1929, that he was going to go and visit his sister in Aldworth and then go to London for an operation concerning his septic tonsils which were causing him a certain amount of deafness. The headmaster said that when he left George Gillette at the station he was appeared to be normal. He added that George Gillette was a very temperate man.

He was severely injured about his head and body. Death was stated as being due to laceration of the brain. The doctor said that death must have been instantaneous. His injuries were described as being consistent with having fallen from a train.

When he was found a ticket for Goring was found in his pocket. His suitcase, hat and stick were later found on the Goring train. his glasses were found smashed about ten yards from his body.

When the Goring train was examined the door was found to have been shut but the window was open and the glass smashed as though it had received a blow. It was a corridor train. There were no signs of a struggle. A porter that gave evidence at the inquest said that there were boot marks in the carriage floor as though someone had shuffled their feet in an agitated manner.

A police sergeant said that no money was missing from George Gillette and that everything seemed to be in order.

The Coroner said that there was no suggestion of suicide.

An open verdict was returned.