Douglas Petrie

Douglas Petrie was found shot on the 10.50 train from Lincoln to Retford.

He was found dying from a bullet wound in the chest in a first class compartment of a carriage.

His body was identified by his brother, a retired merchant that had lived in Cleveland Road, Ealing.

Douglas Petrie had been the secretary to a public limited company (The Smelting Company of Australia). He had lived at the White House in Hadley near Barnet and was a married man.

His brother said that he last saw Douglas Petrie alive about three weeks earlier in London at which time he appeared to be in good health. He said that he didn't know what had brought Douglas Petrie into the neighbourhood, but said that he knew that he had occasion to go on business to Liverpool which he transacted on Monday.

He said that Douglas Petrie was of strictly temperate habits and that he had never heard him threaten to take his life. He added that so far as he was aware that there was nothing at all to cause him trouble financially or otherwise.

He said that he was acquainted with Douglas Petrie's circumstances in life and the calls his business made upon him and said that he was quite unaware of his having anything to bring him into the Retford district. He said that Douglas Petrie was very much a domesticated man in all respects and had a wife and three children and that his home life was a very happy one and that he was an affectionate father.

He said that as far as he knew that Douglas Petrie had never betted in his life and had no speculations since twenty years earlier, noting that he was on such terms with him that had he been in financial difficulties that he would have expected him to apply to him first.

He said that so far as he knew that it was never Douglas Petrie's custom to carry a revolver and that he had made enquiries and failed to find any indication that he had purchased one.

He said that amongst Douglas Petrie's effects at the police station that he found a newly-purchased walking-stick and two collars which bore the name of York tradesmen.

He said that he had made some inquiries at Lincoln and determined that Douglas Petrie had arrived there on the Wednesday night and that a cabman had driven him to the station to his hotel just as a train for Retford and one from York arrived and so he came to the conclusion that Douglas Petrie had travelled to Lincoln from York.

A farmer and corn merchant from South Leverton said that he had been at Leverton Station between Lincoln and Retford on the Thursday morning intending to travel by the 10.38 train to Retford and that when the train arrived he looked into a carriage to see if anyone he knew was in it and saw Douglas Petrie, but as he didn't know him he got into the next compartment. He said that on the way to Retford, soon after the train entered Clarborough Tunnel, that he heard a slight noise like a muffled explosion and thought at the moment that it was not a fog signal as it was not loud enough and the sound didn't appear to come from the tunnel, but from some part of the train in front.

He noted that he didn't see anyone else in the carriage beside Douglas Petrie when he looked in but noted of course that he didn't look under the seat.

He said that the train drew up at the back platform at Retford.

The relief stationmaster at Leveryon said that he resided at New Holland and had been a passenger guard employed by the Great Central Railway and had been at Leverton Station when the 10.38 train arrived on the Thursday morning. He said that as usual the Retford tickets were collected and the others collected.

He said that he saw Douglas Petrie sitting on the far seat facing the engine and noticed no one else in the carriage. He said that Douglas Petrie's brown bag was on the opposite side and that he noticed nothing unusual .

He said that Douglas Petrie had his newspaper in his left hand and produced his ticket with his right which was a ticket from Lincoln to Worksop and that after he looked at it he returned it.  He said that he didn't lock the carriage door after returning the ticket and that no one got into the compartment and that he was alone when he arrived and when he left.

A passenger guard on the Great Central that had lived in Montfort Road in Sheffield said that he had been in charge of the train which left Lincoln for Retford at 10.05 on the Thursday morning and that he had seen Douglas Petrie on the Lincoln Platform but didn't notice him again until they arrived at Retford.

He said that the doors of the carriages on the six-foot side were all unlocked and that he had no duties to perform and sat down on the near side until reaching Retford.

He noted that he didn't see Douglas Petrie talking to anyone on the platform at Lincoln.

Douglas Petrie was found by a man from Retford and Sheffield who had been living in Holly Mount. The man said that he had been on the back platform at Retford Station on the Thursday morning when the 10.53 train arrived for Sheffield. He said that the collector opened the door and that he stepped into the carriage and at once caught sight of a revolver lying on the floor of the carriage. He said that the collector had gone to fetch him a newspaper after opening the door and that when he went in he saw Douglas Petrie sitting with his back to the engine in a reclining position and that he then at once stepped out of hte carriage and told the guard and inspector who were both close by.

The inspector, who had lived in Retford, said that he had been on duty at Retford Station upon the arrival of the 10.50 train from Lincoln on the Thursday when his attention was called to Douglas Petrie.

He said that he thought that he had been in a fainting fit and commenced to loosen his waistcoat. He said that he noticed that he was alive and that when he had partly undone his waistcoat he saw bloodstains on his shirt. He said that he then made a search as he suspected that something was wrong and found a revolver on the floor with a newspaper over it.

He said that he then sent for the police, a doctor and the station master and had the carriage detached from the rest of the train.

He noted that he thought that the revolver and the newspaper appeared to have fallen where he had found them.

The doctor that was called out arrived at 11am and found Douglas Petrie in the first class compartment and said that when he examined him he found that he was dead but that his body was still warm. He said that he found a small wound on his chest through the centre of the breast bone. He said that there was a scorched aperture through the vest corresponding with the position of the wound and marks of scorching on the skin around the wound and that he thought that the weapon must have been held very near to him when fired.

He said that the bullet wound was the cause of death, but that it was quite possible that he might have changed his position after the wound was inflicted.

He added that he thought that the wound had been self-inflicted because his waistcoat had been opened before the shot was fired.

A police sergeant that examined the revolver said that he found four loaded cartridges in the chambers and one that had been discharged.

He said that in the carriage he found two newspapers, both dated 12th June, a gentleman's umbrella, walking stick and a large portmanteau which contained clothing. He said that he searched Douglas Petrie’s body and found £5 3s 5d, a silver sovereign purse, silver watch, leather guard gold-mounted, pair eyeglasses, silver pencil case, silver tooth pick, knife, silver mounted matchbox, gold scarf pin, silver cigarette case and a railway ticket.

He noted that there were no cartridges on Douglas Petrie, nor in his luggage, except those in his revolver.

When the Coroner summed up he addressed the jury and asked them whether it was not more than possible that it was a case of murder. He said that they knew that there had been races at Lincoln and that it was not uncommon for bad characters to congregate upon such occasion and that the appearance of a presumably well-to-doo gentleman sitting in a compartment might have possibly attracted someone to travel by the same train, and whilst the train was travelling, took the opportunity to change carriages with attempt at robbery, and did commit murder.

He noted that Douglas Petrie  had never been known to carry a revolver and that no other cartridges were found upon him and that no reason could be suggested for suicide. He then asked the jury by their verdict not to exclude further developments in connection with the case through enquiries by the police. He then reminded them of the numerous railway mysteries, some of which had proved to be murders after they had been looked upon as suicides, reminding them that the newspaper was found over the revolver.

After an absence of seven minutes, the jury returned the verdict 'That deceased met with his death by a revolver shot, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show who fired the revolver'.