Looking for newspaper archive for a possible murder

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ninatoo
Posts: 1221
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:42 am
Location: Australia

Looking for newspaper archive for a possible murder

Post by ninatoo » Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:46 pm

Hi all,

One of my cousin researchers has found a death for an ancestor which could possibly be a murder! John Crombie, aged 27, was found dead on June 8th, 1906 in Paisley, Renfrewshire. He was found beside a railway track, and the death registration states that he was hit by a train. However the RCE notes that while he was found at the railway track he had a cut throat.

I've tried to look at the online archives, but I am hopeless at searching on there; however I did discover the Glasgow Herald papers two days immediately after the date were not available.

As I am not in Scotland I don't have access to the libraries etc, so I was wondering where else to look online, or even if someone could please search for any mention of this death.

Nina
Researching: Easton ( Renfrewshire, Dunbarton and Glasgow), Corr (Londonderry and Glasgow), Carson (Co. Down, Irvine, Ayrshire and Glasgow), Logan (Londonderry and Glasgow)

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Looking for newspaper archive for a possible murder

Post by Currie » Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:52 am

Hello Nina,

Was there any mention of a Fatal Accident Inquiry? Surviving records are usually at NRS, but it seems you've been there, done that. http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/g ... ry-records

At Google News Archive the Glasgow Herald edition for 9th June (Saturday), as you say, is missing. The British Newspaper Archive doesn't have any GH editions after 1900.

This is all I could find:

Edinburgh Evening News, Friday, June 08, 1906
RAILWAY FATALITY AT PAISLEY.
The body of John Crombie, 27 years of age, who resided at Moorpath, Renfrew, was found on the railway at Paisley this morning. The body was in a badly mutilated condition, the back of the head being greatly bruised, and the right arm almost severed from the body. A portion of the man's shoulder was found some 30 feet away from the place where he was killed. Crombie was unmarried.

You can access this newspaper with your National Library of Australia library card (or possibly your State Library). http://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/item/3303

A search for railway n9 paisley in June 1906 will find it.

Perhaps it was suicide, throat cutting was popular back then, and there were plenty of cut-throat razors available. Laying down on the tracks could just be a back-up in case the razor failed him.,

All the best,
Alan

ninatoo
Posts: 1221
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:42 am
Location: Australia

Re: Looking for newspaper archive for a possible murder

Post by ninatoo » Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:43 am

Thank you Alan,

Yes, I did search at NRS, no luck there. But oh my goodness they were so graphic in their reporting back then! It had also occurred to me that it could be a suicide as I'd heard of people cutting their own throats before. He seems to have been not too far away from the area he resided in, so I was thinking perhaps he'd been ambushed on the way home after a drinking session (given the time). We may never know.

He was only 27, his brother Samuel had to register the death, and had married only a week before, and their sister died after child-birth the previous month. How awful it must have been for his parents.

I thought I was a member of the National Library, but if I was it has lapsed, so now I have to wait about a week until a new card comes. My State Library card wasn't good enough!

Thanks again!

Nina
Researching: Easton ( Renfrewshire, Dunbarton and Glasgow), Corr (Londonderry and Glasgow), Carson (Co. Down, Irvine, Ayrshire and Glasgow), Logan (Londonderry and Glasgow)

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