Some remarkable evidence was given at an inquest in Knapton, on Harrison Schwabb, 31, steel manufacturer, of Broomfield Road, Sheffield who had been killed by an express train on the previous evening, Mr Frank Harrison, surgeon, of Glossop-road, Sheffield identified the body as that of his nephew, who had been staying for some days at the Crown Hotel, Scarborough, and had with him his brother's motor-car.
Lily Harper, manageress of the Crown Hotel, Scarborough, said Mr Schwabb came to the hotel on August 18. On Sunday night he ordered his breakfast for 7.45m next morning. She expected he was leaving , as on Monday morning he asked her for his account,
and seemed in a hurry. She asked the book-keeper to make out the account, and while she was doing so the deceased asked her how much it would be. He put £10 of gold upon the counter, and witness said she would not take it until he saw the account. He replies "Send it on" and she was also to pack and send his things on. He left without having his breakfast, giving her 10s for the waiter. Before he left, the deceased appeared to be upset about something, and was very impatient.
An important statement was made by William Eastgate, signalman at Knapton-station who said that at 8-21 on Tuesday evening he saw Mr Schwabb, with an overcoat over his arm, standing immediately in front of an approaching train. He said Mr Schwabb was in the act of stepping from the level crossing when the engine caught him.
William Robinson Brown, station-master at Knapton, said that he was was walking from the station, and about 50 yards away he saw Mr Schwabb seated on a bank.
He made remark about "a cool seat", and told him that there was an express due, which did not stop. Mr Schwabb's umbrella was afterwards found at the same spot.
Walter E Sharpe, solicitor, of Bingley, stated that deceased spent Sunday with him at Scalby, where he (witness) was staying. Mr Schwabb seemed in his usual state of health. The deceased left at 10 o'clock on Sunday night.
The Coroner was at this point handed a letter in Mr Schwabb's handwriting. It was in pencil, and portions were undecipherable. but it was evidently related to some unpleasantness which had occurred on the Sunday. It was addressed to a Scarborough lady, and began; "I think you must have all been mad to do what you did to me". Another sentence was: "How Hilda could do it, I don't know". The coroner said that apparantly something had occurred which had upset the deceased.
The witness Sharpe, who was recalled, denied knowledge of any unpleasantness and stated that: The lady referred to in the letter, who formed one of the party on Sunday, was a stranger to him.
Some sensational evidence was then given by Sergeant Sweeney of Sherburn, who said that during the afternoon, two hours prior to the inquest, he received information that a motor-car had been found on Staxton Brow, some miles from Knapton on Monday night. He proceeded there and found a car in the middle of the road. It bore the registration marks W 309 and was the car driven by Mr Schwabb. Some men had found it with the bonnet in the hedge. From the marks on the road, it appeared that the car had been driven from the direction of Foxholes.
The coroner said that from the evidence before them he did not think the jury would be in a better position to give a verdict, if they adjourned the inquest, than they would under the present circumstances.
When the report of the affair was given him, he rather gathered the impression that it was likely to be a case of suicide.
It was a very extraordinary fact that he should have left the car in the position he did and wandered to Knapton Station, but there was no evidence to show what he had been doing in the neighbourhood. He (the coroner) did not think the evidence would lead them to the conclusion that the man tried to commit suicide. The evidence of the signal-man went to show that he was in the act of crossing the line. He thought the jury would be justified in returning a verdict of "Accidental Death".
