“HERO'S” FATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13193, 2 June 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

“HERO'S” FATE.

TRAGIC SEQUEL TO'.TALK OF TRAIN

WRECKERS. •

SUICIDE OF WELSH SIGNALMAN. The, story of the young Welsh signalman who, after a terrible struggle with would-be tram-wreckers, saved a passenger train, has been followed by the suicide of the supposed "iieio." The astonishing story told by the deceased, Signalman Rowland 'Ellis Evans, 20, employed 011 the Great Western Railway, near Llangollen in North Wales, is without parallel m railway records, and is sufficiently startling in the - possibilities of danger to the public that it Evans, one of the sniaitest employees on the G.W.R., lived at Llanuwuillyn, but had been drafted to Llangollen. It is said that he had been recently reading novels in which various heroic achievements were described, and it is thought that his mind became affected. At- all events he suddenly startled the neighbourhood with ail account of how, while casually walking hum Llangollen to Woodlands', he found two men placing sleepers across the' rails with the object of wrecking a shortly-expected passenger train. When ho sought to prevent them they attacked him with bludgeons, and left him lying senseless on the metals! On recovering he ran for a lamp, and waving this 011 the line SVCCKKDEI) OUST IX TIME, ill stopping the passenger train. This was Evans' story. His body, however, bore no traces of ill-usage, and no one had seen his al.eged assailants. Several railway and police officials visited Llangollen, called : Evans before them, and held a private investigation that lasted about two hours-" Evans was subsequently interviewed and found in tears. But the signalman gave his interviewer fresh and emphatic details of bis experience. He said that between half-past ten and eleven at night he heard a noise on the line, and scaling the hedijc he distinctly saw two men placing skeueis on the down line. "I spoke to them," continued Evans, "but without replying they rushed at me and struck me three times on the head, felling me. I distinctly saw they had pointed beards, and were both tall and thin, but I could not see their features. . One tried to cut my throat, and J. remember nothing else until I came to and saw they had disappeared." . At this point the speaker collapsed into tears again, and when asked the reason of his grief said he was overcome through being blamed. "Why should 1 be blamed when I am perfectly innocent?" lie con--tinued. "I eimply did mv duty and my only thought was to stop the train from its dangerous course. I expect they will put me in prison." Two hours after this interview Evans left Llangollen and reached Llanuwchllyn. He travelled ticketless, and he refused.to speak to anyone in the little Merionethshire village. He remained at home all the next- day, and only briefly and morosely replied to questions.' The signalman, it may be explained, resided with bis aunt, Mrs. Rowlands, at a ouaint farm 400 yards up the mountain side from the village. His mother is dead, and his father lived .at an adjoining farm. Just before 1 seven o'clock in the morning EVANS JfMPBD OUT OK BED hurriedly, partially dressed himself, and, without lacing his boots, took lip a single-. burreJcd, muzzle-loading gun and some ammunition, and left the house. His aunt saw him go, and, having some misgivings, endeavoured to.persuade him to stay at home. " I am going to look for rabbits,*' he replied. "Go and see first if any rabbits are about," vised his 'aunt. A man-servant saw Evans pass the farm stables, and spoke to him, but received no answer. At eight' o'c.ock Mr. Roberts, a surveyor, from Bala, starting out 011 a- fishing excursion, found', Evans lying dead in a pool of blood, near the riekyard gate, with the discharged gun. beside him. The unfortunate signalman.: had shot himself through the heait by. placing the gun-butt on the ground, press--ing his breast on the muzzle, and then dis-i charging the weapon with a piece of wood. At the inquest, when the circumstances of, Evans' death were inquired into, interesting-., evidence was given by Chief-Inspector,. William Thomas, G.W.R., Chester, who said deceased, whom lie knew well, had done three years' service at Llanuwchllyn, Acre., Fair, and Llangollen. He was promoted rapidly, and was recently made relief man. Some obstacles were placed on the railway at Llangollen, and deceased said that those obstacles were placed there by certain people. "I deny that lie was suspended," added witness. "The Coroner: Neither was lie accused . of having done it himself? Witness: No, .sir. He was a promising' young fellow, and never disobeyed instruct tions until after this affair. ' I gave him instructions to* see me, and said that he was not to leave Llangollen until we had com-' pleted the official inquiries. But lie went away. The Coroner: He told one witness that he had been severely censured. Witness: That must have been imagination on his part. He was merely questioned about the report he made. The. jury returned a verdict of " Suicide whilst temporarily insane." The Coroner opened two letters received from Swansea and Shcringham, from admirers, enclosing two sovereigns for Evans for his "heroic conduct."