James Dougall

James Dougall was found dead on the main London railway line near Rugby Midland Station on Thursday 9 May 1957.

He was found on the up and down fast lines near the station.

He had lived in Raphoe Road in Crumhill, Dublin and was a representative of a chocolate firm, Rowntree's, and had been to Wembley to see the England-Ireland football match there with a friend.

He was known to have got on the train back to Holyhead from Euston with his friend. His friend said that after the match they joined the non-stop train to Holyhead and that he went to sleep, but that when he woke up James Dougall was not in the compartment. He said that when they had both got on the train that they had been 'sober and all right' and that 20 minutes after getting on that he had gone to sleep and that on the only time that he had woken up before the train reached Holyhead that he had seen that James Dougall was not in the compartment and had thought that he had just gone to the toilet.

A railway witness that gave evidence at his inquest said that the train was stopped at Rugby because of a report of an open door but said that no open door was found. An inspector from Crewe said that all the corridor doors had slam locks that could only be opened from the outside.

The compartment in which James Dougall's coat and jacket were found in was three compartments from the toilet.

An open verdict was returned at his inquest.

James Dougall was described as a keen sportsman.