On the morning of Tuesday the 13th of October, 1884, a workman who was working on the railways embankment near Bushey Station made a shocking and horrible discovery.

The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette took up the story on Tuesday the 14th of October:-

ANOTHER LONDON MYSTERY

A shocking discovery was made near Watford yesterday, which leads to the belief that a horrible murder has been committed in London, and the remains were thrown from a railway carriage on the London and North-Western line when a train was passing Bushey Station on Sunday night.

About 8.30 yesterday morning, a workman named Jesse Parson was near the embankment close to Bushey Station, when he found the lid of a coffin, next he saw the coffin itself, and in it were some bones.

Several other bones were scattered about. Upon examination the coffin was found to be covered with quicklime, and had evidently been buried in a garden.

MISSING PARTS

The medical men found that the feet and the lower part of the legs below the knees and also the skull were missing.

Strict search has been made during the day for the missing parts, but without success.

The coffin is nearly four feet in length, made of elm, and the body, which is that of a grown-up person, bears indications of having been forced into it.

UPDATE BY TELEGRAPH

The police, upon further examination of the spot near Bushey Station, where the human remains were found, have discovered several putrid bones close to a large hole under one of the buttresses of the North-Western Railway bridge.

The police express the opinion that the coffin already found was brought to Watford by rail or van, that more than one person assisted in its removal, and that these were pretty well acquainted with the spot where the discovery was made, and which lies away from the road.

FURTHER EXAMINATIONS

Up to the present, the head, feet, and other parts of the body have not been found, but medical men will make further examinations today of the bones, which, with the coffin, are now lying in a shed.

The coroner has been communicated with, and to allow time for further medical examination the inquest will probably be fixed for tomorrow.

It is thought that the persons hiding the remains were disturbed in the task before it was fully accomplished.

However, The Surrey Mirror, on Saturday the 18th of October, 1884, contained the following article, which appeared to exampling the mystery:-

GHASTLY HOAX

A discovery was made on Monday, near Watford, which at first led to the belief that a horrible murder had been committed in some part of London, and that the remains of the victim had been thrown from a railway carriage on the London and North Western line when the train was passing Bushey station during the preceding night.

HOW THE REMAINS WERE FOUND

About half-past eight in the morning a workman named Jesse Parson was near the embankment close to Bushey station, when he found the lid of a coffin.

Next he saw the coffin itself, and in it were some bones. Several other bones were scattered about the spot.

He immediately communicated with the police.

COVERED WITH QUICKLIME

Upon examination the coffin was found to be covered with quicklime, and had evidently been buried, probably in a garden.

Two medical men who were called found that the feet and lower part of the legs, below the knees, and also the skull were missing.

The police, upon examination of the spot where the coffin was found, discovered several putrid bones near a large hole under one of the buttresses of the five arches which span the road between Bushey and Watford, and over which is carried the main line of the London and North Western Railway.

THEY WERE NOT HUMAN

On Dr. Clarke, of Bushey, and a medical man from London, examining the remains, however, they came to the conclusion that they were not human but those of some animal, probably a sheep.

IT WAS A HOAX

The police, who have also found out that the coffin was made seme time ago for a neighbour’s child, but not used, regard the affair as a hoax