Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-12-18
Verdict of tho Coroner,s Jury.

own laws.
Verdict of the COrOner's Jury.
The following is the verdict rendered in
the matter Of the late Railroad disaster at
Alliance.
We, the undersigned, jurors empanneled
and sworn on the 9Th day of December, in
the year 1856, of the township of Lexing-
ton, in tie county of Stark, and State of
Ohio, by A. L. Jones, Justice Of the
Peace in and for the township of Lexing-
ton in said county, and acting as coroner
for the time being, to enquire and true pre-
sentiment make in what manner and by
whom King Watson, Dr. P. B. Smith, Sa-
rah B. Smith, ]. c. McIntire, Jacob Rudie,
Pierson Atterholt, Nicholas G. Taylor,
and John Brooks, whose bodies were found
at the Railroad station house on the Cleve-
land'& Pittsburg track, in the town of AL
lance, and in said township of Lexington,
on the evening of the sth day ofDecember,
in the year 1856, came to their death.
After having heard evidence extensively
and examined the dead bodies, we do find
that the deceased came to their death by
violence, and that said bodies have upon
them numerous wounds, (being mangled
in shocking manner and in such a state
as to be out of the power of this jury to
describe, } inflicted and caused by the pas
senger train on the Cleveland and Pitts
burg Railroad running north over the rail-
road crossing of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne
and Chicago Railroad at Alliance, at the
time that the third train from Pittsburg was
going west on said crossing, and which
collision the jury find caused the immedi-
ate death of said persons whose bodies were
found as aforesaid. And we, the jury, do
further find that one John Cherry, the en-
gineer on the engine of said train, on said
Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad running
north, was concerned in the perpetration Of
said outrage, violence and death as princi-
pal.
Given under our hands at the time and
place of said inquisition above mentioned
December 10th, 1856.
FRED. F. N. PIERRE,
| ENos L, WOODS,
JOHN BATTERsHILL,
H. LAUGHLIN,
ABRAHAM ZIMMERMAN,
rs. STANLEY.
There is no fault to be found with thi:
verdict as far as it goes towards expressing
an opinion as to the manner in which those
killed met their death, but the verdict, at
tempting as it does, to shield certain par
ties who, in any and every view ofthe case
are criminally guilty, will have but little
moral weight with the public. Cherry, the
engineer, may perhaps be able entirely tc
exculpate himself-the testimony as yet
we must say does not satisfactorily do so
but Conductor Leavitt cannot be blame
less under any view of the case. The lat
ter had his train completely under his con
troll, the former had not, and may yet show
himself blameless in not having it under
control. The verdict evidently partakes o
that determination which has from the frs
pervaded the atmosphere of Alliance, tc
Law the whole blame on the engineer of the
Wellsville train. 1t even speaks of the
bodies being found at the station house OF
tile Cleveland and PiHsbNrg track, whel
in fact that station house belongs to the
other road, and strictly speaking is on tha
track, rather than the C. d P. road. Ever
in such an unimportant part as the intro
duction of their verdict did this jury strive
to divert attention from the p .Ft. w. d C.
Road.
This jury cannot gloss over nor blink the
great fact in this case, that Conductor LIE,
avitt did but half his duty when he stop
ped his train at the crossing. He did moi
see that the C. & P. was clear before start
ing his train. If there is any sense in the
rule which requires train to stop at a
crossing, most assuredly it is, that the
train shall not start again until the conduc-
tor knows his way is clear. AS well not
stop at all, yet better by far, if no means
are to be used to ascertain whether it is
safe again TO start. Leavitt violated that
rule as clearly as Cherry. 1t matters not
whether the stop be one moment, or twen-
ty minutes or all day. There is spirit in
rule as well as letter, and the violation
of either is criminal, unless it can be shown
that such violation was beyond human
skill to avoid. The verdict is lame affair
and discreditable to the intelligent men
who. we suppose were members of the jury.
-CleUeland Herald.