The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-31
REPLY TO MR.. srRINaFELLow' CARD.


Gent'emen..:- Young Mr.. s,rinafeiIow,rin your
paper Of the e th gives his statement ofthe TACT,
connected with the accident to his father at Hew.
letts Crossing on the Central Road As ali of those
psrsons who know that the county road and the
Railroad at that point are ia full view of each
other FOR q long distance, have been greatly as
tonshed that be could have gotten TO the crossing
without seeing and hearing the train was atbsI
pleased to see the explanation that bis mind va,
entirely ab sorbed with rejecting on the sfi ictioD
of the family he mad jus. been Waiting; but there
Was propriety 10 eliminating me or trying to
put the blame on anybody but himself. have
heard from several sources that the injured Der.
son agreed ttst they only were to blame; but nov
il an attempt 10 to be made to ceusure me b,
doubling whether the whistle was sounded
If do notoccupy as high place rs q minister
OF the Gospel, yet am an humble professor Of re-
ligion, aud value my character for truth much
as Mr.. Striugfelow can value bis for discretion
II Mr. s. is to be defended against mere inference
shat he acted without reasonable reflection / an
sure you will allow me to answer q very direct
intimstion that 1 have not only told an untruth
but have been regardless OF the lives Of many
human beings, for my character 10 my main re.
lance for the support of my family.
l now state NEST positively that sounded the
stsem whistle at the usual place, about one mile
from the crossing at Hewletts; the rules Of the
company aud the orders Of my superiors require
me to do 80 in all such cases, and feel IL to be my
duty to obey. can prove by persous on the cars.
and respectable persons 10 the neigbborhood that
the whistle was sounded as the train approached
Some persons the cars aud others near the place,
night not have heard it, for when they in the
habit of hearing the whistle very frequently, It'll
quite reasonable to believe that they would not
always take notice when it sounded.
| have no desire to reflect on Parson Stringfel
low | respect bis feelings as much as any one, bu'
l cannot take blame on myself IN matter OF Iife
and death Of my fellow creatures, to screen him
from the possibility of being supposed Hoa0hteSS
or rdat When all the facts known, 1t will stiIi
hla my ats
fellow could, under the circumstances, have uu-
consciously approached the railroad at the regular
hour when the cars ought to pass aud thus ruu
across the train. Mr. s is In the habit OF getting
on and eff the cars at "Noels about two miles be-
low Hswletrs," and ought to know the hours they
run, AID if the talking of the ladies, his thinkiDe
of the sick, together with the rattle OF his car
riage, prevented them from hearing the whistle
when sounded as usual, it Is a wonder how Mr.. s.,
the drivers seat, outside, failed 80 hear or see
the train. The train with its smoke aud steam IS
large and attractive object readily seen at long
distance and makes q loud noise when running
Here, for nearly mile. it in full view of his
road for several hundred yards. Now under these
circumstances ought Mr. Striugfelow to blame
any body but himself even if the whistle was not
sounded, which am prepared to prove WAS toheg
Young Mr.. S. says that for some 'uirty feet"
before reaching tue crossing by the country road
the top only of the cars can be seen. Now exam.
ine that statement, and if Mr.. 8 could not see
the top Of the cars and smokestack, which rises
high above where the runner stands now could II
be expected that L could see his carriage when my
dome and smokestack were in the way, and my
business was TO look ahead But if be bad been
seen ut distance Of fifty or one hundred yards
by the most prudent runner in the United States,
is wo I'D have been reasonably expected that the
carriage would stop and not the train.
Young Mr.. StripgfelOw's statement about the
comparative speed OF a railroad train and riding
carriage does Int make out case. which removes
the blame from his fathers to my shoulders, any
more than his not hearing the whistle. He puts
the train at 80 miles an hour; a carriage usually
goes ab out miles su hour. That is train runs
SIX times as fast as carriage, Or while the train
runs one mile cae1 ege would go one-siXth of a
mile, which il about three hundred yards Now,
therefore, making allowance for the actual differ
ence in speed when the we're n sight, near
where they whistled, about one mile off, the car
risge must have been 500 yards off, which ought
TO have given time, to see, hear, and keep out of
tbs way OF the train
will now close by saying that ] had nothing to
do with the pieces in the Dispatch which dispieas.
ed young MIR. s; and l don't think they could
have hurt his fathers character without an
swer; and, tho the accident is to be charged to
nobody but himself yet ] have prayed, aud do
still pray, that he may get well, and re joice to
hear that there is a good prospect that he will
soon be we'll.
]. Ii. McCANDLIsH
RICHMOND, May 2S 1859.
P. SIT 10 proper to say that was the author
Of that part of the article in the Dispatch which
stated that the whistle was blown, and that q
negro, who had been at work in au adjoining sid,
said Mr.. Strugfelow whipped up his horses, &c.
That statement is true. 1 was on the cars when