The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-17
CITY INTELLIGENC NCE.
INQUEST.

The Investigation by the Coroner on the
Death OF El jAh stewart The Testi-
mouy.
This morning at IL o'clock an inquest was
held by Deputy Coroner Sees at the Morgue, on
the body of Elijah Stewart, a laborer who was
killed on Saturday BY yg being run % over oya s car
making an excavation for plumbers under the
track. The following testimony was taken;--
Charles Hanna sworn--Am laborer; saw the
accident on Saturday; helped to lift the car off
of Stewart; the wheel of the car was on him. he
was lyIag on the track under the hind part of
the car; Stewart had been digging trench be-
tween the two tracks; was working on the pave
ment of the houses near, setting stone door
steps; the trench was about five feet deep; the
accident occurred about 10 o'clock; the cars had
been coming by for about three hours while they
were digging the trench; they TOOK the horses
out of the other cars and pushed them across the
hole, hut this car attempted to cross without
taking the horses out; the car was No. 81;
Stewart was getting out of the trench when this
Robert Taylor sworn-Was on the sidewalk at
the time of the accident; was mixing cement
for use in setting stone; saw the man in the
hole, and saw the car coming, and called to the
man to get out; he tried to get out, but could
not do it in time; the man was run over and
was caught by the car and was carried along for
some little distances the whole was about op-
posite No. 212S Walnut street; the man was half
out of the hole at the time; the driver of the
car could have seen the man. the man got out
of the hole every time car came the drivers
of the other cars saw the hole and Stacked ups
this car crossed the hole at full speed.
Frank Mcclure sworn-Saw the man getting
out of the hole; one wheel of the car went over
him and the next wheel dragged him some four
or five yards saw the driver after the man was
run over the horses fell partly into the hole in
crossing it, but got out again themselves.
Rodger Pheenie sworu-I saw the accident;
Stewart was under the back part of the car,
under the south side; the car was past the hole
at the time by about three or four yards; the
horses were in the car at the time; there was
only one man working in the hole; the accident
happened between ten and eleven o'clock; the
car had run over his shoulder.
John Rush sworn-About twenty minutes
before the accident saw car driven up close
to the hole and stop; the man then called to the
plumber in the house that he came near being
killed; the plumber came out of the house and
stood by the hole to warn the cars; do not think
that the drivers could have seen the hole unless
their eyes were directly between the horses, or
unless the man came out of the hole to throw
out dirt; the drivers could have seen the dirt
thrown out if they had been attending to their
business
George Loyet sworn-When car No. 81 came
along there was no one by the trench to warn
it to stop; there had been person to warn the
cars that passed just before. He could not have
been killed If he had remained in the trench;
the driver pulled the horses towards the right
side so that they might clear the trench; the
trench was two feet eight inches wide, and as
long as the track is wide; it was about four feet
deep at the time.
EP. Hover sworn-Was on car No 81 when
the accident occurred; the conductor ran through
the car and called OUT he had nearly got to the
front of the car when the wheel struck some
thing that sounded like stone; looked out and
saw the horses pulled to the north side of the
track the side where the buildings were; on
that side there was building material close to
the track; it was stone and dirt; on the south
side was the dirt thrown out of the trench.
Mrs. Matilda Stewart sworn-Am the wife OF
Elijah Stewart, who was killed; saw my husband
I'm ha 6ind. hn coli
horses and the car had mashed him to pieces;
this was all he said.
John Uprchard sworn-Am plumber, and
the man Stewart was working for me; 1T Is not
customary, when working under railroad track,
either to notify the company or place man to
warn the cars; usually warn the cars myself
when am about; just about the time of the ac-
cident ! had been called into the house by the
carpenters; had helped about fifty cars to pass
that morning, but had only to call to the drivers
of about two of them, who drove up pretty close
the hole got deep enough, staid ia the hole anc
let the car run over him, but this time he go
frightened and tried to get out after it was tot
late. .
Charles P. Miller sworn-Passed Walnu
street, between Twenty-first and Twenty-secon(
streets, just before the accident; it is dowI
dent happened, and it is hard to stop the cars
there were building materials on both sides o
the track.
passed Twenty-irst and Walnut streets before
o'clock on its first trip, which was before the
time that the trench was begun the car was or
its second trip when the accident happened
when the street is opened at any point it i
usually the custom TO notify us in some way
the notice is usually slip sent up by the plum
Der to the conductor; sometimes the driver
report the obstruction themselves; on this morn
ing there was no word brought either by orde
of the plumber, or from the drivers or conduc
tors; when q notice is received man is usually
despatched by the company to help the car
over.
The jury were unable to arrive at verdic
and adjourned over until to morrow morning.
Observation-Disclosures TO BURN THE OIL
MERCANTILE LIBRARY BUMDING.-At a lat,
hour on Saturday night last Mr.. Juvenal, who
occupies law Office in the old Mercantile Ii
brary, at Fifth and Library streets, noticed
smell of smoke issuing from the cellar of the
building He went below and found the place
In flames. He ran out procured assistance, and
soon the fire was extinguished. 1t was dis
covered that wood partition had been con
6umed, and alongside of it had been placed
box full of scraps of paper, wood, etc. The fire
was evidently the work of design, for the bo,
was placed In such position that the fame
would naturally lead to q coal-bin which wa
piled up with wood. Fire Marshal Blackburn
and Detective Gordon have the matter unde
Investigation. A colored man has been place.
under arrest upon suspicion of having been con
eerned in the affair.
BOARDING HOUSE THIEF. : On saturda,
morning last two respectfully dressed mel
visited the clearinghouse of Mr.. Wilson, No
130 Bridge street, Bridesburg, and engage
board for friend, one Thorn, who took posses
sion of his room that morning. He remaine
there until dinner and after the meal was con
cluded he left the house ON the pretext of gon
for his trunk. He did not retern, however, an