Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-08-12
FIRST EDITION.
The Newark Accident.

| INVESTIGATION BY THE CoRoNER's IURY-TEsTI-
MoNY OF THE wITNEssEs-THE ENGINEER EXON
ERATED, BUT GREATER PREcAUTIoN by THE COM
PANY DEEMED NECESSARY.
Yesterday morning, Coroner Winslow pro-
| ceeded to Newark to hold all inquest ON the
bodies OF Sallie Sinan and Annie Kelley, the
two young ladies' who were fatally injured by
the collision at the Newark depot on Monday
evening last. The jury summoned in the case
consisted of the following persons Geo. W.
Roberts, (Foreman), Joshua Baker, J. W. Cooch,
Nimrod Worrell, Joseph p. Ross, John W. PEN
nington, VIM. ID. Mackey, Jas T. Maxwell, Cur
tbs ]. Williams. W. +. Griffith, David McKerns,
A. ]. Lilley, Purnell David, John Lennon, John
K Williamson and Byard Widdoes. After pro-
ceeding to Mrs. Branard's farm to view the
bodies of the unfortunate deceased, the Jury
adjourned to Mr.. Evans office, near the depot
and commenced to take testimony.
Geo. II. Evans being sworn, stated that he
was standing near the depot on the afternoon Of
the accident and saw the carriage containing the
deceased coming down the road towards the II.
II. crossing at rapid rate the boys were front
and the girls behind the carriage was going
about 10 miles per hour. Saw the train approach
as they neared the crossing, and heard two sharp
whistles think the driver could have pulled up
but he did not l next saw the locomotive hit
the carriage and the women fly into the air
can't say how far OFF the track they were when
the engineer blew the whistle.
y. j. Collesy being sworn stated that the
carriage containing the deceased passed him be-
tween Newark and the station, George Norris
driving !; he was driving at q moderate gait ;
heard the cars whistle when he was about 90
yards from the track hardly think he could
have turned out when the last whistle sounded,
for he was then very close to the road and could
scarcely check his speed
l. Il. Fisher sworn saw the accident / first
saw the carriage coming down the road at me-
dium gait, say 3 miles per hour; when first
saw the carriage it was near the track heard
the approaching train whistle twice, first 200
yards from the crossing, and the second time
when they struck the carriage the whistles
were as loud as usual don't know whether
Norris heard the whistle OR not don't think any
trains pass there without whistling think that
there was time to have escaped the danger by
turning.
A. II. Fisher, Richard Boulden and Joshua
Griffin corrcborate this testimony Of J. T. Fish
er;,
VIM. @. Greenleaf sworn am an engineer
on the p, w. B. r. r running engine az,
train No. Is, south left Wilmington the evening
Of the accident 7 minutes late blew my whistle
at the Newark whistling post; about 25 rods
from crossing first saw carriage; was then con-
trolling the engine into the station with the
steam shut of and the air brakes applied the
carriage was then up by the road fence, and l
blew again to attract attention then it was
about twenty five rods from the track, and had
room to turn out was running about 15 miles
an hour, and the carriage was being driven not
quite so fast when first whistled he encour-
aged the horse on at the second whistle, he
apparently checked, and then rs il making up
his mind to iisk, urged the horse forward
| think the driver struck the. horse with q
| whip saw his determination WAS to cross
my speed between stations is from 80 to So
miles an hour, but had applied brakes and shut
off steam one-eigth OF a mile before l saw the
cairiage L was minutes late at Newark, hay
| ing made up minutes between stations.
| Thos Feeney sworn; am fireman on the train;
| the first thing that attracted my attention WAS
the warning whistle about 80 yards from cross
ing; the engineer blew before that at whistling
| post; all / saw of the collision horse flying
over on my side as / jumped from my seat.
| This closed the testimony, and after some con-
sultaton the jury returned verdict i'll both
cases that the deceased came to, their deaths
from injuries received by collision with train
| No. 49, So It'll, Monday evening, August 10, at
the Newark station that the engineer was ex-
onerated from all blame, and that while the
Company in this case we're guilty of no special
carelessneas, yet the public safety demanded
that they should place fiagman at the Newark
public crossing to give warning of the approach
| IA trims