Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-02

The Verdict in the Laie Railroad Ae.
cident Case.
State Of Virginia, - mir.
Fairfax county, " VIII
An inqui~ilon aiken at The late residence r.
Elizabeth Prrn, iu the county OF Fairfax m
the 2Gih day of February, and continued o.
the 9th day of February, 1877. at the housa
of Il. d. Cats. before me, Thomas p Brown
a Justice OF the Peace of said county, and sct
ing coroner OF said county, upon view of the
body OF Elizabeth Pcuu, there lying dead.
The jurors sworn to enquire when. how, and
by what means, the said Elizabeth Penn CAM.
to her death, upon their cahS do say that she
came 70 her death at or about half last ten
0 clock in the forenoon o.! the 26'h day Of Eeh.
ruary, 1871, by being struck by engine No.
belonging to the Alexandria aud Frcdyrjck,.
burg Railway, at a place called Roberts cross
ing, % the lane leading from the Little River
Turnpike road TO Roberts Mill. We also tnj
that the persons il charge of the engine Al
thar time failed to exercise proper care ami
canton. and also that one signal is not sniff
cicnr for two crossings, they being between
three and tour l;undred yards apart
DANIEL w. LFwls, foreman
Ii l.. COLEMAN,
WM ,. GRAHAM,
a. II. ROBERTS,
,-y-, MARTIN liuESON,
seal. RICHARD towLING.
l-.-) Thomas 7. BRnwN, j. T..
1877, Alalch 1T. Acting Coroner,
4 truc copy Of the verdict of the Jury OF in.
quest on the body cf t,liz .bcth Penn, A. IN,
same i, on file III my otfc', this day received,
TrSrc: +. ID. RICHARDSON, Clerk.
Testimony Of witnesses before the jury If n.
quest on the dead boy Of EN- .Drth Prn,.
ken tins - h day Of February, lii tnr
var 1877:
John Mvrks sworn: Was 10 the lane vll
ing from Roberts mil to Little River turn.
pix; tu:ncd INTO tie turnpike; heard il-
whistle blow; Grpcd and looked; saw som
thing thrrwn above the smoke stack; ih!nh /,
was her shoe; wcnG to the place aud SAN hr
body; the engine was runniux UNUSUALLY il>r
for cue OF her class; think ii was tea whrr.r.
the cDpluccr reversed the rEginr. but cunn.
not stop; the enl Inc had no train attached.
think hat a prrscu w!th ordlutry caution
would have heard the whistle. unless. sucl per.
son were somewhat deaf; her son told ne >!uyr
that she was hard vi hearing, and that ur Ind
cautioned her 10 be careful and not W III Oh
the track; there are sign boards upon thai roai
caulioulng 2crsonS 10 Look ou for thu "Gg,u,,
have been employed or ralrtadS as brakeman
aud fireman; cannot say At what rate ot $pre!
the cuglue was ruDplTg
.IoUN f. MEEK>
Parker Nclsou sworn: Was cnGiuccr OF y,
3 engine; was coming north wltbout tram a.
tached; saw the Old ady Jr-t a. she STEPPED ~
| the track; did nos sec her Ill then, Il SiIA.
| bank OF rar,h Ind her from my vlc", blew jIr
| whistle for the crossing Of the Telegraph roaa,
was at that time about 2jU yard, west Of Ri.
| erts' lane; the engine WAS drifting a!o1g WIN.
| out steam, it being down gr;!ie the dlrcc ijg
was going; the ODD lady did no' seem ;r pay
any attention t. the whistle; used ,vry ri!Ir,
10 my power to avcIi hitting no.; r
verscd the engine, which rln aUout rhfy
or forty yards; saw tn 3odj AFTERWARDS.
she haG On hood bonnet, walcu can i5"n
over her eyes; was abou: eight OF !rn yaT,>
from her when first saw hen blew the "'.l>',
20 waru her; she did not seem 10 norc: ., tn
engine was at that time running a5ou' d!teca
miles an hour; the whistle can p" h"art IL IN,
time distance of NOS" than 20 yards; ;De
whistle hoard for both the Iuicriaoh Road .ni
Roberts lane, is 100 yards west Of III" to'mr
for trains going north.
PARKER y Nelson.
| Augustine Bayi'sS SWORD Was {. ih'A-
into town; was about > haii n,i!e W. 81 jh'
| hrSt toll gate, on The L'ttls itiT"f tu'"r,N',
saw the cnglne golnS 10 the Girec'ion ii AK
drla; 10 not kno" that 1t was running a "2h
rate OF speed; heard no ~hst!c Dow a'h III
tic deaf. ~
AUGUSTINE 4 .'Ari"'''
Witncss ma'H
| FRANCIS l. SMITH. JE.
| Thomas Green s"orn :-D'd not SEE '''
| old lady untli alter she hai been SiiH@N was
stoopng DOVE, banking me mr.; i"'aF' III.
conductor say, she is killed; dld not k1ow vat
was killed until saw her bod Afterwards; TIE
engine Was running about i!tern m'", ~
hour; the whistle Wa b.lwl a the syn"
board, west ot The Telegraph Ii 'Id, iHr "c'H'