The daily gazette., 1879-08-18
rne Bar,. ". bridge Accident.
DANIEL M'KEEvER STRUCK ny PASS.
ING FREIGHT TRAIN AND KILLED.

DANIEL M'KEEvER STRUCK ny PASS
IEG FREIGHT TRAIN AND KILLED.
Coroner Butz went down to Towns
end, on Saturday, to investigate the ca Q
of Daniel McKeever, whose dead body
had ben found at Barlow's Bridge, about
a mile south Of Townsend. early In the
morning. McKeever, who Is a resident
of this city, IL the brilge-tender at Bar
lows Bridge, and his dead body was
urday morning, with a terrible wound
extending acrost the left temple and he
hind the ear, and long scalp wound on
the top of the head, which laid the skull
bare. The body, when found, was lying
face downward, and life was entirely
extinct. There being no attending cir
cumstances TO indicate foul play, the
conclusi On was inevitable that the man
had fallen asleep while on the bridge,
peach trains that 60 down the road each
morning.
Arriving at Townsend Coroner Butz
found that Esquire l.. g. Wilson, Depu-
ty Coroner. had investigated the case,
with the following jury: John ID. Car
ter, Samuel 7. Bou3hell, David Smith,
David Wells, VIM. Jones, WIN. Gra-
haml II. A. Wilson, j. Clayton, ID. B.
MaIoney, Joseph Morris, ,Chas. Wells, J.
Nauda'n, Wesley Hess and Geo. M. ID.
Hart.
rhe first witness, William Wright,
tasti ted that the deceased boarded with
him part of the time, taking breakfast
during the week and staying all day
Sundays. McKeever wss at witness
house on Friday night, and left aboui
gve minutes Of nine O'Clock; he WAS to
have called witness at three O'Clock in
the morning, but did not do so. About
Al ~ Il g.
him to tell him to come to breakfa't, and
folnd him dead, lying on his stomach
at the north end ofthe bridge about four
or five feet from the east of the bridge.
Michael Barlow testified that he went
with the previous witness and saw the
dead body. Witness noticed dry spot,
about two feet from the track, which
looked to him as though the man had
been sitting there.
the dead body, and noticed pistol in
the hip-pocket; examined the weapon
and found il to be six-shooter, with
two chambers empty and one loaded
with powder, but no ball. The coat was
turned up, SO that the pistol was show
ing.
Other testimony was taken, to the eff
feet that the witnesses did not hear any
engine whistle blow at B,rlow's Bridge.
buUukH Ou6 vi bnttn Sdlu IL WAS 81
stormy, the whistle could not be heard
any considerable distance.
The jury, being satisfied from the at
tending circumstances that the man was
killed by one Of the south bound empty
peach trains, that run down the road
each morning, rendered the following
verdict: THAT the said Daniel Nc
Keever, came to his death by being
struck on the head by a south bound
train on the Delaware Railroad, between
the hours of IL o'clock midnight and
O'Clock a. M, 10th instant, at Barlow's
Bridge"
The body of McKeever was brought
10 Wilmington, Saturday evening, and
will be buried this afterno On, from his
residence, No. 1852 Heald street, South
Wilmington. He was between forty aud
fifty years Of age, and leaves wife, but
no children.
Deputy Coroner Wilson had conclud
ed his labors when Coroner Buzz arrived
and the latter learned to his surprise
| that no physician had been summoned
| as witness, and no railroad men tt
testify to the running of the trains. HI
admonished the Deputy to be more care
tul in the future, and more thorough il
his Investigations.
The empty pea ,h trains running dowi
the Delaware Railroad each morning
leave this city at IL midnight, and 12:l5
| |, 1:30 and O'Clock. 1t is not known, o
course, which one caused McKeever'
| death