Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-02
A Little Deaf Mute Girl Killed by
the Cars.

Yesterday afternoon, as the limited express
train was coming over the B. & P. railroad, "a
few minutes past o'clock,) little child
Frances Roth, about eight years old, was killed
on Virginia avenue, near ~ street. The trall
Sweeney and the child, 1t is thought, was
struck on the head by the steps OF the tender
Some by-standers picked her up and carried he5
Drs. Poulton and Leach were summoned< IL
was found that the skull had been fractured
and death enSued in about an nOur anu NAH
Dr. F. Hartgan, acting coroner: tnls atafinps
house, the following being the JurOrs:Mi4os; ..
Withers, James Barker, w. ): carroll L; L.
RrepH cb nc James Whitman, VI. Il. Ipscomb,
A. DetOn, and A. j. Clarke.
III. r. Iinth1cum rOad foreman OF eng1neS)
testified that he was On the engine at Inc tlme:
Saw no one near the track. Thinks the train
was running at Is or 16 h1le5 per fOur-a trlne
slower than usual.
Patrick Lynch testified that as the train was
passing down Virginia avenue pc saw lt APP
nrOach the child, who was standing between
The tracks facing the side Of the street, and he
halloed to her and the engineer, but no notice
was taken. AS the engine approached some
thing knocked her about three feet thinks 1t
was some part Of the engine or tender; ran ana
picked her up; she had cut In her nead; dOnt
think she was conscious the noise OF tne era,a
might have prevented the engineer nearing
him CALL The engineer seemed to DE looking
toward the side of the street; witness threw
his hand up and was on the sidewalk Wnen ne
first saw the child, the engine then within 80
William Kearney testified that he saw the
train approaching and In few moments saw
Mr. lynch running to the child, exclaimfng
ooh my God. the child Is killed"
Thomas Fay and Miss Sarah Sweeney teSl-
f1ed also Jerome sweeney tengtneer), who said
he was running at 10 or Is miles per hour at
the time; did not see the child nor hear CALL
Did not know Of the accident until he returned
to the shop from the passenger depot; was at
In the city; saw the fagman at the crossing;
the fireman was on his box looking ahead and
witness was doing the same; did not see nor
hear any one; could have easily stopped, IL he
had seed or heard any one, in about IS feet.
&C. Colvin {freman) testified that he knew
nothing OF the occurrence until he got back to
the shop; was going about IL miles per hour; it
Is against the rules to ring the bell In the city
limits.
c. A. Armacost {couductor) testified that he
neither saw nor heard of the occurrence until
after he reached the depot.
Henry Watkins {colored) corroborated Mr..
Lynch's testimony.
JOS. K Sharp testified that there is a ditch
between the tracks where the occurrence took
place; don't think the Child could have been On
Lhe track, but must have been in the ditch, or
the engineer aad fireman would have seen it.
DR.. HaTtigan suggested that the injuries were
not such as would be expected under the tes-
ttmODy, and 1t might be well to make per-
sonal examination OF the place while he made
q further examination OF the childS body, and
the examination was made.
The jury rendered verdict that the deceased
came to her death on the list day of May, 1879
rom fracture of the skull, caused by being
struck Dy train on the b and P. r. Il.