Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-14
Killed By The Cars.

Patrick FItzgerald's Head Severed
 From His Body By . Locomotive
 Tho COr0nors InvcstAgatiOn-Verdi
 of the Jurys
 It would seem that the public has not yet received sufficient warning of the danger aris- ing from crossing the freight yard of the Con solidated railroad. If this had been tho case we should not have been called upon to record the terrible death of another man, who sadly met his death last evening while going from his labor to his home. The circumstances con- nected with the sad event are these. The ex- press freight train which arrives here from Harlem river at about 6:15 D. m. had been Kicked" into the yard, and the engineer Of the locomotiye of this train was engaged in getting the cars into proper position. His duties were nearly concluded, the only re- maining one to be performed being to place the caboose in proper position. While doing this he ran over young man who was trying to catch ride on the caboose, and the wheels of the locomotive completely severed the head from the body. The remains were gathered up and taken to the station house and placed in the morgue, no one at the time knowing who the unfortunate man was. Acting Coro- ner Daley was notified, and under his direc- ton jury was summoned as follows: Frank M Lovejoy (foreman), E. M. Graves, D.. Henry Walker, William Rodman, o. Tracey Bronson, A. J. Kennedy.
 The jury, after being summoned, were ex- cused until 8:30 p. n. At that hour they Rs- sembled in the police office and then pro- cseded to the morgue, where they viewed kl, I~o5x 1ov fho lat f0Ino fha head clear of the body and placed at one side, the face entirely gone, having been cleaved from the skull by the wheels of the ponderous locomotive, and nothing of the features remaining by which the identity of the person could be fixed. A search of the pockets was then made and at last one of the
 jurors found two bits of paper, which on be- ing unfolded revealed the name of 'Fitzgerald' on small pay envelope, such as is used in factories for enclosing the weekly pay of the men. When this was announced young man present said he knew the deceased, that he was Patrick Fitzgerald, worked for Peck Brothers & Oo., on Franklin street. and lived with his mother on the corner of Portsea and Dewitt streets. A messenger was sent to the home of the deceased, and the jury returned to the patrolmen's quarters to hear the evi- dence.
 The first witness called was James McCue, who testified that he was a brakeman on the Harlem river express freight which leaves there at 1:05 p. m. and arrives in this city at 6:15 D. m. He said he was on the caboose when the deceased was killed. The caboose was being backed into the yard by engine No. 26 near the Long Wharf crossing, and the deceased was standing on tho front step, holding on with both hands. The next thing he saw was that the young man WAS struck by the switch, which broke his hold and he fell on the track, the engine passing over him. He recognized the body as that of the man that was killed.
 Frank B. Gates, the engineer of locomotive No. 26, testified that he had hauled his train up to the Water street crossing and had kicked 1t into the freight yard with the ca l boose cut of, that being left on the main track. He then came
 back to kick the caboose on I looking back to see when he came to the car. He saw the deceased at the side and end of the
 caboose, and saw him get on little above the Long Wharf crossing. He had a pail in his
 hand. He was struck by the switch and fell head first between the caboose and tender o1 l tho engine. I immediately put on the ail l brake and reversed the engine, stopping as
 quick as I could. When Istopped found the body lying at one side of the track and the head, severed from the body, on the inside h reply to the coroner witness said it was habit of persons, especially boys, to jump on the cars in the yard when they were in motion. They often jumped on to the pilot and caused
 the engineers great deal of trouble. He had
 ofton stopped his engine or train to put them of.
 l Robert T. Audruss, fireman on engine No l 26, said he did not see the man until after he was killed.
 The messenger who was sent to notify the friends of the deceased returned with the young mans sister, but she declined to look
 at the remains, although she had no doubt
 from the description that it was her brother, Patrick Fitzgerald.
 This concluded the evidence, and the jury I found that the deceased came to his death by | being run over by locomotive No. 26 in the yard of the Consolidated railroad, and that nc l blame could attach to the company or it's em- ployes therefor.
 The deceased, who lived with his mother
 and sister, his father being dead, was born 1T l this city, and is said to have been a harc
 working, steady young man. He was about l twenty years of age.
 After the inquest the remains were taken il
 charge by Michael Curran, undertaken, who will prepare them for burial.