Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-10
THE LATE ACCIDENT.
Inquest I'm the Case of she Death OF
Mr.. Lavfer-Testimony OF
the Jury

the Jury.
Yesterday morning the jury empanneled
by the Coroner IN the case of Mr.. James 7.
Lavier, whose unfortunate death by being
run over at the Central Railroad wharves
on Saturday afternoon by a pusher engine
has been so very generally deplored in the
community, assembled at the Superior
Court room for the purpose of investigation
at eleven O'Clock.
A number Of witnesses were examined,
and the investigation lasted until six
O'Clock, when the matter was submitted to
the jury, who retired and were in consulta-
ton about an hour before they found their
verdict.
The main details Of the sad case have
already been given in the MORNING NEWS,
and hence we will very briefly synOpsize the
testimony as elected at the inquest yester-
day, as follows:
A. J. Culver. engineer Of the Dragon, tes-
titled: Last Saturday, at 1915 p. m, Mr.. La
vier asked me {, let him read my paper; af-
ter awhile he said TO the head switchman
"Please put that lumber IN for me, as both
of my gangs are idle;'' he and Mr.. Muller
walked off towards the guauo house track,
aud pulled the empty cars of OF the lum-
Der wharf so as TO clear the track, and threw
them on the main line; then Mr. BOulineau
ordered me to push two front cars to the
river front, and we could then put the lum-
her in for Mr.. Lsvler; l then went to the
Boston scales door to get a car; as l was
going there Mr.. LavieT and Mr.. Muller were
on the lumber, walking over the cars; on
nv return at a very ordinary rate Of speed,
ssy between four or five miles per hour, not
having more than seventy five pounds
OF steam pressure, I was leaning out of the
window looking back; as we passed the gu
snO shed my fireman threw up his hands,
having turned loose the bell rope, and said:
''My God, we have killed man; believe
It is Higgins;'' I stopped as soon as posi-
bic, think about seventv-fve feet from
the point I ran over the deceased, and went
up and found that it was Mr.. LAYER; the
fireman did not discover the body until the
last truck of the car was passing over It;
do not think that the engine ran over him;
for had it done so the foot-board would
have caught his clothes.
CrOss-eXsmined-Tbe bell was rung from
the time left the Boston scale until We
ran over the deceased.
Mr.. Raymond Muller's evidence was TO
the following effect About $40 p m.
Saturday he and Mr.. Lavier were looking
after some nine carloads of lumber near
the guano shed, at the Central Railroad
wharves. Mr.. Lavier was walking about
twenty-five feet in advance, when Mr.. Null
Ter CHANGED to turn and saw the shift ing
engine coming towards them. He jumped
clear of the track and cried out, "Jtmmie,
the engine" but 1t was too late, and Mr.. La
vier was knocked down and run over. Mr..
Muller did not hear the engine coming, no
bell was rung aud the whistle was not
blown. Mr.. Lavier was about thirty feet
ahead of him at the time he saw the engine,
which, in his opinion, was running about
fifteen or twenty miles per hour; and he
saw no one on the engine looking out.
Mr.. Joseph Henderson stated that he saw
Mr.. Lavier walking on the track with his
hands in his pockets; about the same time
noticed the shifting engine coming down
the track towards him, and called to him to
look out. Immediately after Mr.. Lavier
was knocked down and run over. The en-
CINE was running slower on Saturday than
it was to-day. Heard no bell or whistle
while the train was in motion. About one
hour after the accident witness noticed
engine running and the bell was not ring
ing.
Bailey johnson testified that when the
engine passed the guano shed where he was
standing the bell was being ruug and the
engine was running pretty fast. He was
not positive, however, that the bell he heard
was on the engine that ran over MIR. La
vier.
Dublin Cummings, who was working at
the guauO shed, saw the accident; heard no
whistle blown or bell rung and did not see
any one on the lookout; don't think the en-
CINE was running over five miles an hour.
NJ. P. Stegin, fireman on the engine
Dragon, testified that they were running.
backwards at the time he was ringing the
bell and looking ahead; felt a sudden jar,
aud looking backwards; saw Mr.. Lavier as
IL
aud said to the engineer, "My God, we've
killed a mani"
R. D. Bevans heard no bell ruug, or
whistle blown; saw no one on t. lookout
of the engine, which was going fast.
Mr.. W. B. Stillwell, of the fire. ( d. Q.
Bacon & Co, testified that when ne reached
the scene of the accident, Mr.. Lavier said
TO him: alt was not my fault; Mr.. Muller
viii tell you all about it." He then asked
for morphine, saying that he knew he was
going 10 die. He died while being carried
to his home.
A. S COrsey, car sealer at the wharves,
was present attending to his business; Is
positive that the bell on the engine was
being rung just before the accident; does
not 'hink the speed was more than five miles
per hour.
George NJ. Salfree, Waterman at the
wharves, whose duty 1t Is to watch and pre-
vent collisions at the crossings, Is positive
the bell was rung and the engine was only
going at her usual speed when at such
work.
Anthony Sexton heard no bell or whistle,
or saw any one on the lookout; don't think
the engine was going over five miles an
hour.
Mr.. John NJ Harden knew nothing Of the
accident from his own knowledge; he could
not say If the bell on the engine was ring
IN o. at the time Int II Is the custom IN have
Il done, man being placed on the engine
for that particular purpose; don't think
that brakes are ord narily used on the en-
CINE, but is of the opinion that If the brake
had been used or other effort made to stop the
engine it could have been stopped in a much
shorter distance and more readily from the
point Of accident.
Mr.. Henry Courvoise saw Mr.. Lavier
about ten minutes after the accident, and
asked him how 1t happened; Mr.. L. said be
did not know that the engine was coming
back on that track.
After a charge from the Coroner, the jury
retired and were in consultation over an
hour, when they agreed and returned the
following
VERDICT.
We, the jury, do say from the evidence
before US, that the said James T. Lavier
came to his death by being run over by the
switching engine Dragon, on Saturday,
January 7th, 1882, at wharves of Central
Railroad Company, aud while the evidence
is not strong enough to attach blame to the
engineer and fireman, we are OF the opinion
that the Central Railroad and Banking
Company should establish and enforce rules
which would better protect persons moving
about their wharves.
JOHN 3. ROUMILLAT, Foreman.
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