Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-10-23
THE Fed MILL AoolDSSr.
The COrODer's jury Strongly Cen.
Bures the Engineer.

| Special Correspondence Of Gazette aid Journal
ELKToH, Oct. 16.--Th" oororef's ia.
quest over the bcdy Of William AudteW
Prior, one Of the victims Of yesterdays
accident reassembled at 8 30 p m Ia The
commissioners offce. The Jury o1n
sisted of 7. L. Graham, foreman, jacob
Rsmbo, O orge McQuilquin, John Fefrill
Walter johnson, Albany L. SsXtop.
William o Gilmonr, William Bucansr,
James Dean, William DunbAr, Francis
Bradbury and Edmund Brown,
William II. Prior, cousin Of deceased
testified that he wss working in d. ID
about 300 yards distant. Heard train
blow the danger signal when close tc
crossing looked mp and ssw splinters Of
carriage in the air. 1t did not blow at
whistling post.
Malvern Jones cav the sraio approach.
ing ; noticed that 1t did not blGY at usual
place. When about so yards from cross
ing 1t gave three ioOts. He did not see
the wagon at all.
John W. Cloud, who was at the Red
MIL, testified that the engine did not
blow at whistling post, When close by
the crossing it gave three short blows.
Clarence Cameron, miller, testified that
Prior came TO the mill, left some grist
and started off. Cameron saw the train
coming and noticsd thatit did not blow at
the post. Gave three or four short toots
when about so yards from the crossing.
Trains, he sad, often fail to signal at the
whistling post, blowing when near the
track.
Gideon Large, engineer OF the train,
said his attention was drawn to the
wagon approaching by the fireman, who
was ringing the bell. He Immediately
blew the danger signal and put on the
brakes. Was not less than leo yards
from the crossing at that time. Gould not
say positively that he blew at the whist
ling post, but supposed he did, as 1t was
second a,ure to do 80. The wagon was
over 80 yards from the northbound
track. Sitting where he was, to
see o wagon in this position he
must be not less than 100 yards away.
Had been on the road % yesEs. His was
not the train that struck Mrs. nosgland
several months ago. He was running at
more than so miles an hour, the train
being behind time. The whistliHg post
is 200 yards from the crossing.
Lewis M. Genay, fireman Of the train,
testified that shortly after passing the
whistling post he began to ring the bell.
Saw the wagon coming, and noticed that
the driver had not noticed the train;
notified the engineer, who blew the
whistle; the engine was then about 125
yards from the orossing; the wind was
blowing hard against the engine, and he
supposed that Prior thought the train
further away, IS he whipped mp his
horse but did not look mp; kept watch
on the wagon until second before 1t was
struck, when he lodged to prevent being
struck by fragments OF the wagon; was
sure that Prior did not see the train.
W. H. Prior testified 80 to his cousin
having good eyesight and hearing, and
DR.. ]. H. lamar stated the nature Of
Prior's injuries.
The jury, after two hours and R.half
delir GRAFTON, found that "Prior came to
his death by being struck by the engine"
and further that the railroad company
deserve eensure, and ''we do hereby cen.
cure them for keeping in their employ
Gideon Large, the engineer, who was 80
careless of the rights and lives of the
people of Cecil county, and o. the commu-
nifty at large, as the evidence in the case
shows him to have been, in that he ne.
elected to give the signal AZ the whistling
post erected for that crossing Snd the
jury also believed that had flsgmRn been
stationed at said crossing, as the public
safety demands, the accident would not
have occurred"