San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-05-11
KILLED BY CARS.
MANGLED OUT OF ALL SENIBLANCE
OF HUMANITY.
Broncho Pete" Attempts TO Ride the
Wild Railroad Train and is Thrown
to a Horrible Death-The
Inquest and Verdict.

Last night, at 1915 O'Clock, apump re-
pairer, named z. J. Cunningham, or
"BrOncho Pete" until recently employed
on the Sunset railway, met with hor-
rible death by being crushed under the
wheels of fiat car loaded with sand, a
car loaded with car-wheels, and ca
boose. A corOner's jury was empanelled
shortly after by Justice Adam, and alter
the body was viewed the inquest was ad-
iourned until O'Clock this morning, the
remains being given in charge of Under
taker Sheern for burial.
When the cOrOner's jury viewed the
body horrible. sickening sight was
presented. From the crossing Of the
street lust south of the passenger depot.
where the man had been caught, to
where the body was found, shreds OF
clothing, pieces of flesh, here and there
a piece of bloody bone, that, had been
crushed out of the poor body, were
strewed. The corpse was crushed out
of all semblance TO humanity. The
clothing being literally cut TO pieces,
leaving not a whole garment upon him.
The wheels had crushed in the mans
face, knocked his teeth in, and mangled
his nose and lips. The right hand was
crushed OIL at the wrist and the remain
der of the arm was hanging to the right
shoulder and head. The wheels in their
course severed the body in twain from
the right side of the waist to just below
the left shoulder upward, cutting off the
left arm. The liver, lungs and heart
were exposed, one lung and the heart
living in pool of blood upon the Cinders
of the road bed. The sight caused the
stOutest heart among the many speCta-
tors to vince. The personal effects of
deceased, a gold watch and chain, pOCk-
ct knife and some silver, were scattered
along the track.
Conductor Bennett, who was in charge
of the train at the time, testified before
the Jury that Cunningham was a pump
repairer, but in the employ of the Rail-
way Company. Cunningham had told
him he had quilt work on the first of this
month because the company had re-
duced his wages. He came in yester-
day from the pump house near HendO
City, where he resided with his wife
and one child. He began drinking dur
ing the day, said he was going to New
Orleans, but later in the evening
changed his mind, and just as Bennett
was making up his train to go out
West, came down and asked to be al
lowed to go back TO HOndO. Bennett
refused, saying he was too drunk to
ride in freight car, but Cunningham
persisted, and as the train moved of,
said he was going anyhow. Bennett
left him and did not see him until told
man had been run over. He Identified
the body as that of Cunningham. No
one saw Cunningham just at the
moment he boarded the train,
to
appearance of the car wheels. that he
attempted to Jump upon the fiat car
loaded with sand, and not gaining hold
was thrown under this cars whe els and
under the other cars as they passed.
The other witnesses, railroad men, tes-
titled materially the same as the con-
duGtOr. The wife of the deceased was
put upon the stand and testified her hus-
band was native of Ireland, was 80
years of age, and had no property. He
occasionally drank liquor and went on
spree. He left yesterday with a Valise
for San Antonio and that was the last
she saw of him alive.
When Justice Adam delivered over to
the grief-striCken widow the few papers,
pieces of Chewing tobacco, watch, purse,
pocket-book and rings found upon the
body, the scene was truly affecting, the
poor wife being unable to restrain her
tears at sight OF the. effects of the de-
ceased, tied in the self-same silk hand
kerchief, which, no doubt, she was quite
familiar with.
The Jury, after short deliberatiOn,
returned verdict in accordance with
the testimony, to the effect that de-
ceased came to his death by being run
over by a freight train on the Sunset
Railway while trying to board the same
while it was in motion, and further, that
the employees of the railway company
were in no way to blame for the acct
dent