The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-07-19

CO1l1A dIlu 90 10 Q0pOL ana Oufy q
man who was killed on a train.--I
brought body to my undertaking es-
tablishment up town, and buried
him at 8 o'clock Monday morning.
| found the corpse at the depot. In~
tered the body in AshevilIe ceme-
terry. Els skull was crushed and
one ear was nearly torn off. He was
badly bruised up.
Isaac Wallen, station hand at
Asheville Junction: I was at sta
tion when No. % came. 1t blowed
whistle; | called to Mr.. Weldon,
train is coming" He says "no it
amt" said 'yes tits" He got up,
looked out of the window and said
"yes it IS" He caught the signal
and pulled it down, showing white
light. / then went to the door and
met the conductor (Mr. Winslow) at
the door, and asked if there was
any freight for theSdepot. He said,
Zone small box" / turned and
went back into the depot, got my
sealing irons and wires, as I always
do, sealed the car, put ironse and
wire back into depot, and went back
into Office. As the train pulled out
Mr.. Weldon said to me "wave them
down if you can; I have let them go,
and I have orders for them to wait
on No. 13 here. 1 have forgotten
all about the orders and let the
train 60" He also said he had
made mistake and pulled tie sig
nal down. I saw Mr.. Weldon drink
ing that night; he wasn't drunk, but
l thought he was getting "sorter"
funny, lively, jolly, etc. l saw him
take drinks before the train passed;
it was about eleven O'Clock when he
took the first drink. DR.. Reed, Mr..
Weldon and myself all took drinks;
I only took one, small taste. Reed
offered me bottle several times, but
1 didn't drink but once. 1 have
seen Weldon take drinks before;
don't think he has a habit of drink
ing regularly. The other times l
saw him he was not so lively as he
was this time. I have been know
ing him about two months. 1 have
been employed by the railroad com.
pany about same length of time. I
have living near the Junction about
one year. Mr.. Weldon seemed to
be a very careful man. 1 thought
he was under the influence of whis-
key; when he told me he had made
the mistake he was scared. I did
not touch the semaphore that night.
Lee and Weldon both have told me
to pull semaphore at other times. 1
followed the train up the track to
the switch light below the depot,
about one hundred yards. The
brakeman was fixing his light;
followed to him, so did Weldon,
but don't think he heard US. The
train was going past me when We'll
don followed; did not see the col
lision. Iheard the noise they made
when they ran together. Cross-ex-
amined. | have been in the en-
ploy of the company about two
.5nonths,as station hand: my duties
are to put up lights, take down
lights, sweep out, take in freight off
platform after it has been put off OF
the cars. Don't know anything
about the orders received that'night;
was in the room when l heard the
train coming; told Weldon it was
coming; it was No. %. He went
to window and said, Eyes it is" and
started to the door. l saw Weldon
pull down the upper light. I am
sure of that. He pulled down just
one; the white light was displayed
on the Asheville side. 1 met con-
ductor at depot; went out, got
freight and sealed up the car. Mr.
Weldon was in the Office at this
time. l was at platform thirty feel
away from the Office. He holIe-ed
to me to boiler to brakeman tc
'hold on" brakeman was fixing
light on the ground, thsrty feeI
away from Weldon. The train had
passed me. Mr.. Weldon told me
he had forgotten to give in order:
through mistake, and the white
light had been raised instead o.
red. l only took one drink; didn'
want it-did it to satisfy the crowd
DR.. Reed had a quart of whiskey
there. Mr.. Weldon was present
and drank before I did, 1 used tc
drink, but didn't drink a great deal
After the train had passed Mr.. Wei,
don told me to get out the freight
for Hendersonville-a barrel O.
whiskey. He then told me to take
it back after little while. l rolled
the whiskey into the depot after the
trains collided. I never told the
flagman that l pulled down the
light. l never pulled it down. L
1 told him did it was through ex.
element. 1 did not pull down thai
light. was not intoxicated.
think Weldon was intoxicated. He
had a walking cane using it as q
fiddle bow on his arm, and was
singing; never saw him do it be.
tore; he took three or four drinks
nobody drank out of the bottle bui
Reed, Weldon and myseIf-about
II o'clock. Reed left lst as the
train left. Don't know how much
whiskey was 10 the bottle when
Reed left. Mr., Weldon told me tc
say that l pulled down the light; il
wouldn't hurt me, but it would hur
him; ne would get me better job
if 1 lost mine. This was after the
hagman left. Reed did not come
to the station at my invitation. He
came first ats or 9 O'Clock, then al
II o'clock. 1 never admitted thar
l pulled the semaphore, nor did
admit that I said to Mr.. Weldor
what good will that do me-"
had nothing to do with sending fol
the Whiskey. Reed told me he haG
sent Webber to Asheville for {
quart, and wanted me to be around
and take a sociable drink when i
came. / did not tell him to bring
it around. / only took a small
drink; Weldon took three or four
He tried to dance"
~ Wy