Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-18

NAN WHO svEARs THAT HE JUMPED FROM TIKI
WAGON JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT POSI-.
lively coNrRADIcTs wATcHMAN RICHARDSON
AND Is cORRoBoRATED BY ANOTHER WITNESS
Since holding the inquest over the victims Of
the accident at Bennings Saturday night Cor.
oner Patterson has continued the investigation
with such vigor that he has obtained two addi
tional witnesses to the wholesale slaughter,
One of these witnesses was in the stage Just be-
fore the accident. He made his statement Of
the affair under OATH as did the other witness
and their evidence has been furnished to the
district attorney, who will have the case pre-.
sented to the grand jury at an early day.
The witness who was in the wagon stated
that he got into the vehicle at the intersection
of Boundary and II streets northeast; that he
was on his way home to Bennings. The driver
of the coach, Francis A. Godfrey, was perfectly
sober, as we're all the passengers. As the vehi-
Gle neared the railroad track the express was
coming, but he and Godfrey were both Of the
opinion that the train was standing on the
track and not moving. He was sitting on the
seat with the driver at the time. When he dis
covered that the train was moving he told the
driver. and then witness jumped He thought
that Godfrey could also have jumped, but he
remained at his post in order
TO SAVE THE LIVES OF HIS PASSENGERS,
but it was too late. The crash came and the
four men were whirled into eternity. The wit
ness then went on to fatty contradict the evil
dence given by Waterman Richardson. The
latter, he said, was in the box and he (witness)
called him out. Witness raped on the door
three or four times before Richardson re-
sponded. He then came out and asked witness
what was the matter. Witness told him and he
then asked witness to get his lamp for him.
Witness said that he was sober on that occasion
and that he had not drank anything since early
that morning.
THE OTHER WITNESS
told substantially the same version OF the af-
fair. He said he was walking behind the
wagon until he reached the blacksmith shop,
which is not many yards from the tracks.
There he stopped and waited for the train to
pass. When the accident occurred Richard
son, the watchman, was not in sight. Witness
went with the other man to the Matchbox and
raped several times. When Richardson came
out witness said: There's a whole lot of peo-
pie killed by the train" Richardson asked:
"What train?" Witness replied: Don't ask
me what train; ought to ask you that"
FLATLY CoSTRADICTINa THE wAroHMAN.
The coroner recalled the first witness, who
was in the wagon, and called his attention to
the evidence Of Richardson given at the inquest,
in which the Waterman stated that some one
whipped up the morse ana salu, Let the s-o1
a b CO." and that he (Richardson) was
about to lower the gates and called to Godfrey
to warn him of the danger. The witness swore
that there was not particle Of truth i'll Rich
ardson's statement.
THE INJURED CoLoRED MAN,
Brown, who was sent to the hospital was also
questioned by the coroner. He denied that he
or any Of the other men in the vehicle was in
to1icated. He said that he had taken one
drink that day, and that he purchased small
flask Of whisky to take home with him.
The doctors at the hospital deny the state
ment Of the ambulance driver that Brown was
drunk. When he first arrived at the hospital
he was chilled through from exposure and
could scarcely speak. He was given stimu-
liant, and when he was sufficiently warmed up
he was perfectly sober.
The coroner also gave the district attorney
the names Of other persons whom he thinks
may be able to give evidence If the case is pre-
ssnted to the court.