The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-09-22
A SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
AN ELECTRIC LINE CAR RUNS
OVER A MAN
On SOuthsI1e Avenue, killing
Him Almost InstantIy-A COrO-
ner's Jury Acqults the Motor
Man of all blame, Etc.

ner'S jury AcquitS the Motor
Man of all Blame, Etc.
Passengercar No. of the electric street
railway line, conductor Williams and
motor man William Mitchell in charge
ran over and killed an unknown white
man, apparently about torty-fve years
of age, last night about 7.45 O'Clock
The accident occurred about three hun,
dred yards this side of the last curve on
the Southside avenue line of the rail,
way, near the long bridge. The car was
thrown from the track by the collision,
its headlight smashed and the passen-
gers, of whom there was nearly car
full severely shaken up as the car lett the
rails and struck the earth. Many OF
the inmates of the coach thought it had
run off of the bridge, and in few
minutes quite panic ensued, some en-
dcavoring to jump through the windows,
and Others leaping out on either side Of
the track from the rear and front ends of
the car.
In moment or two, however, they
discovered the body of a man lying at
nearly full length in the center of the
track where the car had left the rails,
groaning, and apparently suffering the
tortures of death. Detective w. II.
Deaver, with the assistance of one or two
Others, picked up the almost ifeless
body, broken and mangled in horrible
manner, and removed it to a spot about
thirty yards to the right ofthe track and
nearly opposite the place where the vic
tim had met his fate, and motor man
Mitchell came up town for physician.
DIR. ]. E. Rogers, of Alexander, who
was near the place when the accident oc-
Cured, responded, but before he could
render any assistance whatsoever, the
man had breathed his last. Coroner Hill
lard was next notified, and from that
time until his arrival with a jury, large
of people, mostly laborcrs COM
ing from and going to their homes in the
western section of the city, stopped and
viewed the remains of the unknown.
Many of these pronounced the body to
be that of Andy Boyd, a carpenter, who
resides on Hildebrand street, and even Dr.
Rogers, who said he knew Boyd well,
was satisfied that the corpse was none
other.
Upon the arrival of the coroner and his
Jury, composed of Messrs. F. A. Hull.
r. Loudon, F. l.. Saunders, T. ]. Wool
bridge, J. F. Grant and c. F. Penniman,
the body was stripped, and by the aid of
a torch-ire, which lent additional weird
ness to the scene, an examination was
made. About the head there were several
ghastly wounds, one behind each ear,
and one over the left eye being the most
serious. Both legs had received com
pound comminuted fractures from the
thighs to the ankle on the left, and
several cOntusions about the body were
found.
In the trousers pocket of the deceased a
lime was found, and from the outside
breast pocket of his coat pieces of glass,
forming when whole whiskey flask, were
taken. No letters, books or papers were
found upon the body which might in any
way lead to the identification of the re-
mains by the jury or any one of the 800
spectators gathered around.
The body was then turned over to un-
iertaker ]. V. Brown for preparation for
burial, and the coroner and his jury came
mp town to continue the inquest by the
of witnesses at the coroners
office. Several witnesses were summoned,
sworn and testified.
Police officer Mcdowell said that he
had seen the deceased on the streets be-
tween and o'clock in the afternoon;
he was partly drunk, and had been told
to get out of town or he would be placed
under arrest. He saw nothing more of
deceased until he beheld his dead body
Mr.. Mcdowell identified the body, also,
as that of Andy Boyd.
DR.. ]. +. Rogers testified that the body
was that of Boyd; the deceased had
married one of his cousins; deceased was
nearly dead when he reached him. He
was sure it was Boyd's body he saw
Mr.. W. c. Arsell testified that th> body
was lying in the railway track when he
reached the scene of the accident; the car
was off the track; piece of glass caused
the wound over the eye; he protested
against the removal of the body before
the arrival of the coroner; deceased lived
about twenty minutes after arrival of
witness; deceased did not speak at all;
deceased's coat was wrapped around his
head when witness first saw body, and
broken glass, parts of bottle, were
found on the track where he was lying,
and also in his coat pocket.
c. E. Everett and Bob Connolly swore
that motor man on car reversed his
machine and did all that he could to pre-
vent the accident; each smelled fumes of
whiskey upon breath of deceased.
Motor man William Mitchell, testified
that he was running car No. l which ran
over the deceased; headlight was burn
ing and he could see the track about
twenty-five or thirty feet ahead of him /;
he saw man walking towards the car
which was coming IN Southside avenue.