The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-16
FrightfuI Railroad Accident.

ErighTrul Railroad Accident.
A most horrible accident occurred
last Saturday night at Pinewood, 6
station about seventeen miles from
Manning, on the Manchester & Au.
gusta Railroad, By which Mrs. James
D. Childers, a lady about so years o1
age, the wife of one of Clarendon's
best citizens, was instantly killed and
her body terribly mangled; and a
little son of Mr. Nelson Griffin had
lis left arm so badly mashed as to ne
cessitate amputation.
Mrs. Childers and the little boy,
together with a party of neighbors,
had gone to Sumter Saturday to do
some shopping, and on their return to
Pinewood, about eight o'clock in the
evening, the conductor, as he had
done with other passengers, assisted
Mrs. Childers off the train and helped
her place her bundles on the plat
form. The train was an accommoda-
ton freight, and after the passengers
had all gotten off it went to work to
shift some freight cars.
Mrs. Chllders and the little boy and
others were standing on the side track
just where the public road crosses the
railroad, near the end of a car that had
been left on the side track, and while
they were standing there, with this
loose car between them and the train
which was on the main track, the en-.
gineer ran in another car by what is
called a "Aying shift" The second
car struck the one on the side track
with force that drove it rapidly
forward upon these unsuspecting
persons. Mrs. Childers was struck
and thrown across one of the rails,
and her body was almost severed in
twain and terribly mashed by the
wheels.
The little boys arm was at the same
time caught under wheel and so
badly mashed that it had to be ampu-
tated above the elbow few hours
later.
Other persons standing near would
have met similar fate if they had
not been pushed out of the way.
As soon as the accident occurred
the train was at once dispatched to
Sumter for surgical assistance. Mrs.
Childers was, Of course, beyond as
sistance, but everything possible was
done for the little boy.
Coroner Rowe was telegraphed for
Sunday morning, and he went to
Sumter on the mornings train, where
he found a special car in waiting to
carry him to Pinewood.
As soon as the coroner reached the
scene of the accident he proceeded to
empanel a jury, which was composed
of the following gentlemen: D. F.
Lide, A. D. Witherspoon, R. A. Law
renee, J. N. Connors, R. NJ. johnson,
E. P. Geddings, J. NJ. DesChamps, R.
F. Jenkinson, L. a. Graham, j. O.
Brown, R. H. Witherspoon, and N. j.
Brown.
The investigation continued until
late in the afternoon when the jury
adjourned over until Monday, when
they resumed and took testimony
until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. After
the testimony was concluded they
rendered a verdict as follows: "That
deceased came to her death by being
run over by cars belonging to Allan
tic Coast Line Railroad Co. on the NJ.
& A. Railroad at Pinewood depot, in
Clarendon county, S. c., on Saturday
night, April II, 1890, about s o'clock
P. NJ, through criminal carelessness on
the part of the ps-'ties that had charge
of the train
Col. j. H. Earle represented the
railroad company at the coroner's In
quest.
We learned to-day that Mr.. Grihin's
little boy also had his right foot badly
mashed, and that the doctors will
have to amputate two of his toes.
Otherwise he is getting along as well
as could he expected.
Mr.. Childers was in town to-day,
and tells us that the conductor did not
assist him and his wife off with their
packages, and that they were getting
away from the car as well as they
could. He says there were no lights
around, and each was doing the best
he could to get to the platform, and
that they were at the place where pas
sengers regularly got of. We regret
that we cannot publish the testimony
taken at the inquest, but the coroner,
we learn, left the testimony in Sumter
with the attorney for the railroad
company.