Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-23
A Cable Gripman Crushed
by a Locomotive.
He Throws Himself in Front
of a Train.
Temporary Insanity Thought to
Have Been the Cause.
Mrs. White Has Her Collar Bone Broken.
A Boyle Heights Affair-Other
Items of Interest.

Edward L. McWilliams, gripman in
the employ of the Los Angeles Gable
Railway Company, committed suicide
yesterday morning in a sensational man.
ner, by throwing himself in front of an
approaching train on the Los Angeles,
Glendale and Pacific or "Cross" road at
the Well-street crossing in East Los An
geles. McWilliams, who had been in
the cable company's employ since the
opening of the Downey-avenue line in
September last, was very popular with
his fellow-employees on account of his
genality and good humored disposi-
ton, and his reputation with the COM
pany was that of sober, industrious
and reliable man. With these facts in
view it is somewhat difficult to account
for the unfortunate mans sudden mania,
although the method to which he re-
sorted proves beyond doubt that he
was moved by an uncomfortable in
fuence, which could be nothing less
than insanity.
Shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday
morning McWilliams was seen by Mrs.
r. M. Hamilton, residing at No. 141
North Lecouvreur street, East Los An
geles, as he was walking aimlessly along
the track of the Cross road. His actions
at that time were sufficiently strange to
attract that lady's attention, though in
what the strangeness consisted she was
subsequently unable to state. At 1925
O'Clock, Engineer M. d. Jacobs and Fire
man j. E. Webster, of the Los Angeles,
Glendale and Pacific train, which is due
in this city from Pasadena at half past
10 O'Clock, noticed McWilliams coming
leisurely down the Well-street hill
toward the track as their train ap-
preached the crossing at the Glendale
junction curve. To the sur
prise of both men, McWilliams,
on reaching the foot of the hill,
stopped when within ten feet of the
track; but as the engine drew near, he
made a sudden rush forward as if to
jump on the pilot, and throwing his
arms up like diver, pitched forward in
front of the locomotive and fell right
across the track. Engineer Jacobs i'm
mediately applied the air brakes and
stopped his train in almost it's own
length, but the train had passed over
the body of the unfortunate man before
this could be accomplished. The train
men and several passengers who saw the
occurrence ran back to the place where
McWilliams lay, but it was found that
he had been instantly killed. and the
train proceeded to it's destination. On
arrival in town the trainmen at once
notified the authorities of the occurrence,
and Coroner Meredith soon afterwards
took charge of the body and caused its
removal to the morgue.
Tho hO1v of tho 11nfort,1yo+o Youth
was horribly mangled by the cars, his
chest being crushed in and his face
mutilated entirely beyond recognition.
In spite of the terrible appearance the
corpse presented, large number of NOR
bidly curious people visited the morgue
and inspected the remains during the
day. McWllliams was native of Mis-
souri,, rs years OF age, and leaves a wife
and one child to bemoan their loss.
At O'Clock last evening Coroner
Meredith held an inquest upon the body
at the undertaking parlors of Orr 4
Sutch, at which Engineer Jacobs,
Fireman Webster, and passenger
named Geo. Partridge testified to the
facts above recorded.
John Dix, shoemaker residing at No.
4S Kuhrts street, East Los Angeles,
stated that McWiliams was his nephew,
and that he had been acting strangely
of late. He had not been working since
Thursday, but was taking a vacation for
a few days. IL had been under the
impression that somebody was working
against him, and that an attempt was
being made to poison him. Several
other witnesses were examined as to the
occurrence, and all corroborated the
railroad mems story; whereupon the
! =
cordance with the facts.