Bridgeton pioneer., 1891-09-10
INSTANTLY KILLED.
JAMES CORNWELL MEETS A
SUDDEN DEATH.
He is Struckby a Locomotive and
Badly Crushed and Bruised.


IL was about seven o'clock Tuesday
morr ing when James Carnwell left his
little home, No. 800 East Commerce
street, for his work. He was in his
usual health and spirits. It was about
fifteen minutes of ten when his
crushed and lifeless body was carried
into that same house and laid upon
settee in the presence of his stunned
and agonized wife.
James Cornwell Ii about sixty-five
years of age, and about seven o'clock
he picked TIP bis shovel and started
for his work, digging stone near the
West Jersey and Central railroads,
just above Parker's glassworks. He
walked along the railroad, just off the
Central track, or rather the Port Nor
ris branch.
AT 1854 he was just above the glass
works and the West jersey train was
laundering along the track towards
the West Jersey depot. Mr.. Cornwell
evidently had his entire attention
fixed upon that, and stepped over on
the Port Norris track It was a fatal
step for no sooner had he stepped
upon the rail than the 'man-head" of
the locomotive struck bis left side and
threw him fifteen or twenty feet in
the air and when the train backed
down to where the body lay, life had
ebbed away, and the pallor Of death
had settled upon the features.
The train from Port Norris was No.
312 northbound, in charge of Con-
ductor Frank Howard. Fred Duffield
Is engineer, Samuel Harris is fremen,
and Carl Price, baggage master.
Engineer Duffield noticed Cornwell
walking in close proximity of the track
and more than one hundred yards, be-
gan sounding the danger signal. blow
ing seven or eight times. Just as the
train was nearing the man, he stepped
upon the track, and Duff aid gave
long, piercing shrek, and this must
have caught the attention of Cornwell
AoA AO toAAOO W oLlc ielo dhu udlto u
motion to step from the track. The
engineer thought the man had escap-
ed the danger, and said to his fireman,
II heven't struck him, have II" and
the reply was, "Yes, you have knock
ed him ten feet in the air." And SO
he had, and when the train backed
down, the lifeless body was lying along
the track, with feet toward the track,
and up the embankment, the body
having Deen turned clear around.
| Coroner Bellows was notified, and
in company with PIONEER reporter,
repaired Immediately to the scene.
The body still lay as it fell. The left
side of the head was BACKED and
showed confused wounds. There was
slight cut back OF the left ear. The
ribs of the left side were cracked and
broken. DR.. Appellate, who was
present, said the man must have died
| instantly.
The body was placed iu one of DAN
| zenbaker's hacks, and Coroner Bel
lows and PIONEER reporter accom-
panied it to his home on East Com.
merce street. The wife was not at
home, being in the house of neigh.
Dor, and when the sad intelligence was
broken to her, she was completely
stunned. Then she became hysterical
and refused to see the body. The re-
mains were taken In the front room
and laid upon a settee.
Mrs. Cornwell moaned and repeated
ly said "Oh! told him not to go. He
was so careless. Only last night l
could not sleep because I knew some.
thing would happen. And now, My
God Ny God! What will do, what
will dor"
Mr.. Cornwell leaves beside his wife,
one daughter, whose home is on CO.
hansey street.