Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
THE CoRONER's INQUEST.
Testimony I'm Regard to the Killing of Mr..
and Mrs u p Owens.

and Mrs n p. Owens.
THE VERDICT ExoSERATB THE EMPLOYEES, But
CONSIDERS THE RAILROAD COMPANY GUILT OF
NEGLECT FOB NOT HAVING GATES Oh A WATCH
MAN At THE CROSSING
The grown sons and daughters Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Jas. p. Owens we're present at the morgue
yesterday afternoon at the coroner's inquest
over the killing of their parents by Baltimore
and Ohio train on the grade crossing at South
Brookland yesterday morning. Many friends
of the deceased couple we're also present. Cor
oner Patterson held an inquest in the case Of
the man and the following were members of
the Jury: VIM A. Peacock, Geo. Gill, Philip
Cleveland, Geo. Russell, Jas. Holmes and ]. F.
Brown
THE ENGISEER's STORY.
Patrick Collins, engineer on the train, testi-
fed that the accident occurred about SIG
o'clock. He said he blew his whistle for South
Brookland. but he did not see the horse and
wagon until the engine was almost upon it. He
did not see the wagon until the horse cut
loose from il. The train. he said, was running
at about fifteen or eighteen miles an hour. Wit
said the crossing could be seen about
four or five hundred yards ahead. Had witness
the horse and wagon he could have
stopped the train The train was on time at
University Station. At the crossing where the
accident occurred witness said there are no
gates or Waterman. There is a warning sign
up that reads: Crossing Look out for locomo-
tive" When questioned. witness said he was
on the right side of the locomotive, and that
was why he did not see the horse and wagon.
The fireman, he said, was on the left side.
Mr.. Owens, son of the deceased couple. sug-
gested several questions, of them being
whether he blew his whistle for the horse on
the track
NO, SIR" replied the witness st was too
late The damage was done"
THE coSDUcToR's STATEMENT.
Jesse W. Brown, conductor on the train,
testified that he was at the rear end Of the last
car. about to take his last fare, when he felt a
jar caused by reversing the engine and putting
on the brakes. He stepped out the door and
saw the horse going up the hill to the left with
the traces hanging to 1t. Witness sent a flag
man back and he went ahead to see what
damage had been done. He thought at first
that il was runaway horse. but when he
reached near where the bodies were he heard
the brakeman say. "Oh, Look" He noticed
signs of life in the womans body. Witness said
that the train was going slow, having made only
SIX miles in seventeen minutes.
THE FIREMAN SAW THE HORSE AND WAGON.
C. F. Crummit, fireman on the train, testi-
fed that he saw the horse and wagon come up
on the track opposite the one the train was on
and he called to the engineer.
The coroner asked the witness to state lust
how far the wagon was away when he first saw
1t, and he said the horse was about stepping
upon the track.
How far away was the train?' asked the
coroner.
About fifty or seventy-fve feet" responded
witness
unobstructed view for some distance and he
might have seen them sooner, but after the
whistle was blown for the station he stopped to
open the feeders. He said that when he saw
the horse stepping on the track he pulled the
bell and called to the engineer.
NEVER HEARD THE WHISTLE BLOW.
Mr.. Blair. clerk in the pension Office who
formerly lived in South Brookland, said he
did not witness the accident, but he supposed
he was called because he had come near meet
ing the same fate several times .Iliyed there
fourteen months, he said, land never heard
this train whistle for that crossing. / fire.
quently saw the old lady and gentleman stop
on the little bridge and wait for the train.
I'VE had no warning except the sign beside
the road unless we get out and watch for the
train
Witness then told Of the narrow escapes he
had had and of the dangerous condition of the
crossing. He was at the Owens house yester-
day and Mrs. Owens told him he had better go
home by the Brentwood road; that the crossing
was dangerous place.
THE WHISTLE BLOWN AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
Howard Lloyd testified that he saw the horse
when it was cut loose from the wagon. Just at
the time the accident occurred, he said the
whistle was blown and the bell rung. Witness
was positive that the train did not whistle until
the accident happened Witness was over the
hull and could not see the engine railroad
track because he was in hollow over the top
of the hill Witness said that the whistle is not
blown for that crossing very often. He heard
several passengers on the train remark: The
engineer failed to blow his whistle He said
that he is in the habit of crossing the track
twice a day, but he usually walks. When he
drives ne usually gets out and leads his horse
across the track.
The conductor was recalled and he testified
that the whistle blew some distance from the
station.
HE HEARD NO WHISTLE.
Frank Mcguire, who lives near the scene of
the accident, testified that he heard no whistle
blown, either for the crossing or the accident
He saw the wagon when it was struck by the
train.
THINKS THE WHISTLE WAS BLOWN.
Benjamin c. King, resident of Oak Grove,
was on the train when the accident occurred
He was sitting on the west side Of the car, and
the first thing he saw was the horse lying on
the ground Witness heard the whistle blown
before the air brakes were applied. He thought
the train was $50 or 200 yards from the cross
ing Witness said he travels on the train and
10 the best Of his recollection the whistle is
blown atevery crossing. When the bodies wree
found there was a hood on Mrs. Owens head
but Mr.. Owens was bareheaded.
Mr. OWENS NEITHER DEAF NOR NEARsYGHrRD.
Mr.. Owens, IT,, was questioned concerning
his fathers being deaf or nearsighted and he
replied that his hearing irst-class and he
never wore glasses in his life.
Mrs Jane Arnold lives about 800 Yards from
where the accident occurred. She saw the
horse going in front Of the train. Witness did
not hear the whistle blow. Sometimes she said
the trains blow for that station and sometimes
they don't Witness said she was watching be-
cause q lady whom she knows goes to the sta
ton almost every day and one day she came
near getting killed
An IMPORTANT WITNESS NOT SUMMONED.
The coroner asked Mr.. Owens if he had any
other witnesses and he said that the most i'm
portant witness was Ollie Preston, a plasterer,
but he would not come without a regular sum-
mons. "After the accident" said Mr.. Ovens
several people came 10 my sisters house and
told her that the whistle not blown"
The jury did not desire to hear any further
evidence and after a short consultation re-
turned the following verdict:
THE VERDICT.
THAT the said James p. Owens came to his
1aafh ahaut a. N, I.puary 1901 - S,rxh