Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-10-16
RODE TO THEIR DEATHS.
Tragedy at a Masked Crossing
On Staten Island.
Four Persons Mangled by
Swift Train.

Crooks Crossing. near Giffords station.
Staten Island, n Y, fulfilled its destiny a
few days ago and hurled three souls into
very gate of death.
The notorious old railroad crossing,
masked by dense woods and parsimonioualy
unguarded, where more than once there has
been a hair raising escape from manslaugh-
ter, missed the escape at last, and a woman,
In the bloom of life, with her year old
daughter and her brotner, were moved
down by the iron horse in manner too
frightful for description. Following is the
list of victims:
Andrew Brandner, aged fourteen, of Eras-
tina, s. l., employed as fish and clam ped
Ter by John Jones. Fatally injured intern
ally.
Mrs Elizabeth Edwards, aged twenty
seven, of Giffords, wife of Captain Jake
Edwards, of the oyster sloop Trusty, of
Great Kills. Skull crushed; died within
twenty minutes.
Blanche Edwards. infant child of the lat
ter. Skull crushed; died within one and
one-haif hours JNhn Jones, aged twenty
four, of Erastina, fish and oyster pedler,
brother of Mrs. Edwards. Top of head
crushed in; killed Instantly.
The above named party riding in
Jones's covered butcher wagon on their way
to Giffords at ten minutes past eight. They
were on the Amboy road, the chief highway
upon Staten Island, and had come from
Erastina where Mrs. Edwards and her child
had been visiting her brother. AS they
neared the railroad track they looked out
for the locomotive, but neither saw nor heard
any sign of one. The crossing is notorious.
The highway passes over the railroad tracks
at an acute angle and between the two, up
on the easterly side, the angle is filed in
with dense grove of trees. The railroad
itself curves sharply just beyond the cross
ing and the only possible warning for team
bound south is the whistle ordered by signal
post three hundred yards up the track.
AS the wagon approached the crossing,
train No. l, with engineer Jacob kougIe In
the cab and Conductor John Sullivan in
charge, was dashing around the curve at
q forty mile pace Engineer Kougle says
that he whistled four times Residents in the
vicinity say that they doubt it, as some of
the engineers are very slovenIy about whis-
ting. The signal, if any was given, was
certainly not heard by John Jones, the dri-
yer, for the old horse trotted down the track
just as the engine was upon it,
With a tremendous crash the great iron
horse struck the butcher wagon and the
sharp pilot went through it like a giant
cleaver. Showers of splinters fell off to left
and right. and with them the boy, Mrs.
Edwards and her baby; but they had been
borne 300 feet from the crossing be
fore they landed - young Brandner
ON his back ana the woman on her face.
Jones still lay upon the pilot when the train
down the track. The whole top of his head
was crushed in and his body was terribly
mangled. There was nothing to do but
bundle his mangled clay in his own horse
blanket and await the coming of the cor
oner.
Mrs. Edwards and her baby were both I'M
conscious. There were marks upon the left
side of the head of each, which showed the
nature of their injuries. The woman
breathed her last on the level ballast of
the roadway. Then the suffering babe
and boy the latter of whom had retained
consciousness long enough to give his name.
Baldwin House, where the former soon
ceased to suffer. The boy was taken TO the
Smith Infirmary on train, while Coroner
Martin Hughes transferred the three bodies
to his undertaking establishment at Clifton.
The railroad company made haste to OBJ
literate the visible signs of the disaster, but
the tracks were strewn with splinters from
the wagon for many yard. The largest
fragments left of the wrecked vehicle
were the tires of the broken wheels.
Strange to say although the wagon was
turned to matchwood the horse which drew
it was uninjured. One shoe was torn from
cernedly into the big farm of Mr.. Crook,
after whom the crossing is named, who
easily made him prisoner. The thills had
been cut off as if by knife.
Mrs. Edwards, the slaughtered wife and
mother, was handsome woman the niece
of old Captain Tom Calm, one of the best
known residents of the Great Kills. She had
been married five years, and little Blanche
was her only child. Captain Jake was out
in his oyster sloop when his little family was
wiped out of existence