Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-15

fAsT-A WARRANT FOR KIRBY
Yesterday afternoon express train on the
baltimore and Ohio railroad passing over q
grade crossing inflicted an injury which re-
! suited in adding one more name to the long
list OF victims Of the deadly grade crossings.
This time the life Of Teresa Mcdonald a ten
year -oid school girl, was taken. The child's
parents reside at No. 1405 18th street northeast,
and the little one had attended school at the
Notre Dame Academy on North Capitol street
during the day. She was with a number of
schoolmates, including her two sisters, at the
time. None Of them crossed over in front Of
| the train.
The accident happened at 9Th street, where
the track is about four feet above the grade
and the path runs along beside the track
There are no gates there nor is there any
wagon road crossing the tracks
The childs skull crushed and pieces Of
flesh torn from her body. presenting horrible
sight when picked up and put on the train that
had caused death. The body was removed to
the morgue, and this morning Coroner Patter-
son held an inquest at the sixth precinct sta
ton. The jury viewed the body in the
morgue, but it did not present such horrible
sight as it did last evening
THE INQUEST
Alicia Mcdonald, a sister of the deceased,
was the first witness called. She testified that
they had been at school during the day and
were their way home when the affair hap
| pened. Witness had her two sisters by the
| hand and there we're three other girls with
| them. There O coal cart coming along and
| they got on the side nearest the track. They
had been walking on the foot path They we're
Inf he r1are tla,
gates. Her sister let go her hand and ran near
the track to get out of the way of the coal cart,
when the train caught her dress and threw her
| in the air.
What made her 60 on the track she was
asked.
"She didn't go on the track" replied witness
The incoming train struck her sister. Wit
| ness said that the children had been in the
| habit OF going along there every day going to
and returning from school. The train was 60
ing very fast, but she could give no idea of the
rate of speed.
NO WARNING GIVEN.
The train didn't whistle" said Witness "nor
was the bell rung." Witness said she did not
see the train coming Hersister Teresa became
nervous, let go of her hand and ran. They
| took hold of each other hands at 9TH street,
not because of any anticipated danger but be-
cause they were sisters.
There is little gully near there, said witness,
and her sisters dress blown in and caught
| by the car. Witness said she did not hear any
| OF the gates lowered to attract her attention.
THE TRAIN RUNNING FAST.
William NJ. Morrison, resident of Trinidad,
who said he had had some experience in the
speeding of trains, said he noticed the train
that killed the girl and he thought he could say
with a clear conscience that the train was max
ing thirty miles an hour.
Witness said that the blowing of the whistle
attracted his attention, and when he looked out
the window he the train running fast and
so remarked to carpenter at work in his
house. The latter replied, "Yes; that Blue Line
train always runs fast.
Witness lives where he sees fifteen or twenty
trains a day and he thought this train was
making faster time than most trains. He said
there was no gate at Sth street. nor any other
protection about the tracks. The path beside
the track is not over two feet wide in some
places, and he thought the three children could
not have walked three abreast unless one
OF them walked on the track or
down the bank. From the position
of the children and the speed of train he
| thought it would have been impossible for any
one to have gotten out of the way. After the
accident it was fifteen minutes before the train
returned and got the body. Witness said that
the curve in the road was fully a square long
and a train can be seen from It'll street to
Florida avenue.
ABSOLUTELY NO GUARDS.
Mr.. Armes. assistant district attorney, who
was present, asked witness concerning the en-
bankment on the sides OF the track and asked
whether there was anything TO proven. pedes-
trian on the path from being killed by train,
and witness answered that there was not-not
even post.
RUNNING THIRTY MILES AN HOUR.
VIC Kicks. who lives at 642 7th street
northeast and who is member Of the District
of Columbia fire department. testified that his
attention was attracted to the train by the fire.
quent blowing of the whistle. He saw several
little girls. and he supposed they had just
crossed the track, although he did not see them
cross it. Witness saw one of the girls have the
hand of another, and she seemed to
be pulling her away from the track.
How fast do you think that train was run
ning?' asked juror.
Il should say about thirty miles an hour"
THE ENGINEERS TESTIMONY
Michael Kirby, who was engineer on the train,
was called, and he testified that he was coming
in at the usual speed and he saw the children on
the track. He blew his whistle loud as he
could and all of them crossed to the right side.
That one went toward the left.
When he first saw them he thought they
were crossing the track. but they were not He
| thought that the children could have gotten out
of the way after the whistle was blown When
tue acciueHt Unopened ne nad on his brake
| slowing down for II street. and the train
was running at the rate Of about fourteen
miles an hour. The train ran about two train
lengths before it stopped. The children APP
peared to be looking at the regulation engine
which was moving out toward the boundary.
Were you on time?" asked juror
"No sir, replied witness. "We we're behind
| time We left Baltimore at Sc when we should
have left at As
| The children who went to the right he
thought only cleared the engine by about two
| feet
When the train stopped it was 4:40 and his
| train was due at 49, Witness said that train
going at twenty miles an hour can be stopped
| in two blocks if the air worked all right. He
| could have reduced his speed to four miles an
hour before crossing H street at the rate he was
/ going without any difficulty.
| He did not see the children far enough ahead
to have stopped his train before he reached
| them.
Witness said he is not allowed to blow the
whistle after passing the Trinidad crossing. At
that point he blew for the target. Witness got
| his only orders at Baltimore.
WHAT THE CONDUCTOR DID.
L. H. Bender, conductor on the train, testi-
fed that he thought the train was running at
fourteen or fifteen miles an hour at the time of
the &C cident. The air was on at that time He
heard the danger whistle blow and he rushed TO
Hhn okAn ND ~ A