Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-26
A RAILROAD TRAGEDY.
The Inquest Today in the Case OF Brake
Thrush.

Deputy Coroner Schseffer today held an in
quest at the fourth precinct station in the case
OF John Thrush. the brakeman who was
killed early Yesterday morning by being
struck BY locomotive on the PenusylvaniA
road between the navy yard tunnel and the
Pennsylvania avenue bridge.
The first witness called was the engineer OF
The train which struck Thrush. Henry
Boyer. who gave his residence as lS7
street southeast. The witness
testified to being engineer Of train 904 Of the
Baltimore and Potomac road and 30 having
left the depot here at $50 yesterday morn
ing with the passenger train north.
Midway between the navy yard tunnel
ard the Pennsylvania avenue bridge.
said the witness. i bic ok signal station right
OF the curve. The station is somewhat difficult
TO sec. Yesterday morning" said the witness.
II was looking out for the signal and
when | saw that the block was all right !
pulled open the throttle. and at siuo>; the same
time saw man standing r,gh; on the track
almost twenty or twenty-five feet from
US. We were going about twenty or
twent. five miles az hour. He was standing
s;dewise TO US and facing train on the orpo-
site track. / applied the brakes and palled
the whistle
AT the frst blast the man raised his head and
made an effort 10 get Of the track. but we
were teo close and he was struck almost i'm
mediateiy ! judge he was struck By the bum
per on the left side"
The witness testified that the air brakes we're
IN good condition and that a; the rate be Was
going IL was impossible TO stop inside Of
200 or 800 Yards
He did not know whether he had really struck
the man until he saw him lying in the ditch.
He stopped his train. backed and reported the
accident to Wilmington. leaving the body with
the crew Of the freight
WHAT MR.. FENroS saw.
The second witness was Engineer Fenton of
the freight train of which Thrush Was brake
man. He said he was on the PENNSYLVANIA ave-
nue. siding and just pulling out for Wash
ington. Just as he was getting out
OF the siding he saw the conductor Of his
train Sheets and Brakeman Thrush standing
together. As he passed the conductor Jumped
on the train. Just about this time" said the
witness. Il heard the approaching train blow
ing danger signal looked out of the win
dow and saw Thrush standing on the north
bound track. Almost instantly the other engine
struck him. He thrown almost
thrty-one feet, right up against our train y"
Witness did not know why Thrush was stand
ing on the track, probablA however. TO get
aboard the end of the train. SO far as he knew
the dead. man was perfectly sober.
II. Swan. fagman. and Chas. Sheets, con-
ductor Of the freight. were also examined
Several jurymen and the coroner asked the
witnesses questions in an effort 20 bring out the
reason for the curve on the railroad at this
point. Witnesses did not seem TO know, except
TO get the road into the CITY,
THE VERDICT.
The verdict Of the jury was of accidental
death. that is that the said John Thrush came
to bic death about 6;45 am. October 25.
1892. on the track of the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad, of conclusion of
the brain, the result of being
struck by a locomotive. From the evidence we
believe that the accident was unar oi6abie and
not due to neglect on the part of the engineer
or the employees of the road"