Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-25
THE ooRoNER.s INQUEST.
Testinony In Regard to the Death q the Oaa
Soldier Morse.


Soldier Morse.
This morning Deputy Coroner schaefEsr hsld
IN inquest u The sixth precinct over the body
Of VIM B. Morse, an old veteran. who was
killed about $50 yesterday morning BY being
run over by . freight train on the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad near Bsnning station, an
account Of which appeared in yesterdays
STAB.
Morse, who was from Mount Vernon, Me-.
had been in the army for twenty -ons years and
for the past year had been an inmate Of the
Soldiers Home here. He 10 supposed 10 have
left the hospital there early yesterday morning.
he was forty-eight years Of age and had wife,
who resides in Kansas.
The following jury was swo.n: John N. e.
lott, Thomas Crawford VIM II. Sleeper, James
Holmes, Samuel Wise and James Il. Oliver.
THE FIRST WITNESS
The first witness called was David Moore.
colored man residing at Benning. He said he
was standing on the north-bound track be-
tween Benning and Deanwood. Saw Morse
about 7:S0 walking along the track north
the whistle three times when about 100
yards from the man. The engine was shifting
freight cars and vas making in the same direc-
ton in which the man was walking-northward.
The train, which was pretty long one. was not
moving very fast. The man made no
attempt to get off the track. SO
far - witness could see. Heard NO one cry
out to the man. After the engine hid the man
from view witness next saw the man lying on
the track beneath one of the box cars. The
engine. tender and several cars passed over
the man. There WAS no cowcatcher on the
engine. There Was step on the front Of the
engine about .our inches from the ground. The
engineer did not slow mp until after the engine
struck the man. After he struck the man the
engineer blew for brakes, slowed up and
stopped.
ALFRED HARRIS
Alfred Harris, another colored man who Jaw
the accident, said the man was struck in the
head, whirled around and dragged beneath the
cars for some distance. After the train was
stopped the man was found lying beneath one
OF the cars, his body parallel with the rails.
THE ENoiNEER's STATEMENT.
J. D. Anderson, 500 South Capitol street. the
engineer OF the train. said that when coming
around the curve at the Union stock yards he saw
the deceased on the Horth-bound track, standing
sideways. The man then began walking along the
track in front OF hts train. When about 100
yards away from the man witness blew eight or
nine short blasts. the danger signal The ma
not getting of the track ne blew for brakes.
reversed his engine, rang the bell and continued
blowing the danger signals Witness applied
the air brakes on the engine. there were none
on the rest OF the train, and in addi-
ton 70 continually ringing the bell and
blowing the danger signals, hollered at the man.
The train WAS running at from twelve to fifteen
miles an hour. About half Of the train had
passed over the deceased when the train
was finally stopped. The rails were
y, from b.. ID. mds. ..h That iss slippery
tvo hr.kevron . A.oman an6 conductor IN the
train. Could not say whether or not the brakes
outside the engine were applied before the man
was struck. The bell was ruug from the time
the crossing was reached. At that time the
man was about $50 yards away.
Fred. Freeland, the fireman on the engine,
gave similar testimony.
E. H. Phillips, the conductor. and W. O.
Laycock, u brakeman, stated that they heard
the danger signals. then the signal for brakes
They applied the brakes, as did the other train
hands.
THOMAS 8. HOPKINS.
Thomas 8. Hopkins, an attorney Of this city,
identified . letter signed by him which was
found on the person Of the deceased. He
stated that the dead man had been in the Pine
Ridge campaign and becoming disabled through
exposure had been discharged about year
ago and sent on to the hospital at
the Soldiers Home here. The man was
not deaf, but was in the first stages Of harden
ing Of the braiu. Because Of that his mental
faculties had become slow in operation, and
witness was confident that accounted for the
mans not stepping from the track after being
warned.
This closed the testimony, and after few
minutes elaboration the jury returned the
following verdict:
THE JuRY's VERDICT.
"That the said William 3. Morse came to lis
death near Benning, D. c., about 80 g. m.
March "a, 1893, by being run over by a train of
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
railroad.
THE evidence shows that the deceased was
walking on the track at the time and disre-
Rarded the signals from the engineer. and that
the train employees did all they could to avert
the accident and are not to blame therefor. :"
The body was then turned over to Mr.. Thos S.
Hopkins. who has telegrnphed the relatives Of
the deceased.