Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-28
THE coRoNKR's INQUEST
Over the Death of Fireman Simpson, Killed
In Yesterday's Wreck.

IN Yesterday Wreck.
TESTIMONY GIVEN BIT RArIRoAp HNroYrs wuo
WE'RE OF TIE TWO TRAINS rHAr cAxr IN
COLLISION As TO THKrR MEMORY OF TIE
ACCIDENT.
Coroner Patterson ID confined TO his home,
suffering from . severe cold, and for that reason
he could not oticiate at the inquest held in the
railroad case today. Deputy Coroner schaefer
was on hand at noon and the Jury met in the
reception room Of the sixth police station
The body of Benjamin r. Simpson. the victim
Of the collision on the Long bridge yesterday
morning, lay in the morgue and over the sew
eral pieces Of il the jury was sworn to hear the
testimony and fix the responsibility IL pos
sible.
Mr.. B. J. Beal, the telegraph operator and
switchtender on the bridge, who was arrested
as being responsible for the accident, was
present at the hearing and he was told that he
would be permitted to make a statement II he
desired.
The jury was composed Of p D. viuson, J.
Z. Burroughs, W. H. Sleeper, Thos. z. Crsw.
ford, Louis Holmes and Joseph Montgomery.
BRAKEMAN MUpp.
W. z. Mudd, front brakeman on the extra
freight train, was the first witness called. The
freight train, he said, was bound south The
train pulled up on the causeway between
IL and ! o'clock Yesterday morning
ana ne was seated on the engine. The con-
ductor and the engineer had gone over TO the
signal station for orders and while they were
gone witness heard extra No. lO4 whistle In
the meantime the freight had backed few en-
clear.
While witness was sitting on the hremen's
box the switch was open and was set for the
freight to move south.
WHO HAD CHARGE OF THE swrrcus
"Who had charge Of the switch?" interrupted
the coroner.
The operator" he replied.
When witness saw that the train switched
into the switch he shouted to the fireman to
Jump, and witness jumped out the window.
When the nor;h-bound train entered the switch
1t was too late to have done anything.
What did the fireman do when you called
to him.
Nothing, guess"
Then he was the one who was killed."
"Yes, sir, he was killed"
When witness recovered himself he called 10
the fireman, but received DO response. Then he
crawied over the tender with Engineer Darnell
and found the diving man.
How is the switch regulated?"
with lock and lever from tho signal man
or operators station"
Had You any reason to fear dsngsr2"
so REASON TO FEAR DANCER
"No, sir. We naturally supposed that the
switch was set for the northbound train"
Witness said that when the train pulled M
the track signal denoted that the track was
clear. He saw no red light, nor could he tell
whrt light was set for the north bound
train. Witness knew that the sw,th was
open when his train reached there. but
when the train backed to clear the northbound
track he supposed the switch would be
light indicated clear track their train had to
stop for orders, ~ they also had to stop there.
At the suggestion Of the prisoner DR..
Schaeder asked witness several questions con.
corning the location Of the tracks and signals,
and he said that the freight tram moved far
train backed to clear the switch he did not
know by whose authority IL was done.
ENGINEER DANIEL
Richard Darnell, engineer on the freight
train, was next sworn. The affair happened
about 1890 o'clock and at the time o. the COL
lision he was standing near the signal office.
BE had gone in there to sign for running orders
and when he heard the northbound train COM
ing he stepped outside.
Witness said he always received his orders
from this office and his train stopped on q
at the signal before the point Of
the switch was reached. His train, be
said. did not reach the northbound
track. He knew that the fireman
backed the train, but Il was Q very short dis
lance. Witness said be had q white light and
be had right to leave his train where il was
When witness left the signal house and went to
see il his train was clear he saw the red paddle
raised against his train.
THE RED IroRr TOO LATE.
~ saw the operator throw the red light after
I got outside" he said, but It was too late"
'How long was it then before the collision?"
"Not more than half minute"
"when you saw that red light did y9p know
II meant danger?" asked Juror.
"Yes, sir" he answered. at meant that nv
train should remain where 1t was and not move
ahead"
The operator. he said. had told him that the
north-bound train was coming and he had oet-
ter go out to see if his train was clear. Wit
ness went out and thought be would return for
his orders when the north bound had passed.
CONDUCTOR M'LASI.
Robert @. McLane, conductor Of the passen.
ger train, testified that on the morning Of the
accident his train came and received a white
signal denoting clear track His train pushed
ahead and witness was walking through O car
when the collision happened. He discovered
that the accident was caused by q misplaced
switch. Witness said the signal for his train
was on the shore at the south end Of the bridge
and he had his eve on the signal when the
train entered the bridge. The train was
running at the rate Of fifteen miles
an hour. His train was made up Of q baggage
car and six sleepers and wes on its way from
Jacksonville TO New York. Witness received
an injury TO his eve and back, but he was not
badly hurt
Suppose there is danger ahead said DIR.
Schaeffer, sis there any way on the engine to
communicate with you?''
''Yes, sir" he answered. "He does it BY
giving four short blasts Of the WHISTLE
Ibid he give them on this OCCASION
''No, sir"
Witness said that his engineer and fireman
were both injured
FLAoMAN BARRY.
James Barry, dagman on the passenger train,
said the first he knew Of the accident Was when
the crash came and threw him
about ten feet Then he grabbed
his lamp and went to the rear to prevent what
he termed a ''rear ender" or q train from the
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