Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-12
Coroners Jury on the Killing Of q
Brakeman.
MkNGLED By FREIGHT CARS
Eye Witnesses Describe the Affair
and How It Happened.
CAMPBELL'S LAST WORDS

An inquest was held this afternoon by
Coroner Hammett in Lees undertaking es-
Establishment over the remains Of Charles
H. Campbell, the brakeman employed by
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. who
was crushed under a coal car Wednesday
afternoon at 18th street and Maryland ave-
nue. southwest, and sustained injuries that
res ulted in death few hours later, at the
Emergency Hospital, where he had been re-
moved. ~
The first witness was Policeman Forrest
H. Perks. who saw Campbell when he was
lying across the railroad tracks at 13th
street and Maryland avenue southwest.
He did not see the accident.
Charles A. Lansdale stated that about
$50 pm. Wednesday, while in his office.
near 18th street and Maryland avenue he
heard groans, and. looking out of a win
dow, saw. Campbell lying on the tracks.
Witness telephoned for the ambulance. The
coal cars were moving slowly at the time.
Some Eye Witnesses.
Daisy Clark, little girl. who was on her
way home from school, on the afternoon
Campbell was hurt. said that she saw him
attempt to mount to the top of a car, when
1t suddenly jerked. and he fell between the
car and the one next to 1t and was crushed.
Edna Cumberland, also a school girl, tes-
tilted that at the time of the occurrence
she was about one square distant from the
spot where it happened. She saw Campbell
ascend to the top of the car and apply
the brake, when his foot slipped the cars
came together with a Jar. and the man
fell, and was crushed beneath ,the wheels.
He cried, MY God!' and a moment later
was raised by several persons and finally
taken away in the ambulance.
Railroad Men.
Jefferson G. Anderson. the engineer In
charge of the engine moving the cars, de-
scribed how he was backing into the 18th
street freight yard Wednesday afternoon.
when he received a signal from the fire.
man to stop and hold the engine. He was
running slowly at the time. After stop
ping the witness got out of the cab, and
saw that Campbell had been crushed.
The fireman on the engine. L. s. Boyer,
told OF the signals he received from a
brakeman named Dement, to stop. He re-
peated them to the engineer.
Asked to De Shot.
The testimony of the next witness, Geo.
]. Dement, differed Numerically from
that Of Edna Cumberland and Daisy Clark.
Mr.. Dement,, who was but a short distance
from Campbell when the accident happen
ed, declared that the latter did not board
the car. but was walking beside It, AS the
car approached a stationary car Campbell
stepped in front of the moving car to open
the coupling. Witness saw him fall and
rushed to his assistance. The injured man
said that he had been tripped by a brake
beam. and added: Shoot me- or kill me,
to get me out Of my misery" >s7,-.
The Chain Broken.
w. o. Lynch. fiagman. and E. H. Phil
lips, a conductor. gave unimportant testi-
mony. and then the father of the deceased
stated to. the jury that shortly before his
demise his son said to him: Papa, the
railroad company Is responsible for this
If the chain on that lever had not been
broken I would not have been hurt
Mr.. Campbell explained that on coupling
levers there is a chain connecting the lever
with the coupling. and on the car under
which his son was crushed the chain de-
scribed was broken.
Several Of the witnesses stated that the
deceased displayed carelessness In attempt
ing to open the coupling Of the moving
instead Of that on the stationary car.
This ended the testimony, and the jury,
consisting of VIM. A. Hickey. George W.
Downs, jeremiah T. O'Conrell, Thos. F.
HALEY, Alfred T. Monroe and Manning F.
Rue, after considerable elaboration, re-
turned a verdict stating the death Of Camp
bell to We been the result of accident and
generating the railroad officials and en-
ployes from all blame.