The record-union., 1896-01-21
THE DEATH OF W. 4. POTTER.
Conclusion Of the COrOn8F'S Inquest
Th6reintO Last Evening.
The Jury Exonerates the Trainmen,
But Advises That Flagmen
be Employed.

Coroner Clark last night resumed the
taking of testimony in the inquest on
the body of William Potter, the young
man who was fatally injured by the
incoming local train from Stockton at
Twenty first and r streets on Tuesday
night last.
H. l. Seymour, a book-keeper at the
Buffalo Brewery, was the first witness
called. He was in the Office on the even
| ing of the accident, and heard only the
danger signals given by the engineer
of the train. He is so accustomed to
hearing locomotive whistles that he
pays very little attention to them. He
was in the office and the office was
closed, so that the engineer may have
blown the whistle and the witness not
have heard it.
Charles Duhain was at his home near
where the accident occurred on the
evening in question. He, too, was so
accustomed to locomotive whistles that
he paid little heed to them and could
not say whether or not he heard one at
that time The shrill danger signal,
however, did attract his attention, and
learning from his father that an aeci-
dent had happened he went over to
| where the deceased was being placed in
car.
Alonzo Pratt was on S street, be-
tween Eighteenth and Nineteenth, when
the accident happened. The first noise
he heard was the danger signal, but
would not probably have paid any at
tention to the regular whistle if he did
hear it.
Fred Kliesing, who was on Twentieth
street. between r and S, heard the dan
ger signal. He was not positive whether
or not the the train whistled at Twenty
second or Twenty third and r streets
J. F. Sweeney, engineer of the train,
testified that it was running about If
teen miles an hour, and when 1t was
within about $50 feet of the crossing he
saw wagon driven upon the track
The driver had time to cross If he had
kept right on, but The wagon stopped on
the track When struck the vehicle was
taken about the engines length.
He said the train has fifteen minutes
in which to make the run from
Brighton, and they generally run pretty
fast until the city limits are reached,
where it is slowed down. The whistle
was blown at every whistling- post
When the wagon was sighted he gave
the danger signal. He also applied the
emergency brakes and did everything
in his power to stop. The train ran
about block before it could be stopped.
Conductor Marcus McLain said he
was in the caboose in the rear. When
the danger signal was blown he went
out and set the caboose brakes. He did
not think the train ran over a block and
half or two blocks west Of Twenty
first street. He heard the crossing sig
nal at Twenty third and r streets
Patrick Burns, the fireman, said he
first saw the wagon when about ninety
feet away 1t was then standing still.
He could not see the driver. He did not
think the train was running over thir-
teen miles an hour. In his opinion 1t
was stopped when about 125 yards be-
yond the crossing where the accident
occurred.
Guy Heusted, the eaboose brakeman,
corroborated the testimony given by the
conductor.
]. c. Marks, who resides at 17l5
Seventeenth street, heard the danger
signal. but did not notice any prior to
that He thought the train ran TO
Eighteenth street before it stopped.
This concluded the testimony in the
case, and then Coroner Clark took the
jurors out to view the locality where
the accident occurred.
On returning they retired to room
for consultation, and after celebrating
for a while returned a verdict to the eff
feet that the trainmen should be ex-
onerated from all blame for the aeci-
dent The jury added that, in their
opinion, there should be fagmen at all
crossings where there is much travel,
especially at Twenty first and R streets