Evening star., 1896-06-17
Double Tragedy Today on the Dead
ly Surface Tracks.
Two YOUNG BOYS KILLED
Walking the 3. and O. Ties
When Struck by an Express.
CONFLICTING RIEs

Two little boys, Willie Jenkins and Fred
die Smith, met instant death on the sur
face tracks Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad near the Florida avenue crossing,
on the Washington branch of the road,
about 1 o'clock today, and their little bod
les are side by side on the table in the lit
tie brick structure called the morgue. The
little fellows we've companions, jenkins be-
ing eight years old, and his companion one
year his Junior. They lived at the home
Of their parents, in Brewers court north
east. between 9th and 7tb and G and H
streets. Willie Jenkins had attended the
Taylor school until his older brother got
sick with the measles, and then he was
quarantined. He did not return to school
because 1t was so near the close Of the
session, and this morning he started out
to go to Trinidad. The boys were bare
footed and were dressed in cool summer
costumes. and as their companions said,
they were going out for "bloodies' Crogs)
and cherries. Some older boys had warned
them to remain at home, but they did not
heed the warning.
The Tragedy.
After leaving their homes the boys did
not hurry, for the accident happened more
than an hour after they had started away.
Just under what circumstances the acci-
dent happened witnesses differ. 1t is GER
tain that they died so suddenly that they
never realized how they were hurt. One
version of the affair is that they were
walking the ties across a culvert and when
they heard train coming from either di
rection they were afraid to jump the short
distance, and in order to save themselves,
as they supposed, they stepped to one side
and were struck
1t Is thought that the train struck Jen-
kins and knocked him against his compan-
ion with such force that he had his skull
crushed by coming in contact with the
ground, for although Smiths skull is Sc
verely crushed, the scalp is not cut. The
frcnt of Jenkins skull Is crushed in, and
his brains were scattered about on the
rocks beside the tracks.
Left by the Tracks.
An incoming Baltimore express train did
the damage, and when the train was
stopped the CHASTITY sight was witnessed
by the passengers. among them being a
number of officials of the city of Balti-
more. The trainmen had an idea that they
could not remove the bodies without an
order from the coroner and so the bodies
were left there beside the tracks until the
police patrol wagon from the ninth pre-
cinct arrived. and then they were taken to
the morgue. When the police officers
reached the scene of the double killing the
in the mud, were visible on the ties. The
bodies all covered with blood lay in the
culVert, aid the sight was heartrsnding
one.
Grief ut Two Houses.
When the news reached Brewers court
the two homes which only few minutes
before had been bright and happy were in
mourning. The boys mothers were there
to hear the news. and crowds OF playmates
soon gathered about the front doors and
sympatbiZed with the grief-stricken rela-
tiveS.
At the MOrgue.
At the norgue a large crowd soon col
iected, In addition to those who had fol-
lowed the patrol wagon, and hundreds of
curious people lied to see the bodies.
But the door Of the morgue was closed ex-
cept to those ho actually had business
there
Coroner Hammett was notified of the sad
affair, and will probably hold an inquest
tomorrow.
Mr.. jenkins, father Of one Of the boys, is
employed at the plant of the Hygienic Ice
Freddie Smith, works for the parking COM
mission.
1t is said that the engineer of the train
blew his whistle and rang his bell just be-
fore reaching the point where the accident
happened but the accident could not have
been avoided by him. The trainmen were
very much surprised when they picked up
the bodies to find that they were not hor-
ribly margled in addition to having their
skulls so badly crushed.