Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-05

SO ton continued threatening weather witt
1aiu tonight and Thursday easterly winds
A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.-The yard
of the Southern Railway was the s.-ne
OF a horrible accident about forty min
utes after nine o'clock last night, Mr.
Chas. G. Crump, the sp scial officer, bav.
ing been almost instantly killed by 8
cattle car which was being run on g
nying switch into the yard. The un.
fortunate gentleman was at the time or
the lookout for tramps who were watch.
ing opportunities to jump trains. But
few people know anything about the
accident, and they can give but meagre
particulars. From the version some
give it seems that Mr. Crump saw the
car coming eastward toward him and
surprising it would take the opposite
track did not change his position, and
was struck, knocked down and crushed
10 death. Others, however, say he was
fastening across the tracks In the direc-
ton OF some tramps when his left foot
became entangled in frog, and being
unable to extricate himself was run
over. The nature of his injuries would
seem to lend color to that theory from
the fact that when found considerable
difficulty was experienced in getting his
leg from the frog. The left leg was cut
off below the knee and the left side of
the abdomen horribly crushed, so much
so that the intestines were hanging
down. 1t looks as though the unfor-
tunate man, when he realized he was
caught in the death trap, endeavored
to so bend his body as to escape with
the loss Of his leg. One of the tramps,
who seems TO have witnessed most OF
the accident, says he saw Mr.. Crump in
a STOPPING position on the track and
supposed he was a brother itinerart
who was lodging around the trains,
and saluted him as such. He turned
his ewes for moment when he heard
q rafting noise as the car passed, and
upon looking around saw the PROSTATE
form of the man and knew he had been
run over. Those employed in the yard
were soon congregated around Mr..
Crump, who died in less than five min
utes after being struck. The watch in
his pocket had stopped at $40, it having
been injured by the accident. The
second hand had been twisted off and
the crystal broken. DR.. L. NJ. Jones
was summoned, and after an examina'
ton of the body it was taken to Mr..
Damaine's undertaking establishment.
Mr.. Crump was about forty-fve years
old and unmarried. He leaves mother
whom he has supported almost since
his boyhood days He had been in the
employ of the Southern Railway Com
pany for about twelve years, and was
faithful employee and courteous and
popular gentleman. A singular coinci-
dence in connection with tho unfortu-
nate occurrence is the fact that the en-
gineer of the locomotive which was at
tached to the car which ran over the
i'll fated gentleman is Charles Crump.
The deceased was member of Potomac
Lodge of odd Fellows.
DR.. Purvis, the Coroner, summoned
jury and held an inquest over the re-
mains this morning at Mr.. Demaine's
undertaking establishment. The jury
was composed of Mr. F. F. Evans, fore
man, and Messrs Charles Swain, ]. F.
Cook, ir., Brooke Adam, G. ]. W. Sum-
mers and julius Dienelt. Mr.. Charles
Crump, the engineer; VIM. Bumgart-
ner, yard conductor; James Duncan,
night yard master; Irving Brown. an
employee in the freight office; John
Harris, brakeman; Jerry Thomas,
switchman Chas. Hawkins, brakeman;
Mr.. Colvin, night yard master of the
Washington Southern Railway, and
several tramps testified. The evidence
was substantially as given above, some
believing Mr. Crump's foot became
wedged in frog, and others thinking
he was knocked down by the car which
he supposed would run on another
track. The testimony was also to the
effect that the unfortunate man was
dragged some distance after having
been run over. The jury returned the
following verdict
"We, the jury, find that Charles G.
Crump came to his death by being &C
cidentally run over by shifting train
while in the discharge of his duty as
special Waterman in the Southern Rail-
way yard, and that no blame is attach
ed to said company nor its employees,
they having used due precaution in the
matter of signalling"