The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-28
RUN OVER At SUNNYS|DE,
An Old Dairy Woman Killed
by a Southern Pacific
Train.
Was Driving er Cows Across the
Track at the Time and Trying to
Save One of Them.

A poor old woman was run over by a
Southern Pacific train at Sunnyside yester-
day forenoon and killed. Both her legs
were broken in several places and her head
was frightfully battered.
She was Mrs. Ellen Fury, 50 years Of
age, and native of Ireland She eked out
an existence by keeping some COWS and
selling milk to her neighbors. Her home
was humble wooden shanty in the real
OF the New York dairy at Sunnyside.
The accident was due to the woman's
eagerness to save cow and the trains
high rate of speed. She was driving he1
cows, i've in number, across the railroad
track, and one of them was slow and
awkward enough to get hoof caught in
some manner. Mrs. Fury tried to save
the cow and she succeeded, but Just as she
got the cow out of the way the S:15 San
Jose and San Luis Obispo train mo. 81
dashed along and struck the old woman.
The train stopped when it was too late
and she was picked up and carried on to
Ocean View, where DR.. Vandre was called
to attend her. In a little while she
breathed her last.
The explanation given by the engineer
was that it was an unfortunate accident.
He supposed when he first saw the cows
that they would all be out of the way in
time; that is, that the noise of the train
would brighten them. He said he did not
see the woman until it was too late, owing
to the rate of speed. The track is straight
there, but the speed necessary is so great,
he said, that 1t is simply impossible to
stop the train unless an object on the track
is seen at great distance. Besides, the
general habit Is, the engineer argued, to
suppose that people will keep out of the
way OF an approaching train for their own
safety.
There were several witnesses to the acct
dent, among them Charles Geiger and two
girls named Annie and Essie Ewell. Essie,
who Is only II years of age, described it
substantially as follows:
1t was Mrs. Fury's custom to drive her
COWS across the track to the adjoining hill
TO Craze because the grass there is good.
The train was coming along at full speed.
don't think any whistle blew or any bell
was rung. AT any rate, / don't rememb Der
hearing any. The train always goes
through this cut fast and Mrs. Fury was
too old to move rapidly. She had good
many narrow escapes. | wonder she
wasn't killed before"
The home of the woman is situated
about 300 feet from the scene of the acct
dent and she has lived there for the past
twelve years. Her only companion, has
been her nephew, James Boland, an Ingle-
SIDE iaborer:, who has been living with her
Tor about nine months. About SIX years
ago she secured divorce from her hus-
band on the ground of cruel treatment.
The case was reported to the Coroner
office and Deputy Coroners McInnis and
O'Brlen went out and took charge of the
woman remains, which were brought to
the Morgue.
Police Officer Herve took the case in
hand and if he finds that the circum-
stances OF the accident are such as to show
that the engineer was criminally respon-
sible he will have him arrested pending
the result of the Coroner's inquest. A
damage suit against the company may fol-
low.