Evening star., 1896-06-18
TIE TRAlNMEN WERE EI0NERATED
Some Conflicting Evidence as to
the Whistles.
w I T N E S S ES H A R D

Gays star. At the inquest Mr.. 5. w. Cur
riden of the Hygienic Ice Company repre-
sentcd the family of the jenkins boy. as
Mr. jenkins is employed by the ice COM
pany. Among those attracted to the sta
ton were number of boys, playmates of
the deceased and one of them, although
only five years old, was present a wit
ness to tell Of the sad fate of his two
companions.
Edward McCauley, gateman at the Flori-
da avenue crossing, witnessed the sad acci-
dent and was first to reach the dead bodies.
He told the jury that he saw the boys
when they went out in the country about
an hour before the accident happened.
There was another boy with them. Wit
ness heard the fast train whistle for the
target. and then he heard the danger
whistle. He looked up the track and saw
the two boys walking along the south-bound
track Presently he saw the incoming
train strike one of the boys, and both of
them were hurled into the ditch. He
thought only one boy was struck.
Witness was questioned about the speed
of the train, but he said he had no idea
of the speed. He is there to attend to
the gates, and he takes no notice of the
speed Of trains, nor could he tell how
many trains pass there day.
How long have you been in charge of
the gateS?
About three months"
Ever had an accident@'
mo, sir"
ne Is not required, ne SAID, to keep
record of trains passing the crossing, nor
Is he furnished with time schedule to
give him an idea of the time trains are
expected.
Saw the Tragedy.
William A. Mcdonald. track hand in
the employ of the railroad company Was
at his work OH the track yesterday when
he witnessed the accident. He only saw
one boy. His attention was attracted to
hy ho 1r,hfc nd
he looked Just in time to see the boy struck
and thrown in the ditch According to
his notion the train was going at the rate
of about forty miles an hour.
Engineer Henry b. Davis, who lives at
1873 South Charles street, Baltimore, tes-
tined that when he was about thirty yards
from the place where the accident happen
ed he saw three boys walking next to the
track, and he watched them until within
twenty-five or thirty feet of them when
6ne of the boys stepped upon the ties.
Witness then blew his whistle all he could
but the engine struck and knocked him
against the other boy. His train left Bal
tlmore at noon. and was due here at 12:45
Ihe train was on time at the time of the
accident
Fireman c. Burns gave similar testimony
he was on the left side of the cab and
saw the boy Uenkins) when he stepped
from beside the track to the end of the
ties. The engineer blew the whistle and
witness rang the bell when the boy stepped
on the tie, and had the boy needed the
warning the engine would not have struck
MIN. Witness said the train was running
at the rate of about twenty miles an hour
at the time the accident happened The
engineer did all he could to prevent the ac-
cident.
Heard No Whistle.
Travers Mcintosh, a colored painter who
had been ont as far as Ivy CITY to see
about job. was called, and told to tell
what he knew of the accident
The same train that killed the BOYS
came near killing me- he said
He was with John T. Stewart, and they
were walking along the track. The train.
he said, was coming SO easy that he could
not near 1t, and he thought 1t was rum
ming uncommonly fast.
did the train whistler" he was asked.
IF it did didn't hear it," he answered,
but my friend said he heard the whistle
after the boys were killed"
The train, he SAID, was only short dis
tance from him when he discovered 1t was
there, and he jumped just in time to save
himself.
John L. Stewart, also colored testified
that he was badly frightened when he saw
how near the train to him. He had
not heard any whistle. but was naturally
frightened, because he was the track
and looked back only to see the train about
100 yards behind him.
Did you hear whistle at any time?"
the witness was asked
Not until after the boys were killed.
WithesS said he did not see the boys on
the track, and after the train had passed
the gateman called him to where their
bodies were found, and said, My God
look here The boys were dead
Heard Whistles.
Sidney Tapscott and Cook NickingS, col
ored men, who were working in the field at
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, testified that
they heard the train whistle near the round
house, and later they heard the danger
signal whistle They had no idea abou;
the rate of speed at which the train was
running.
Edward Durks, colored, was in the field
east OF the track feeding his horse When
he saw the boys walking on the track
They were walking on the outer ends of
the ties west OF the tracks. He saw a train
going out in the direction of Baltimore and
presently the incoming train appeared. He
could not see them at the instant the train
struck them, but he did see their legs as
they were thrown down the emhankment
Witness heard the train whistle some Gis-
tance up the track.
Was With Them.
Theodore Schnaebele five years old, who
lives in Brewers court, and was a COM
panion OF the dead boys, told an Intelligent
story of the accident. He had been told
yesterday morning by the dead boys that
they were going out in the woods to gather
flowers, and SO he went out and they met
him out on the track. They were on their
way home when railroad man told them
to get off the track.
And what did you do?" queried the cor
oner.
Il got off the track. but they didn't"
He saw the train strike them, he said,
and then he called to them, but they didn't
answer, and when he went over to them
they were dead Theodore said he heard
the train whistle once, but just when he
could not tell.
OhfcinN ExOnerated.
The jury after a few minutes deibera-
ton returned a verdict generating the
railroad employees who were on the train.
The Zion Conference.
The session this morning of the Zion
conference began at 10 o'clock, Bishop Hood
presiding. The full corps of officers of the