Evening star., 1897-05-18
MANGlED BY WHEEL S
Horrible Accident on the Chevy Chase
Line.
A Workman Struck by a Car-Inuuest
and the Omcials Exo.er,ted-
Height of Fender.

John Avery. colored man employed on
the Chevy Chase branch of the Capital
Traction railroad. met a horrible death
yesterday afternoon about 8 O'Clock. He
was at work repairing the track at a point
midway between Grant road and Albemarle
street. nearly opposite Mr.. Offutrs place,
when he was struck by a swiftly moving
| electric train and hurled into eternity with
| scarcely a seconds warning
| FROM all accounts the accident appears
| TO have been unavoidable. As the car an
preached the man. who stood directly be-
| iore 1t on the track, the motorman sounded
mis- gong. Avery moved slowly out of the
| way, Just before the car reached him, but
| inspired by some sudden impulse he darted
| back on the track, apparently to get his
tools out of the way. It was a fatal NOV e
Tor him. The car was going at rapid speed
down steep grade. and struck the unfor-
tunate man when almost at its full mo-
mentum.
The car was stopped as soon as possible,
/ side of the road. His body was horribly
mangled and mutilated. his feet and legs
| being ground to pulp. and his head crush
ed like an egg she'll His death must have
| to have been of no service whatever 1t
was either hung too high to catch the man
as he fell or the force of the impact was
| so great that he was forced through the
| network of the apparatus.
| The railroad people decline to give in
| formation on this point. Some of the pas
sensers on the car say. however, that the
| body broke through the fender, and passed
| entirely under the car. The affair caused
| great excitement for time.
| The car was in charge of Motorman Ben
! ner and Conductor Springgirth The for
mer was arrested. but was shortly after
| ward released en- bail pending the result
| OF the coroners inquest. The body was
| removed to the morgIe at the seventh pre-
/ 0fa ion
| action of the coroner.
| Avery came here a short time ago from
North Carolina, and had few, If any,
| friends in this city.
| The Inquest.
! The inquest over the body of Avery was
held at IL o'clock this forenoon at the
| seventh precinct police station, Deputy
| Coroner Glazebrook conducting the same.
jury was sworn In, consisting OF Messrs.
| Frank Thomas, George Wills William B.
Crowley, George Bennett, E. NJ. Cropley
| and D. c. Connolly.
| The first witness was Mr. Charles F.
Keen, who was seated on the front seat of
| the motor car. He saw the workmen leave
| the work as the motorman sounded his
| gong, and when within a short distance
of Avery, who was the last man of the
laborers. the latter jumped over in the
track to pick up something. He missed
could get out of the way the car struck
him. Witness stated that the car stopped
within its length, SO 1t appeared to him.
Nathaniel M. Marden. another. passenger
on the car. who was seated in the trailer,
felt the jar of the car in passing over the
body, but did not see the occurrence Renig
Sprinsgirth, the conductor of the car No.
"a, lives at Chevy Chase and had been
employed by the company for two years.
The train left Chevy Chase at 4:25 and at
the time of the accident was. two minutes
behind time, not an uncommon thing. The
train at the time was going very slow and
when it was stopped was within fifteen or
| twenty yards of the unfortunate man.
Mr. George Dunlop, the president of the
company, was present. and he spoke Of
the grade at the point, which is rather
steep, being fully per cent. while the
car was stopped before reaching the bot
tom of the incline. He stated that the
| front fender was about twelve inches from
| the track, while the wheel guard was lock-
ed to the track His company at one time
ran the front fender six inches from rail-
but the police regulations require the dis
tance to be from ten to twelve inches
This was given in response to an inquiry
from one of the jurymen.
William T. O'Neal of 2SO4 N street, who
was in charge of the laborers, was working
with Avery at the time. While the negro
went on one side of the track witness
went on the other side. There was a long
iron rammer lying in the space between
the tracks, which had been lying tEore for
some time, and Avery jumped to pick it
up He missed his aim and made another
attempt, and the car struck him. 1t was
not necessary to pick the rammer up, as it
was out of the way of the cars.
George Brawner, the motorman of the
car, testified that he was going at the rate
of five or six miles an hour. He had passed
the main bunch of workmen, and had Just
unloosened the brake, the car not starting
at full speed when it struck Avery. The
force of the collision threw him over the
front fender, his head striking the dash
board, while the rebound threw him be-
meath the fender. The wheel guard caught
him and dragged him for four or five feet
until a hollow was reached, where one of
the ties had been taken out. The body
went down in this hollow, and the wheel
guard passed over him.
DIR. Glazebrook testified that death was
undoubtedly due to the shock from the
wounds received. Every large bone in the
mans body, had been broken and mashed,
though there was but very little loss OF
blood.
The jury, after considering the matter,
came to the conclusion that Avery's death
was purely accidental, and that the motor
man and conductor could not be blamed
The question of the fender hanging so high
was touched upon, the jury calling the at
tention of those in authority to tine same