Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-24
THE DEANEWOoD HORROR
Pennsylvania Railway Company Held Re
sponsible for Grade Crossing Tragedy.


a coroner's jury, consisting of six repre-
sentative business men OF this city Messrs
George T. Berry. William s. GILL; WASH
ington Topham. William Brodt T. CLAYTON
Bernheim and Samuel Ericker. after con-
sulting for two hours late yesterday after
noon reported a verdict holding the Penn
syivania Railroad Company responsible for
the killing at the Deanewood crossing. Fri
Gay evening last, of Mr.. Heroine o.
Ciaughton and Miss villa Custis The Jury
exonerated from all blame Levi Baker. the
young man employed by the railroad COM
pany as substitute operator. and who was
on duty in the tower at the time of the
tragic accident.
Finding of the Jury.
The text of the verdict Is as follows:
hierome o. Claughton and Villa c.
Custis came to their deaths as the result OF
injuries received in collision with train
NO. "a on the Pennsylvania railway at
Deanewood crossing i'm the District of CO.
lumbia, on the both OF August 1877. about
Z O'Clock. We find that the deaths of said
fierome O. ciaughton and villa c Custis
were brought about by the negligence OF
.ne railway not having sufficient protec-
, ZION al the crossing. That the persons
killed were not guilty of negligence as the
gates, usually lowered across tn, road ar
TINS point upon the approach of a. train.
We're not lowered at the time of the afore-
ssiu collslor: We exonerate the operator
oi tne gates. Levi Baker from blame. as he
was In the actual discharge of his duties
at the time of the accident as laid down NV
the rules of the company and there was
not sufilcient time from the first annear
ahce OF the train to him. in the perform
afce or his duties, until IL reached the
crossing, for him to prevent the accident
me crossing at Deanewood is an exceed
Hgly dangerous one, as at present oper-
ated and We recommend radical changes
anu reconstruction. and the employment OF
d gateman separate from the operator
affixed his signature ''eu
Alter the jury had retired yesterday af-
eeInooh TO consider verdict the doors
were Unexpectedly thrown open and the
,o% Sns resumed, James III. Loving. the
tower crerator at Landover station three
miles from Deanewood. being called as a
witness. Mr.. Loving was late In reachsar
.ie inquest. Among other things h., said
ne often worked at Deanewood and had
always made IL a rule to first nut down the
gates ana afterward attend to the signals
as that was the only real safe cours, To
follow He could not say whether or rot
there was too much work at Deaneyood
for one man. He had always been able TO
get along very nicely without assistance
when on duty there.
Operator BAKER in RebuttaI.
The coroner next recalled Levi Baker
the operator who was on duty at the time
OF the accident. In reply to questions, Ba-
ker stated that he had often been in the
tower when Loving was in charge and de-
MED that the latter lowered The gates be-
lore attending to the signals.
The room was again cleared, and after
receiving instructions from the coroner
and the representative of the district at
torney the jurymen were left 20 them
selves. After careful elaboration the ycr-
Oct given in the foregoing was reported.
Sunch conclusion was not unexpected by
those who had followed the testimony
closely. From the questions asked nv them
during the hearing, the opinion of the
members of the jury was plain. Several of
the spectators thought that possibly the
verdict might be worded so as to hold
young Baker in some manner responsible
for not lowering the gates, but it was the
general belief that even IL that should
prove reality a criminal jury could not
be found that would convict him, IN view
OF the multitudinous duties he was re-
quired to perform simultaneously in he
tower.
One of the Jurors in conversation with
a Star reporter. stated that while at the
scene of the accident Sunday evening he
saw team get caught inside the gates A.
the Deanewood crossing when a train was
approaching. The escape of the horse, he
vehicle and occupants. he sand, was very
narrow indeed.