The times., 1897-08-21
DEATH At THE CROSSING
Continued from First Page,

lives ut the crossing, and who witnessed
the accident, was also told to report
Baker and Disney received strict orders
not to talk to newspaper men.
The Deanwood crossing is one Of the
most dangerous that could be found, but
it has been the custom TO have but one
man stationed at the place. 1T would
require years of constant practice, IL is
said, FOR an operator TO so accustom him
self to the surroundings as to be able
to receive the dispatches which relate To
the movements of the numerous trains
passing here every day and also to manage
the safety gates.
The gates were not down at the time
Mr.. Claughton neared the place, and,
Judging by this that there wds no train
near at hand. he started across The
reason the gates had not been lowered
was owing to the fact thas two Inessa ges
had been sent in close succession To the
operator in the tower. Last night there
was but one man in the tower ana as a
train neared the crossing he leaped from
the desk where he had been sea'a'g
dispatch and lowered the gates
The two horses lay Oh the ground, both
torn aud cut In. horritie way. one 81
them WAS struck in the rear, showing that
Mr.. ClaugiitoE had either seen Tie train
when it was few feet from him and
had tired tc turn the carriage or that the
| horse had SHE'D at the headlight This
| animal was literally cut In half, but when
| the train crew reached IL the flesh was
| SIN quirering and bullet was fired into
| its brain in orier to put it out OF its suf-
| ferug If any faint yestige of life re-
| mained
| Bits of vanished WOOD buckles and
| pieces of harness We're strewn along the
track. gang OF railroad laborers Were
engaged in removing the traces OF the
! accident.
| Upon the arrival OF the remains Ut the
! Pennsylvania Railroad depot In this city
/ the police were notified of the accident
by telephone. Word was also sent to
| Coroner Carr to hasten TO the depot TO
| view the remains.
The railroad officials We're DESTROYS
OF having the bodies removed to the
establishment OF Undertaken j. W. Lee.
| The pohce would not agree Co t1is az
first, clsS ming the right to hold the
remaIas at the station until they had been
viewed by the coroner Night Station
Keeper Robey, and others connected with
the railroad, stin maintained their side
on the ground that the accident did not
not occur at the station aud that therefore
they could send the bodies TO an under
takers esta bills hment. This was ac-
ceded 30 and the remains were removed &c
Undertaken Lees ON Pennsylvania ave
nue..
In the meantime the new OF the SaG
affair was sent from police headquarters
TO No. 3 precinct by telephone, and from
here OFFICER Carter, accompanied by d
reporter for The Times, was sent To notify
the family OF Judge CIaughton of The ac
cident. This was the first news that
they had received OF the sad occurrence
and caIne to them 80 suddenly and unex
peetediy that the shock almost prostrat
ed them. The niotner OF the family diet
only year ago, aud the sad ending q
the fathers life was almost more thar
the GRIEF stricken children could bear. IN
family Were entirely ignorant as TO whit
the young lady yould be.
At first il was thought that it was 9
daughter of Judge McCaimont, of Kene
saw avenue, Mount Pleasant A detailed
, description OF the young iady's features
however gave every reason to believe ina
= =
Accordingly mesSen ger was sent to tn,
hosae OF the youn giady, whereit wdslearn
ed that she had gone out dri VIM, eariy il
! the evening.
Ths news was a great blow TO the aget
father of the handsome young woman, :,
friend who had just called al tie hous.
offered to go Gown ana see If the messa e
was true. when ile arrived at the estab
,
the bruised form OF the young woman, AM
realized that the story was all too true
Coroner Carr and Deputy Coroner Ruffir
lad, up to that time, been unable L
2 identify The body of the young woman.
l Dr. Custis, still unwilling to believe tn
2 word of the telephone message, foIIowe
r the youag man To Undertake Lees. Upo
his arrival there he was met at TIL
threshold and told that the body had bee
\ Identified asthatof his daughter. The hlol
was almost more than he could bear. HI
countenance relaxed and. with the words
''Csn it Se possihle2" he sank speechle,
upon chair and sat there, silent and sa
with grief.
The coroner being satisfied as to Il
identity of the bodies, gave Undortak,
Lee permission to turn them over to L
dertaker Speare 20 be embalmed, in cor
: plianee with the desires of the suryiyin
relatives.
The coroner and his assistant then pr,
ceesleC 10 the Union Depot, and was thei
closeted with the stationkeeper and h
assistants for the purpose of obtaining Il
e details Of the accident Three REPRESENT
/ tiyes of the local press We're refused az
d mittance into the staLionkeeper's room
Z the ground that 1.-The stationkeeper hf
n serious objections" The coroner then d
e .eruHped to hold an inquest at Under TAX,
l. Speare's. on F street, near Tenth, at
+ O'Clock today.
Judge Iiierome o. Claughton was bo
l. at Kinsale, Westmoreiand county, Va, NJ;
d 28, 1923. He studied law in his nati'
e State and was well known for his abili
Il in handling common law and in pleadiI
D. evidence of equity jurisprudence. He W
x United States consul at st. Martin, We
< Indies, in 1S50-51. Upon his return
1854 he was admitted to the bar Of Il
n court Of appeals of the State of Firgini
e before which court he soon acquired
large practice. During the years 18'
and 1876 he was member Of the V
ginia State Senate. In 1876 he 1
moved to this city from Alexandria, V
e From 1882 until the date OF his (iea
he was a fnenlfer of the law faculty
the National University and member
- the court OF appeals of the mont court
~ that institution. He was counsel for t
- claimants i'll the Potomac flats cases, nC