Evening star., 1897-03-30
TRUCK BY EN- GI N E
Inquest Today Over the Colored Man Who
Was Killed.
Engineer Blew His Whistle and At.
tempted to StOp-Thc Testt-
mOny in the Case.

This morning. at II o'clock, at the sixth
police station, Coroner Hammett held an
iuuuest in the case of the old colOred man,
John Henry Talbert, who was killed on
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad Sunday
afternoon near the Deanwood crossing.
Friends and relatives of the dead man
were present at the hearing The first
witness called was Lewis e. Hayes, boy,
who gave his age as thirteen years.
do you know the nature of an oath?'
DR.. Hammett asked the boy.
THE nature of an oath?" rejeated the
boy.
do you know what will become of you if
you tell a falsehood?" the coroner asked.
NO SIR" was the boys response.
But you know 1t is sin?'
Yes, sir
The boy told the jury that he was walk
ing on the track Sunday afternoon when
he heard the train coming south. He heard
the whistle blowing. and when he turned
he saw the old colored man. Witness call
ed to him, and he looked around, but the
engine was then almost upon him.
Il knew the steam chest was going to
strike him liz the head said witness, 'and
/ turned my head. When / looked back
saw him lying in the mud
Witness said there is q wagon bridge
over the branch where the accident hap
pened, and it was not necessary for the
man to pass over the tfeSlle. he neafu
the train whistle down brakes and then
the distress whistle was blown.
Engineers story.
Engineer James Hogarth was in charge
of the engine. When he whistled for the
Shsriff's road crossing the engine was
about one hundred or one hundred and
fifty yards from the colored man. AT that
time he thought the man was walking on
ha hot
the man paid no attention to the whistle
he reversed his engine and put on the
air brake. The air was only the ten
der. as the car next to the tender had no
air brake. Had there been air on the
whole train the train could have been stop
| ped sooner than it Witness said his
| train was going at the rate of about
twelve miles an hour Witness said he
had been an engineer since 1865, and had
| figured in three accidents which involved
| loss of life.
Did the accident occur on a crossing?
the witness was asked.
| mo, SIR his response, 1.-The trestle
| is between two crossings.
| Are there any gates at the Sheriff s
| road crossinS?
| NO. SIR
| Witness when questioned by a juror said
| he was fifty eight years old. His eyesigh1
| is good. The man got from in front of the
| engine and was OH the side of the trestle
| sitting on the rail piece" when the steam
| box struck his hip and knocked him in the
| branch. He fell in the water and witness
| was told that he had walked out of the
| water before the fireman reached him
| The man was dead when witness reached
| him.
Witness explained that 1t is much easie
| to stop passenger train than 1t is to stol
freight train. because Of the brakes.
George H. Frizzell, engineer on the train
testified that when he first saw the col
ored man he was about 200 yards ahead 0
the train. Witness rang the bell and Tai
bert went over to the right side of tn
track When he next saw the old MAJ
he vas seated in the water. He got u
without assistance and crawled to tn
edge of the bank before witness reache
rim. The man died in few minutes.
| Henry Baker, brakeman. testified that h
was on the of the train of twenty-f1v
cars When he heard the distress whistl
he applied the brakes. Witness went for
| doctor, but when he arrived upon the seen
| the man was dead.
L. Duley, another brakeman. gave sim
lar testimony. He thought the train wa
| going about twelve miles an hour. Witnes
| first knew there was something wron
| when he heard the whistle.
| The jury returned a verdict of accidents
DEATH and the body was turned over t
relatives.