Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-06
Investigating Circumstances Attend
ing Herman Lewis Death.
TESTIMONY OF RAILWAY employees
Engineer Could Give No Informa-
ton Concerning Accident.
THE FACTS AS SHOW n

young man hitieu yesterday
On the Pennsylvania railroad tracks at the
junction of the road with South Capitol
street. 1t was not deemed necessary to
hold an autopsy, the body being SO fright
fully mangled as to leave no doubt of the
manner of death.
Many friends of the dead man, including
his brother. DIR. Morris Lewis, were present
at the inquest. Attorney Hoffman attend
eG as legal representative of the dead man 5
family.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook was exam
ined as Il witness. He found the body in
the morgue very badly mangled. The de-
ceased apparently twenty-five years
old Both legs had been cut off, and his
skull had been crushed. Witness exam
ined the body this morning and detected a
slight odor of whisky. Death may have re-
suited from either of the injuries mention
ed There were also other minor injuries
and his torn garments were covered with
coal dust and grease.
James c. Bayliss. No. 422 Sth street south
west. testified that he knew nothing of the
accident. He saw the deceased about
twelve minutes before 3 o'clock yesterday
morning. on 9th street near the end of the
shed at the depot. Witness was at the
time engaged IN his capacity brake
gering. and instead Of crossing over the
tracks he walked between them and the
fence. and fell on the ties. Witness pick
tN i4ui up anu put nat On. lie ulu not
seem TO lie injured. and witness started
dc WI 9th street. The man, he said, was
very much under the influence of whisky
ard could hardly stand. Witness had seen
as tire man whom he assisted yesterday
morning.
Sergeant George H Williams of the
fourth precinct testified that the BODY was
picked up about ten feet east of the cross
frg- When he assisted in the work of put
thS the body IN the patrol wagon he de-
teeted the odor of whisky.
officer Hutchinson's Statement.
Policeman c. W. Hutchinson was in
charge Of the fourth precinct patrol wagon
yesterday morning when the report &C the
finding of dead man the track was
received He assisted in lifting The body
iii the wagon. Witness said he smelled
liquor, but he could not tell whether it
was from the dead body or from some of
the men who were helping. Later he de-
tected the same odor in the wagon where
the DCdy WAS resting.
Charles w. Sheetz los NJ street south
east, = conductor on the b. and P road,
testified chat he was standing on his en-
CINE, on the way to the New Jersey avenue
yard. when he saw the body iyin, on the
track. He believed the man was then dead
IL was about 4:::J o'clock when he passed
The engine could not be stopped until II
haI gone over the body, and then witness
ana others went back to make an investi-
satIoI- A whisky bottle, he said was
picked up by the fia gman.
nea witness'irst saw the body it was in
q i!anSied CCIdition. There are gates at
tae crossing, the witness told the jury, and
the Waterman was on duty at the time
Questioned as to why the gateman hid
hot seen The man. witness said he could
not give a reason The night was dark
s;i!d witness, but he thought d man or, the
crossing could have been seen l,y the
gatsman.
Gateman Dixon's Story,
Joseph B. Dixon, gateman at the Soutb
Capitol and Virginia avenue crossing. testi-
ned that he lowered his gates about 3 10
oc-ock, and the track walker left him about
that time He stood on the crossing ard
Noked botn ways along the track, but saw
no one
The mans body" said the coroner was
about ten yards from your box. Did you
see IL lying there?"
No. siI. was the response
witness explained that the man was on
the west side and little west of the cross
lns when struck, and was dragged more
than forty feet. The gates witness said
were kept down, and the man could not
have soften on the tracks at the crossing
Don't people frequently dodge under the
gates?" queried the coroner
Yes, sir. vas the answer, but no one
lodged under the gates about the time of
the accident, for 1 was on duty and was
watching the gates and crossing at the
time
James Biscoe gateman at the east gate
of the crossing, was called, but he said he
knew nothing of the particulars of the acct
dent.
witness said he thought it was nothing
strange that the man was not seen by Mr.
Dixon or himself The body, he said was
lying between the rails and it was not an
easy matter to see ii from the Matchbox
Engineer Lott Knows Nothing.
CINE 40 yesterday morning. was next ex-
amined
Il don't know any more about the acct
dent than one of you men,, he said.
Witness added that he had been told
blood stains were found on his engine He
said his engine passed over the crossing
about five or ten minutes before o'clock
He did not know that his engine had
struck anybody, nor did he the blood
stains, for when he TetIrned to the yard
they had been removed. The engine was
backing at the time the engine went over
the crossing. and the fireman was the
back of the engine. He felt little Jar
to the engine. but there are SO many
switches in the yard this was regarded as
nothing unusual. and he paid attention
TO it. There was light on the rear end
OF the engine. and the engine was going
slowly because of the fog and also for the
reason that he thought he saw some cars
on the main track.
said he thought the engine was running at
from seven to ten miles hour when the
South Capitol street crossing was passed.
There was light on the engine, and wit
ness was riding on the tender. but he felt
no lar nor did he know anything of the
accident
Testimony ms to Character.
This closed the testimony SO far the
coroner was concerned. and counsel for
Lewis family said he desired TO offer some
testimony concerning the character of the
deceased.
Robert j. Duncan first called He
testified that he had known Mr.. Lewis for
some time, and had never known him to
drink liquor had he ever smelled liquor
OF him. He had not been In the habit OF
associating with him after Office hours
Witness said the deceased q married
man, and his wife las in Baltimore at the
time of the accident.
v. Il. Jaynes. private secretary to Rep
resentativs Railey of Texas, told the fury
that he regarded the deceased as a sober
and Industrious man. He was very atten-
tive to his duties, but witness never saw
him during the evenings when he was off
MI