Evening star., 1898-12-02

fellow told a straightforward story
II was driving rather slowly" ne said
for 1876 feet from the track the road takes
a sharp turn, and / had to slow up In
coming around When ! turned into the
stretch of road leading to3the tracks the
safety gates were up and the warning bell
was not ringing. 1 thought everything
was all right and drove ahead. Coming
down the road little bank obstructs the
view of the railroad and you can't see uE
the tracks until you are upon the rails
When / got on the tracks and saw the
train coming / snatched the horse side.
wise in the hope the train would strike a
glancng blow. 1t was too late, however
and we were struck"
coroner.
No, SIR
Was he frightened?'
No, sir
How long have you been driving The
children to school and across the railroad
tracks?"
Nearly every day since the list of Oc-
tober."
How are the gates standing when trains
are passing?"
The gates are generally down and the
bell ringing"
Was the horse you were driving a large
or small anima1?''
He stood about 1917 hands high-a good
sized horse
Harry was positive the gates were not
down.
How could the horse go under If they
were?' he asked, and then added: II know
enough not to drive under lowered gates -
Did you ever find the gates up before %
mo. sir.
when you found yourself on the tracks
why did you not try to drive on across in a
hurry?' asked a juror
Il tried to save the children by turning
the horse aside. / could not have got over
or cleared the train by driving on
Was the horses head checked up by a
rein?''
No. sir. He always carried his head
high in the air.
The two-seated blackboard wagon was
lower than the horse. he said The gates
were not lowered he declared. until after
the accident.
Others Heard.
T. j. Hanley of 1914 18th street north
east, a special policeman, said he went to
the scene of the catastrophe after the ac-
cident and found the little girl and boy
dead. He telephoned police headquarters
and did all he could to assist in caring for
the bodies. He noticed the supporting iron
bar of the gate was missing, but did not
know how it was broken
Officer Samuel L. Brown of the ninth pre-
clnet, who lives at 629 Pickford place north
east, testified about inspecting the scene of
the tragedy and making a diagram
He also noticed the iron supporting rod of
the gate was missing. He measured the
distance between the lowered safety gates
and the ground while an express train was
passing. He found the gate seven feet
above the ground in the center of the road
The Mt. ,Olivet road at the crossing is
paved with broken brick. He would not
drive light vehicle over the road unless
ne wanted to smash it to pieces.
One Who Escaped.
Little Oliver Gray. eight years old, broth
er of the lad who was killed, and who was
with the other children in the vehicle but
escaped injury, gave his testimony next AS
the little fellow entered the room he was
greeted affectionately by his father
He did not know whether the children
were or were not late In starting for school
yesterday morning. The horse they We're
driving could go fast if it was desired he
SAID but was trOtting along rather slowly
just before his brother and little cousin
We're killed. Oliver said :he gate nearest
them was up when they drove upon the
tracks. The gate on the opposite side was
lowered at first and then raised.
j. a. Clark, who was in the gate crossing
at the time of the tragedy, testified that
the horse attached to the vehicle in which
the children We're riding was travelling at
a moderate rate of speed approaching the
tracks. His back was turned to the gates.
and he did not see the accident-iust heard
thud and scream. He did not know the
position of the safety gates at the time He
IRON rod on one of the gates had been
broken.
Mr.. James o. Gray of Ivy City, who is a.
morse owner, and VINO Is also the father of
Ge9rse geo He:nert Gray, the dead boy. testi-
ned as to the height of the horse attached
to the vehicle in which his children and
niece went to school. 1t was bay gelding
ne said, sixteen hands high.
Was he at all fiery?' asked Coroner
Carr.
No, sir. Just an ordinary driving horse;
not afraid of the cars"
Questioned concerning the boy driver, Nc
Donald, Mr.. Gray said the lad had bean in
his employ eighteen months was a first
class boy, and knew how to manage horses
Gate Going Up.
George Beatty, employed in the Baltimore
and Ohio yard, saw the accident from a llt-
tie distance. When he first saw the team
the horse was under the gate, which was
going up at the time. Who or what raised
the gate he was not prepared to say After
the accident he found the iron supporting
rod of the gate in the mud.
William Lyle, a colored man living Mt G;7
Ith street northeast, and working "wher-
ever and whenever he cam" swore posi-
lively that the safety gates were down
When Mcdonald and his youthful charges
drove onto the railroad tracks. The wit
ness was approaching from the opposite
direction at the time. The horse, he said,
just busted through the gate
James Smallwooa of ReIay station, en-
ployed by the Baltimore and Ohio in con-
recuon with the crossing signal system
was passenger on the express train. He
said he talked with the injured boy young
Mcdonald, on the way into the city. The
witness said:
l spoke to the boy about people being
very careful IN approaching railroad cross
-ngs, and he replied: When l came under
the gate did not know the train was so
close to u.s. ;"
The boy seemed to be suffering a great
deal.
Engineer John Virtue and D. McJiton,
both employed by the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, testified on unimportant matters.
AT l: 40 o'clock the jury began the consid-
Grafton of its verdict
The Verdict.
AT 2:1O O'Clock the jury returned the fol-
lowing verdict:
That George II. Gray came to his death
December l. 1SaS, about s:45 am, at the
Ivy City crossing of the Baltimore ana
Ohio railroad, from injuries received by
being struck by an express train on the
baltimore and Ohio railway. We believe
that the gate was defective, and that the
gateman, VIM. A. Keys, was neglectful of
mis- duty, and recommend that he be held
Tor the investigation of the grand jury"
An inquest is not necessary in the case