The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-26
TWO LAY ON TRACK TO DIE.
MAN AND WOMAN KILLED IN NAL
BoNE STREET TUNNEL, BROOKLYN.

" NN WOAHN AANsE Nv M -
HOME STREET TUNNEL, BROOKLYN.
---
Suicide SuEEested by Several circumstance
Lay Side by Side with Their Heads on
One Rnil-NInde No Move when Engine
whistle Soundsd-No Clue to Identity.
A ooney Island train on the Kings County
Elevated Railroad In Brooklyn struck and In
stantly killed a man and q woman In the NAL
bone street tunnel. near Prospect Park. at 1 30
o'clock yesterday afternoon. TIL bodies were
dragged a distance OF fifty yards under the
engine before the train could be stopped and
were so manRled that Identification by anything
but the clothing that they wore would be Inn
possible. Up to n late hour last night neither
body had been identified, although a score OF
people had called at the Grant street police
station to see them.
The police are unable to determine whether
the couple committed suicide or we're acci-
dentally struck by the engine. There were
circumstance which made the suicide theory
plausible. the most convincing one being that
the man and woman we're lying with their
bodies between the east and west tracks. with
their heads across the inside rail Of the latter.
The tunnel IL a comparatively light one during
the day time. and unless the man and woman
were drunk or asleep they could scarcely fail
to note the approach OF the train. Yet
the engineer says that they never made
a move to get out OF the way after he saw them.
Another circumstance which the police think
strengthens the suicide theory is the fact that
there Is nothing on either body. not so much as
a mark on the clothing. which would give a
clue to the identity Of the couple.
The Malbone street tunnel Is about as long
as two ordinary city blocks. A dozen yards
south of It is the. Prospect Park station Of the
Coney Island branch Of the Kings County road.
During the daytime one can see twenty feet
ahead in the tunnel. There is consider
able space between the tracks and be-
tween the outside rails and the walls OF
the TUNE There Is n sign at either
end Of tho tunnel warning people not to walk
through II. but for years this sign has been
disregarded. and people walking along the
tracks have gone on through the tunnel with
out hesitation. To go up and over Malone
street to the other side OF the tunnel necessl-
tates climbing up a steep bank, and then walk
ing several blocks around and down another
steep bank to reach the tracks again. Pedes-
TRANS prefer the chances OF the tunnel to going
over this circuitous and somewhat difficult
Engineer George Kessell Of "a wyona street
vas IN rS ShnEE tp. 81 pI Engine .Sa R which lv drew sTIf the
at i2:40 o'clock,, Conductor Bernard. Burns
Vas iP charge Of T. the h train; !. The the last stop be-
station. The train leaves Fulton street at
Franklin avenue and leaves the elevated struc-
ture for tho tracks OF the old Brighton Beach
hailroad Alter drawing out from the Dean
Engineer Kessell says that when he entered
speed. he had gone about $50 feet in the tun-
mel when he made cut two figures lying on the
m ETSnsd n he tn sa R4ftihs s@. fhi he says df he pDiied The the
whistle cord and reversed the lever.
Neither figure moved; he says. and q second
Eine struck ths bodies: When the train came
iiooinnesdi" conductort Burns Burns and the X e otSer train ain
hands. They could make out the bodies under
t tFies saE them Dut I've " 5e oi the ESHeF E altEa6 sSg and n several s5i
Prospect Park station. where they secured
the Grant street station for a patrol wagon.
After a half an hours work the bodies were
knew for the first time that one OF the victims
was vas, z woman. Ths en- mans head was almost
jured about the body. The woman's head was
crushed IN and .hbeer LEFT arm ma and left leg were
put in the patrol wagon and taken to the sta:
ton house. The man was about ~ years Of
Sgs; } bed 5set lt i Inc esir ts and l Ha x6 sSm 4 9Sst s9I, 9nd
sack coat. dark trousers. lace shoes. under
year that was rather ragged and q derby hat:
4 inches tall. had dark hair and was quite
stout. She wore q lavender waist. a red and
straw sailor hat and button Shoes
After the bodies had been taken from the tun-
mel ynO ITuln esuW0u us IT'D 10 lOney lSlanu,
In charge Of the fireman. Resell was arrested
and locked up In the Grant street station.
The police made every effort to find ont who
the dead man and woman were, but without
avail. They c~orralled. everybody In the vicinity
Of Malbone street and made them look at the
William Pascal. a popcorn .vender. who hangs
around Malbone street. told the police that ne
about five minutes before the train came along.
He had never seen either before. and didn't
pay much attention to the couple. as he was ac-
customed to seeing people, walk into the tun-
mel, They were walking along the track when
he first saw them. and so his Information was
OF little use as showing from where the couple
came.
Capt. Leavy Of the Grant street station says
that there was an odor OF liquor about the man
and woman when the, bodies were brought into
the station house, and he is quite certain that
they had been drinking heavily.