Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-10
Henry William Taylor, Marine,
Killed by the Cars.
SERVING As SENTRY AT NAVY YARD
Five Cars Pass Over the Mans
Prostate Body
r E S Q LIT OF UEST

| I1enFy Nllldln a member of the
United States Marine Corps, was killed in
the navy yard about 1850 o'clock last night
by freight train on a switch of the Penn
| sylvania Railroad Company's tracks. The
| train had been in the yard to get two 49,
| inch guns and a gun carriage for shipment
to Newport News. Taylor was the sentry
| on duty at the gate. and as soon as the
| train passed out he closed it. A few yards
| beyond five cars broke loose from the train
| ana rolled back over the tracks through
the gate The sentry, who was standing
on the track, had way of seeing the
| danger he was in. Without a word of
| warning he was knocked down and the five
| cars passed over him. He was dead when
| the trainmen and marines picked him uy
| His skull had been crushed, his left leg
| broken and both feet had been terribly
| mangled.
The deceased was forty-eight years old
| and had served his country for about TWEEN
| ty-eight years in the army year ago
| he enlisted in the Marine Corps During
| Els service in the army he participated in
| the cuban campaign and was in the battle
| OF San Juan Hill. He has made several
efforts to go to the Philippines, but was not
| successful It. was believed that his long
service and age untitled him for such duty
| A few days ago he remarked to one of his
| comrades that he was tired of the Marine
Corps, as he wanted to be where he could
| NC oii liioit dcllNe duty Inc deceased
| listed from Philadelphia, where he has a
| married sister
| Soon after the accident happened the body
was removed to the morgue. This morning
| Acting Coroner GlaZebrook held an inquest
| at the sixth precinct station. A verdict of
| accidental death was rendered and the jury
| expressed the belief that the accident was
| caused by defective brakes.
The Inquest.
| Jane Brown, colored 51G NJ street south
| east, was the first witness examined She
| stated to the jury that she was sitting at
| her door opposite the gate when the acct
| dent happened For nearly an hour prior,
| she said, cars were shifted in and out of
| the yard. When the train that killed the
| marine went out of the yard the latter
| stood and watched it for a few minutes
| he train remained about a half square
| from the gate some time and one of the
! train men went back with his lamp He
| knocked at the gate, but received no re-
| sponse Soon afterward she saw the cars
] rolling over the tracks in the direction of
| the gate Had she known the marine was
| standing inside she could have warned
| him.
Did the cars go very fast?"
| No, sir" she answered. If they had
| gone very fast they would have attracted
my attention."
| Witness said she saw no light on the
| coaches. When the cars broke away the
| engine gave no warning. After the cars
| mad gone through the gate she remarked
| that she was afraid somebody had been
| Killed. she sent boy over to see and he
| caned TO her that the marine had been
| killed. ~
Harry Hall, q colored boy who lives at
| oio Nj street southeast, gave similar testi-
| mony. He said the load was too heavy
for the engine to pull around the curve
and the train had to back to get a good
| start When the cars came back there was
| no light on them.
| Horace Smith another coiored hoy ubo
| lives IN the same I eighborhood was also
| examined. He told of the movements of the
Tram just before the accident happened
| 80 lar as he could see there was nobody on
| the cars, nor was there a light He went
| over with the previous witness and found
| the dead mans body.
Comrades Testimony.
| Corporal James Albert Whalen testified
| that after the accident happened he went
| to the gate and found the dead mans body.
| He knew that several trains had passed in
and out of the yard last night. The gate
| Is Kept closed, and when a train wants to
come through signal OF some kind has TO
| be given. Sometimes the notification is
| given by the ringing of 2 bell or the blow
| ing of the whistle. Witness detailed the
| unfortunate man at the gate last night and
| he went on duty at o'clock
Conductor Arnel Hunter of the PennsyI-
| Vania Railroad Company told the Jury
| that he was on engine 1S5 last night md
| went to the navy yard under orders to pull
1
| the yard with eleven cars. The train hung
| up outside the yard. and it was necessary
| to go back in order to get another start
| To get into the yard this time the gate
| had to be opened.
Cars s.Drifted."
| A second time, he said, the train hung
up and then he discovered that the cars
had cut loose and were drifting back. There
| was a brakeman on the cars that were
| drifting. When witness saw that the cars
| would probably go through the gate he
| jumped from the train and ran back to
| open the gate. He did not reach there
| in time, and the cars crashed through. So
| far as he knew, the engineer knew nothing
of the break in the train. There is a steep
grade from l. street to the navy yard gate.
| Witness said that hand brakes were used.
| There was no air on the train. Janney
| couplers, he said, were used, and they were
| in hrst-class condition before the cars pull
ed out. They were also in frst-class con-
| dition after the accident. The cars We're
| joined without any repairs having been
| made and were sent south. He could not
| account for the accident
Deputy COroner's Testimony.
DR.. P. E. Mcdonald, acting deputy coro-
ner, gave evidence concerning the injuries
| inflicted. Death was due to shock and
hemorrhage.
Thomas Farmer, brakeman, who was on
| the train last night, testified that he was on
| the train when the break occurred. He ran
| TO the rear car and applied the brakes.
Witness said he was excited when he saw
| that the cars would strike the gate. He
| called, Lookout, although he did not
know where the sentry was. Witness ex-
amined the couplers both before and after
the accident and found them in perfect con-
dition. This closed the testimony and the
| case was submitted to the jury.
CONDENSED LOCALS.