Evening star., 1901-10-30
DEATH DUE TO ACCIDENT
VERDICT OF CoRONER's JURY IN
CASE OF NJ. j. WINE.
Testimony Heard at the Inquest Yes
terday Afternoon-Funeral Ser-
vices at O'Clock Today.


dered by a coroner's jury yesterday after
noon at an inquest held over the body of
Mr. Miletus j. Wine who was killed by
Baltimore and Ohio express train at Ia
koma Park Monday night Several friends
of the deceased were present at the In
quest, Attorney Douglass appearing in the
interest of Mr.. Wines family. The body
was removed to the late home of the de-
ceased on Baltimore avenue, North Tako-
ma, by Undertaken Wright, after the jury
was sworn. The funeral took place at 2
oclock this afternoon from the family resi-
dence. The first witness examined at the
inquest was George w. Hopday, the fire
man aboard the engine of the express train.
He testified that the train on which he
was working Monday night killed a man
about thirty feet this side of the Takoma
crossing. Witness first saw him when he
stepped from the rear of a freight train
directly in front of the engine. The
freight train was going west. At the
time the accident occurred the engineer was
blowing the whistle. Witness saw the man
no more than second before the engine
struck him. The accident occurred about
900 o clock. When witness saw the engine
strike the pedestrian he notified the en-
gineer of the accident and the latter stop
ped the train. Witness and others went in
search of the victim, and found his body
lying between the tracks about twenty feet
from where the engine struck him.
The fireman said he thought Mr. Wine
stepped on the track about six feet in ad-
vance of the engine and it was impossible
for him to save himself. The train was
running at the rate of forty or fifty miles
an hour.
Engineers Statement.
Theodore H. Anderson, the engineer, tes-
titled that he stopped the train as quickly
as he could when the fireman informed him
of the accident His train was running at
not more than forty-five miles an hour
The bell was ringing and the whistle blow
ing at the time the accident occurred. Wit
ness backed his train and brought the body
to the city Witness was asked if there
was rule of the company requiring engi-
neers to lessen the speed of trains when
passing stations, and he said he knew of
no sucn rule
William T. Fredericks, conductor, told
the jury he was on duty on the train Mon
day night when Mr.. Wine was killed He
said that the train was stopped and the
body brought to the city. The train. he
SAID, was about ten minutes behind time.
Testimony of II. s. Brown.
Robert S. Brown, Takoma Park, testi-
fled that he was with Mr. Wine Monday
night at the Takoma Park Citizens Asso-
citation. The meeting adjourned about $50
or $40 O'Clock. Outside the building wit
ness met Mr.. Wine and others Mr. Wine
and Mr.. Shoemaker were together A son
OF witness and others were going home by
way OF the track instead of the road. Mr.
Wine, the witness said, started up the
track evidently thinking Mr.. PIatt and wit
ness son had gone ahead. When the eX-
press train came along witness remarked
about the speed and noise of the train
Inc express train stopped and the trainmen
came back with lamps One of them said
the train had struck a man and Mr. Platt.
witness and the latters son went with the
H h,rn
Shestnut avenue crossing the body of Mr.
Wine was found. Witness said there is a
path along the line of the railroad tracks
and many people use it in order to shorten
the distance between the electric cars and
their homes
Mr.. Wine, the witness said, was man
OF preoccupied mind, and witness thought
ne was probably in deep study at the time
ne was Killed and did not see the headlight
of the approaching engine. Witness heard
the whistle blown for the Carroll avenue
crossing, but did not hear it blown for
the Chestnut avenue crossing
Cross-eXamined by Mr. Douglass, wit
ness said he remarked That's a horrible
thlng when the express train passed over
the crossing. He referred to the speed of
@ @tne traln ana noise on the grade crossing.
Witness produced Mr.. Wines watch, which
showed that the accident occurred at $50
O. clock
Robert P. Brown, son of preceding wit
ness. also testified. He told of his going
T.
adjournment of the Citizens Association.
Later he saw the dead body of Mr. Wine
lying between the tracks, with the head
resting against the ties of the southbound
track.
w. c. Platt, Takoma Park, also told the
jury of the meeting of the Citizens Asso-
cation. He went with Mr.. Brown to the
drug store. thinking Mr.. Wine would wait
at the crossing for them. Witness last
saw Mr.. Wine alive when the association
adjourned. Witness said the speed of the
train attracted his attention, but not more
so than that of ordinary express trains He
made remark about the speed of the
train Monday night.
Deputy Coroner a Witness.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified that
he examined the body and found it was so
horribly mangled that he did not attempt
to perform an autopsy. 1t was his opinion
that the victim was facing the object that
struck him. Mr.. Wines left arm was
fractured and his left leg was torn from the
body, while his right leg was badly frac
tured- His skull was crushed and frac-
tured and his chest was mashed Wit
ness said that death was due to shock re-
sulting from the numerous injuries