Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-02-09
KM6ED BY THE TRAIN.

Mr.. John Wesley McKeown was kill
ed on the southwestern outskirts of
Yorkville, on last Tuesday night. His
death was due partly to being knocked
from the South Carolina and Georgia
Extension railroad track by a freight
engine, and partly to exposure. These
facts have been developed to a reasOna-
BILE certainty by subsequent investiga-
ton; but still there is about the tragic
affair a number of details that have
not yet been made plain.
Mr.. McKeown came to Yorkville on
Tuesday, from Smiths ford, in bug
gy, accompanied by one of his sons.
His principal business here was to
make his tax returns. After attending
to this duty, he decided that he would
not go back home that night; but, in
stead, would remain in Yorkville until
next day as the guest of Captain E. A.
Crawford. He was acquainted with
many people in Yorkville, and spent
the greater portion Of the afternoon eX-
changing greetings with old friends.
He went with Captain Crawford to
supper, and after supper he decided
that he would take walk down street.
He left Captain Crawford's alone, leav-
ing his cane and overcoat in the house,
and the family left the doors unlocked
in order that he might return at will.
This was shortly after dark. Nothing
more was heard of the old gentleman
until Wednesday morning, when it
was learned that his dead body lay on
the side of the railroad, near the over
head bridge on the Pinckney road.
Sheriff Logan and others went to the
spot indicated. They found a number
of people gathered about the body,
which had been identified by Mr.. c. H.
Sandifer, who was we'll acquainted
with the deceased. Investigations by
the sheriff developed a number of facts
Immediately incident to the tragedy.
Will Currence, a Negro, who lives
about 100 yards from the railroad, told
that at about 9 o'clock, or shortly af
terward, someone hailed his house, say
ing that he was cold and wanted to get
warm. Currence asked the strangers
name, but got no reply, tMr. McKeown
was very deaf, and he declined to open
the door. After awhile Currence heard
the freight train pass toward Sharon,
and later he heard some one calling as
if for help. He claims to have been
suffering from an attack of grip and
for that reason did not go at first. The
call continued at intervals for an hour
or more until at last Currence's wife
persuaded him to put on his clothes
and go out. The railroad passes the
Negro's cabin through deep cut. On
reaching the bottom Of the cut, Cur
renee found Mr.. McKeown, in the ditch
on the left side of the cross ties. The
old gentleman was sitting up on his
feet, which were doubled underneath.
Mr.. McKeown explained that he was
on his way to Sharon and that he had
been knocked off the track by the train.
He asked the Negro to go for help. BY
II o'clock. Currence went some dis
tance and brought another Negro
Jake Williams-and his son. The three
tried to lift Mr.. McKeown out OF the
mud; but being una BILE to do so, went
after and brought Messrs. John CAL
loway, and Hamp, John and Lee Smith,
who live in the vicinity. After quite
an interval these gathered at the scene
of the tragedy and managed to lift
Mr.. McKeown up out of the mud ana
carry him up a hill into the pines,
where they deposited him on the
ground and made a fire. BY this time
Mr.. McKeown was past speaking ana
no information could be gotten as TO
his identity. He lay in this manner
moaning with pain until about O'Clock
Wednesday morning, when he died.
About the time these facts had been
gathered from the witnesses the frelght
train came along, returning toward
Yorkville. Sheriff Logan waved the
train down, and learned from the en-
gineer that he had passed that way go
ing up at about $50 o'clock the night
before. The engineer, however, was
not aware that he had struck anybody
i'm the cut. He explained that the point
at which Mr.. Mckeown would have
been struck was in a curve on the left
hand side of the track, while the en-
CINE was being driven from the right
side of the cab. Although the moon
WAS ND, the man would have been OBJ
scured by the shadow of the NIL
through which the cut ran.
DR.. Walker, who had gone along with
the sheriff, had completed an eXaml-
nation of Mr.. Mckeown's body. He
found a bruise in the small OF the pach
on the right side, and also hole as
! large as u thimbe in the right arm
There were no other bruises. tracks
along the railroad showed that the Ole
gentleman had walked first on the
crossties and then on the ground, anl
back on the cross-ties as the nature ol
the passage admitted. At the spo
where his body was found there was
no place to walk except on the cross
ties. A measurement of the height oI
the deceased indicated that the pom
at which he was bruised was just the
height of the cross beam of the engine
| above the pilot. and the conclusion wa: