Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-22
HEAD SEVERED FROM BODY
WILLIAM III. YANCY INSTANTLY
KILLED THIS MORNING.
Run Over by Engine and Two Dirt
Cars ON switch at st.
Elizabeth.

William II. Yancey, a colored laborer.
| twenty-five years old, was instantly killed
| this morning about Ills o'clock on the rail-
road switch at the Government Hospital
| for the Insane, 800 yards from the place
the switch enters the asylum grounds. by
being run over by two dirt cars and a thir-
ty-ton locomotive engine. His head was
completely several from his body.
The man was employed under Contractor
Jacobi who built the asylum switch. IN
helping on dirt cars which were being used
to convey material with which to NIL up
along the sidiugs of the switch. num-
Der of other colered men were on the two
small dirt cars with Yancey this morning
when the fatality occurred The two cars
were filed with earth and were being push
ed up the track by engine No. 3D. wnicn IS
on trial work on the switch. fhe ehsi-
neer of the engine was Jonn =. LucKett'
and he stated this morning that when I an
cey was killed the train was moving along
at a slow rate. The laborer, ACCORDING 70
the statements of those who were with
him at the time. was seated on the front
dirt car the chains of which on the side
which is opened for dumping purposes being
slack. The car jolted suddenly as II ABOUT
to dump, and Yapcey, evidently thinKlns
this was about to occur, leaped hurriedly
from his position in the forward part Oh
the dirt car to the track. When he did so
he stumbled and fell, the cars knocking
the track and passing completely over him:
The other Iaborers on the cars shouted
out to the engineer a warning OF what was
occurring but it was too late. as the en-
CINE was being driven fast enough to pass
quickly over the PROSTATE man.
Yancey never uttered cry after jumping
from the car.
1t is not thought that he was very badly
hurt if injured at all. by the cars, as II Is
believed his body cleared their lower rods
as they moved over him. and It Is supposeu
he was killed by the engine wheels. Engl-
neer Luckett stated that from ms postioh
in the cab of the engine he was unable TO
see what was transpiring in front at that
time, but that he brought his engine 10
stop as soon as possible.
Investigation Made.
Police Sergeant Anderson and Omcer V.
G. King were soon on the scene ana mace
an investigation of the matter. Dr. M. ).
Stack and DR.. c. III. Clark Of the hospital
staff We're also soon on the ground. the
remains of the dead man were covered with
a sheet and cared for until the arrival OF
the morgue wagon When the BODY was
examined 1t was found that after the dirt
cars had moved over him Yancey had evil
IDENTIFY endeavored to swing himself clear
of the track. fearing the engine, for his
body was outside the east rail, the head
only being on the track. His suspender
was caught on the iron rail and may have
had something to do with holding him
back
Coroner hewitt was notified Of the mans
death and had the body removed to the
morgue. 1t is stated that an inquest Will
be held 1t developed that the dead man
was known to some as YansOn, to others
as Yant and again as Yansom- The col
ored laborers on the dirt car with him
were James Johnson, George Alexander,
Joseph Cant, Chester Johnson, Thomas
Day and John Edelin,. Their statements. in
substance. is given above. The dead man
lived In Garfield, near Good Hope. His
wife and one child survive him.
The coroner stated this afternoon, after
inquiry into the particulars Of the affair.
that an inquest will be unnecessary, as
death. in his Judgment, was purely acct
dental.