The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25

'NcASS v" ILLScs a wen hnOhN
colored man, and former republican
politician, was killed last night by be-
ing run e by a shifting train in the
Atlantic Coast Line yards in this city.
The accident occurred at 7:40 p m, at
Worth's ice factory where Second street
abuts at the railroad tracks, opposite
the flight of steps leading from the
tracks UP to the rear end OF the passen-
ger shed.
Mr.. George w. Smith, the hostler, was
running the locomotive and was shift
ing ten empty freight cars that had dis
charged cotton at the Champion Com
press He pulled the cars up the track
and stopped opposite the ice factory
so a switch could be changed with a
view to backing the cars down into the
yards. He had a light on the locomo-
tive and as he could see all the way up
the track ahead of him he IS confident
that Price was not on the track ahead
of the engine. When the switch was
changed, the train started to back down
into the yard when suddenly he heard
a man holler, as if nurt. He stopped
his engine and looked over the side of
the tender and saw a man lying beside
the track with his leg under the tender.
When engineer Smith got down off the
engine, the man was pulled from be-
meath the tender and it was discovered
that he was George w. Price. He was
unconscious and never spoke. The body
had been dragged about ten feet and
both legs were crushed off, one above
the knee n the other below the knee.
Drs. F. H. Russell and D. w. Bullock
were called and were soon at the scene
of tho onnidnnf Thnv hound W tha
mangled limbs and the police patrol
wagon was called n the injured man
sent to the city hospital. The wagon
got to the hospital about $50 p. M, but
Price was dead in few minutes after the
hospital was reached He was laid on
the operating table and an examination
showed that his legs had not only been
mashed off but his pelvis was fractured
and his hands and arms badly injured.
No one saw Price about the railroad
tracks until he hollered. 1t was thought
at first that in going across the tracks
his foot caught in a frog but an inves-
tigation showed that he was run over
ten feet away from the frog md drag
ged back to it. The most reasonable
theory is that he was going to meet the
Atlantic and Yadkin train and when
the shifting train stopped on the tracks,
he attempted to climb between two box
cars to get to the steps leading up to
Tie pdSSclStI SllSu, lldI We'll lliS lioih
started back suddenly, he fell to the
track and thus met his death. This
theory is born out by the fact that an
examination revealed blood on the
wheels of three cars back of the en-
CINE. showing that he had been run
over before the tender backed on him.
If this is not correct the whole train
ran over him in going up the track
and backing.
DR.. C. D. Bell, the coroner was no.
titled and he went to the hospital and
viewed the body. He will examine the
witnesses this morning and if necessary
will hold an inquest at II O'Clock. By
permission of the coroner the body was
removed from the hospital to the resi-
dence of the deceased, at 213 MacRae
street. The funeral will TAX place this
afternoon at 3 o'clock from the Chest
nut street Presbyterian church, colored,
When the republicans controlled New
Hanover county. George w. Price was
a very active republican politician, both
in county and city affairs. He was
elected by the republicans once or twice
as one of the members Of the House
of Representatives from this county.
He also served several terms on the
board of aldermen, and was a justice
of the peace. Many years ago he was
city marshal of Wilmington. He was
very aggressive in politics in the big
day of republican control and on many
occasions gave his party trouble, by
leading Independent movements, es-
pecially in city elections.
The deceased leaves no family, his
only son having died about two months
ago. His wife died several years ago.
He leaves three brothers-David and
Henry Price, of his city, and William
K. Price who holds a position in one
of the government departments at
Washington. He has n sister here
and one residing at Charlotte.
Up to the time the democrats got
control of Wilmington, November 10,
1898. Price had an office n was a trial
Justice. He kept his shop open three
months after the administration mad
! changed hands n then devoted him
self to the auctioneer business, hadling
second hand furniture and goods on
north Fourth street near the bridge
over the Atlantic Coast Line. He was
once prosperous but recently has been
in adverse circumstances. He was a
member of Giblem Lodge of colored
Masons.