The daily Republican., 1902-11-22
M'CRATH'S DEATH
WAS ACCIDENTAL.
Coroner Frick Holds Inquest
at New Castle Last Night on
Man Killed in Car Wreck.

New Castle, Nov. 22.-"Resolved,
That Patrick McGrath came to his
death in New Castle hundred about
5.45 o'clock on Tuesday evening
November 18th 1902 by the accident,
al turning over of trolley car on
the Wilmington and New Castle
Electric Railway" was the verdict
returned by Coroner Tricks jury
last evening. The first witness be-
fore the jury was Undertaken
Charles H. Clewell who testified
that McGrath neck was broken,
chest crushed and thigh broken.
James B. Moody testified that he
was the mOtorman on the trolley
Car under which McGrath was kill
ed.
1--WE left Guthrie's switch on
time he said "having made three
stops before that. The Car was run
ming about seven miles an hour
when the car jumped the track and
turned over. After that, the axle
and window lights of the car were
broken. As far as know the axle
broke before the wheel left the
track. The car ran about twenty
two yards before it stopped. Be-
fore the car goes out OF the barn
it is inspected"
Conductor Charles E. Lancaster
Jr., testified that he was in charge
Of the car. There were 65 pass
engers aboard. 1t was dark at the
time of the accident and the car
was running about seven miles an
hour. 1--WE were coming down
Wainwright'sihill with 1S men on
the back platform. Mr. McGrath
had been on the step. When l
crawled out from beneath the
passengers after the accident l saw
the, man beneath the car We rails
ed it and the body was taken up
by John Campbell. We were not
going at full speed at the time of
the accident
Had the car gotten a distance
further down the hill it was tn
conductors belief that it would
have been going at considerabl e
greater speed. About $50 Yards
away IRON the scene OF the acci-
dent a stop was made. "The peo-
pie persist in stopping on the plat.
form The car was well loaded
but we have had as high as 10
passengers on single truck car.
1t is common occurrence to have
1.O on a car he concluded,
George Anger testified that he is
inspector and electrician at the
power house. lie went to the scene
OF the wreck and found that the
axle was broken. 1t was clean
break between the Journal end hub
lie had examined the car the night
before but iound no defects. To
find such break the wheel and
collar would have to be taken of.
From the examination made he
could not find this flaw. The axle
was a 8! inch one and had been in
use since January 1901. Anger was
OF the opinion that the track was
all right until the car left it. The
condition OF the track at that place
is good as it was fixed up last sum.
mer. Anger could not say what
caused the axle TO break.
On it there was a weight Of about
three tons. He had seen eight tons
on Il 3 inch axle. lie could not tell
the cars capacity,
John Iobin was a passenger on
the car and when the axle broke he
jumped off the front platform into
the field. When he got up he saw
the car turn over. There were
seven people on the front platform.
The car was well loaded but not
running as fast as usual. He hear Il
no sound until the axle went down.
He saw McGrath's body after it
was placed on the other car. lie
had an idea the car was running
fifteen miles an hour. lie saw the
mOtorman throw off the power an Il
put on his brakes as soon as he
heard the noise.
Edward j. MegginSon, Oscar ID
Riding and Matthew Murray were
other witnesses examined after
which the verdict was returned