The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-26
OFFICERS APPOINTED
Adjutant General Royster Names as
Members Of Court to Fix Response
bility for Stony Creek Tragedy
Col. Niche, 1t. Col. Jones Full
Ter, Major A. e Lloyd and
Capt. w. M. Fuller. Points
Under Scrutiny.
Under Scrutiny.

Adjutant General r. S. Royster yes
terday issued a special order calling
board of inquiry to meet at Durham
Oh the 29th inst, TO take testimony
md fix the responsibility for the acci
dent by which two members of the
Durham company lost their lives near
Goldsboro while returning from the
State encampment
1t will be remembered that Privates
J. II. Johnson and j. Il. Warren. who
we're killed. and Sergeant S. E. Gates
ma Corporal w. c. McDade. who
we're wounded, We're riding on the top
IF the coach containing the Durham
company when they were struck by
the low Stoney Creek dark" bridge
two miles east of Goldsboro.
The accident was a most distressing
one, the four men having left the
train at LAGRANGE, bought a bottle of
whiskey and repaired to the top of the
train to drink it. At the time they
We're struck, they were seated with
their backs to the locomotive and, al
though they must have been struck by
the warning ropes hung across the
track some distance from the bridge.
they paid no attention to the signal
of danger and the two privates were
There are several circumstances
connected with the tragedy which it
has been generally recognized deserve
the closest Investigations:
In the first place ii is a well-settled
rule of military discipline that troops
entrained ought never to be allowed
to leave the coach while the train is
in motion, and to enforce this rule, il
is the general and long established
duty Of the officer in command to
place sentires at the doors of each car.
1t lis not denied that this precaution
was not in practice on the return
from Morehead by the Durham COM
pany at least at the time the acci-
dent occurred, and for some time be-
for. Again, it would appear to have
been negligence, both for officers to
permit enlisted men the opportunity
10 purchase liquor en- route, and espe-
cially. to permit them to travel in SO
exposed and dangerous a position as
the top of a coach.
With respect to the latter phrase OF
the accident ii has been said. but more
definitely established that the officers
and men of the Durham company
knew that the four soldiers were on
top of the train and that the conduc-
tor had been requested to stop untl
they could be ordered down--a re-
quest which he is said to have re-
fused. The latter fact, however could
scarcely be held TO excuse the officers
of the company if they knew of the
mems position, since the train was in
command of the military and the con-
ductor under the authority of the
ranking officer, who could have been
called on in an emergency to exercise
his authority.
Another question which the court
of inquiry must decide is which Off
Ger Of the Durham company, if either,
is responsible for the lack of guards
at the doors and the failure to get
the men within the car after their po-
sition had been discovered At the
time the accident occurred. Capt E
Il. White is said to have been asleep
and the company was in command Of
Lieutenant Raysay.
Whether the latter is responsible for
the lack OF guards. or whether that
Continued on Page Five)