Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-18
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
VERDICT OF JURY IN CASE OF
CECILIA MUDD.
Witnesses Say She Resisted Interior
ence and Crossed Railway Tracks
in Front Of Train.

crossing of the Pennsylvania railroad Tues
day morning, as stated in Tuesdays Star,
was a former resident of the Nanjemoy
district of Charles county, Md. Her relatives
say she was about eighty years old. At
the inquest held this morning at the
morgue witnesses declared that she crossed
the tracks after she had been warned of
the danger. and the jury returned YER
dict Of accidental death. Relatives OF the
deceased took charge of the remains and
they will be inferred in Paine's cemetery.
What the Witnesses Said.
Thomas ]. Windsor, 901 G street south
west driver of a team of horses, told the
jury that he was on the south side of the
South Capitol street crossing Tuesday
morning about 9:45 o'clock when the acci-
dent happened.
II saw a young man grab an old colored
woman" he said, but she got away from
him and passed behind him. She was near
the north side of the crossing when train
struck her and knocked her down.
"Who was the man who attempted to
stop the woman
He told me he was the night f1agman.
Witness said there were no gates at the
crossing. There were gates there before
the work on the railroad was begun. the
witness stated, and some men seemed TO
be working on jobs that morning. Flag
men were on duty on both sides of the
crossing.
Slipped Past Flagman.
Dennis j. Twomey. 800 L street south
west. testified that he was seated on a box
near the crossing Tuesday morning when
the accident occurred. Flagmen on duty
at the crossing stopped several teams and
Mr.. Lackey the night fagman, caught
hold of the old colored woman to keep her
back He tried to pull her south. and she
wanted to go north She finally slipped
past the fagman and had almost reached
the north side of the crossing when the
train struck her.
Were there any gates at the crossing
that morning." Twomey was asked.
"rhey were broken" he answered. and
were being repaired
Edward Lackey Al G street southwest,
employed as night fagman at the South
Capitol street crossing. testified that he
had been employed there about one month.
What are your hours of duty?" DR..
Glazebrook asked the witness.
Fourteen hours at night and ten in the
day." the witness responded.
Tuesday morning. he said. he happened
to be in the vicinity of the South Capitol
street crossing and stopped to talk to one
of the f1agmen on duty. He was standing
near the south side of the crossing, when
his attention was attracted to an incoming
train by the putting on of the air brakes.
Turning. he the old colored woman
about to cross the tracks
Il grabbed for her." the witness said,
but 1 had to let go to my own life"
He said the woman might have been
saved had she not turned her face toward
him. The accident, he stated, occurred on
the southbound track.
Unable to Prevent Accident
Joseph E. Bulger fagman at the north
side of the crossing, testified that he wit
messed the accident, but was not able to
prevent it. He saw the woman when she
appeared at the crossing and saw Flagman
Reese warn her not to cross the tracks.
Witness also heard him shout to her not to
cross the tracks. After Reese warned her
he turned to warn drivers of teams of the
danger. He explained that hagmen were
kept at the crossing because the gates were
out of order
How long had they been out of order?"
Witness responded that they had been
out of order during the two weeks he had
been on duty there.
What were your instructions when YOU
were put on duty there?'
II was told to protect myself and the
company and prevent accidents
Witness explained that the elderly woman
stumbled and fell between the rails. The
engine and one car, he said, passed over
her.
Frederick Reese, 621 L street southeast,
was on duty at the south side of the cross
Ing Tuesday morning. He threw his red
flag in front of the woman and warned her
not to cross the tracks. Witness said he
also warned drivers, and they needed what
he said. Witness called to the woman three
times and started to run after her after
she went behind him, but stopped when he
saw Lackey about to grab her. The woman
pulled away from Lackey, he said, and he
saw nothing more of her until after she had
been struck Witness told the jury that
the traffic over the South Capitol street
crossing is very heavy and is enough to
keep three men busy
Testimony Of Trainmen.
Conductor c. B. Leslie, who lives at Ches-
ter Pa testified that the first he knew of
the accident was when the air was applied.
He looked out and saw the woman's body
lying near the track. His train was No.
43 and was on time Tuesday morning. Only
the ordinary speed was being made.
Engineer Joseph Weatherby of Whining
ton, Del, testified that his fireman. advised
him Of the danger and he stopped the train
as quickly possible The woman was not
on his side of the train and he did not see
her until after the train had struck her.
The last witness examined was DIR. R.
w. Baker, the acting deputy coroner He
said the womans death was due to con-
cussion of the thorax The womans right
arm and leg and seventeen ribs were frac-
tured and there was a cut behind her left
Gag.
Growth Of tho Luther League.