The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-21
LIFE CRUSHED
 BY AN ENGINE J. D. Miller Meets Death
 Under Wheels. A NEGRO BOY INJURED
Street Car and a Switch En-
 zine C0llided.
Riverside the Scene of s Tragedy Fri- day Morning--Company OfFiciaIs Deny Responsibility for the
 Accident.

J. D. Miller, a conductor of the Montgomery Street Railway Is dead. Americus Fish. negro boy. is seri- ously injured and a car of the River side line is almost demolished as the result of a collision between theI car and a switch engine of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company near Riverside Park at 10:30 o'clock yes- terday morning.
 Officials and attorneys of the Mont gomery Street Railway declare that the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company Is responsible for the tragedy and loss of property, while attorneys for the Louisville and Nashville Rail- road Company declare that after hear ing the statements of all concerned. the negligence of the motorman and conductor of the electric car was the the cause of the accident.
 In the meantime. the mangled body of J. D. Miller conductor of the Mont gomery Street Railway lies in the morgue of Coroner W. H. Tice and Americus Fish. negro passenger, is suffering at St. Margarets Hospital and will in all probability lose foot.
 Coroner's Investigation Waived.
 Coroner Tice yesterday afternoon or- dered an investigation but after a con- sultation between counsel for the Street Railway and the Louisville and Nashville, 1t was decided to waive this formality. The matter will probably be fought out in the courts.
 Shortly before 10:30 o'clock yester- day morning car No. 19 of the Mont gomery Street Railway started from Riverside Park on it's return trip to Montgomery. At about the same time a switch engine of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, had com pleted it's work of "kicking" some freight cars on the tracks near the old compress property and Engineer W w. Wright reversed his lever and started toward the city.
 At the second crossing from River side Park coming toward the city, the tracks of the Street Railway cross the Louisville and Nashville tracks at right angles. In the angle Is a row of negro houses which prevents ob- servation of the other tracks. Both systems have orders that their em- ployes shall stop at this place. According to W H. Ragland, Vice President of the Montgomery Street Railway, Percy Railey at the motor of the street car brought the car to full | stop. The conductor went forward and signalled him to come across. As the car started the conductor
 
 Motorman Railey cried out a hoarse warning. Coming down on the car he saw big black engine. Railey has | been in the street railway business for several years and he knew what 1t | meant. He dashed to the rear of the | car and saved himself. His warning was too late for the conductor. Tho engine struck the car and bowled it over. The engine was immediately stopped.
 MilIer's Body was Crushed. When spectators and rescuers reach ed the scene the mangled body of Con- ductor Miller was found in the de- | bris. His body was crushed and from his leg foot was severed. | Americus Fish, a little negro boy. was pulled from the debris. His right | foot was crushed terribly.
 The body of the conductor was im- mediately taken to the coroner's morgue and Fish was taken to St. Margaret's Hospital.
 Stuart Mckenzie of the law depart ment of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company said yesterday af- ternoon that the fault lay entirely with the street railway men.
 | Our engine was running at a rate | of not more than eight miles an hour,' said Mir. Mckenzie. At this cross ing the street railway conductors have orders to get off the cars and flag en- zines that happen to be approaching. g. If the conductor had done so the acci- | dent would have been avoided ." Conductor Miller came to Montgom- cry from his farm hom eat Verbena about three weeks ago. He secured 8 l position as conductor on the Montgom- cry Street Railway. He has a broth er-in-law in Montgomery, w. A. Driv- | CT of 107 King Street. His remains | will be shipped to Cooper's Station. The conductor was d young man, not l over 25 years of age. At Cooper's his aged father and three sisters live. The deceased was a widower. The negro boy resides in Bibbtown in North Montgomery.