The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-07-04
4 TRAGIC DEATH.
ssfs n. A. BARNES FOUND DEAD
THURSDAY MORNING.

His Body Was Lying Between Tracks
While the Head Which Was Entire
" severed From the Body Was Ly-
ing Iuside Rail.
From the Daily Item June rs.
Mr.. N. A. Barnes, the. well known
1umberman who has made this city
his headquarters for several years.
was FOUND dead in the Atlantic Coast
Line freight yard almost opposite the
cotton warehouse, about $50 o'clock
this morning. His body was lying out
stretched between two of the tracks
with his neck across the rail and the
head entirely severed from the body,
with the exception of fragment OF
skin at the back of the neck. He was
lying face downward and the arms
felded beneath him. The chin and
lower part OF the face were crushed
but the upper part of the face was
not disfgured, even his spectacles
were still in place when the. body was
found and his hat lying beside him.
There was no difficulty in identifying
1he body, as he was recognized at
sight by a number of his friends and
acquaintances, and in his pockets
1nileage book and number Of letters
addressed to him were found. No
money was found on his person but
gold watch was in the fob pocket of
his trousers.
No satisfactory explanation Of the
manner in which he met his death has
been offered. There were no eye-wit-
nesses so far as anyone knows and
the position in which the body was
found and the surroundings do not
furnish ground for a reasonable hy-
pothesis.. He was seen in the vicinity
half hour or such matter before his
body was found and negro railroad
hand is reported to have said that he
saw him board the caboose Of local
freight No. "a about an hour before.
Coroner Flowers when notified Of
the discovery Of the dead body, pro-
reeded to the scene. empanelled a jury
OF inquest and proceeded to ma
thorough Investigation of the affair. 8
The following testimony was taken
by the coroner:
w. N. Wolfe, being sworn, says:
While I was checking train No. 10.
was pressed for time. Went to passen-
ger station, saw something living on
track; called Mr.. Adams and we went
TO body I 'phoned for coroner. Had
not seen him today. Tran No. 29 seft
at 9:25 for Darlington.
II. L. Scarborough being sworn,
says; recognized the body as that
OF N. A. Barnes He is not a drink
ing man. do not know that he in.
tended to leave. on train.
8. w. Griffin being sowrn, says: II
had been coupling up train No "a
local freight. I saw him standing on
front platform of rear coach and
spoke to him, He appeared to be So
ber. I got or step of coach and rode
to freight depot: Went to station.
About ten minutes after Mr.. Wolfe
Sid there was a dead man on tack.
Was about twenty-five minutes af-
Ter I saw him he was killed. Train
moved off about five minutes after I
saw him.
DR.. Archie China made, the follow
ing statement: This is to certify that
I nave examined the dead body of n.
A Barnes and in my opinion he came
TO his death from being run over by
car on the railroad.
The jury of inquest OF which Mr.
C. L. Rhame was foreman, rendered
the following verdict:
an. A. Barnes cameto his death by
being run over by train No.. "a Of the
Atlantic Coast Line"
Mr.. Barnes came to Sumter from
Elarkton, n. c., several years ago as
the representatives Of Philadelphia
lumber firm and bought lumber from
the saw mills of this section Of The
State. About a year ago he, in con-
junction with Mr.. H. ]. Hardy and
others, organized the Harby-Barnes
Lumber Company, which has been
do; a large and successful business.
He IS survived by his wife, tc whom he
was married at his old home in North
Carolina, less than year ago.
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