Evening journal., 1908-09-08
CORONER HELD
THREE INQUESTS
Jury Did Not Solve Mystery
Surrounding Death Of
P. Thompson COyIe


last night two on unknown colored men,
who were killed on the p B and W. rail-
road, one at Edge Moor and the other at
Holly Oak. and the third on p. Thomp-
son Coyle. the Baltimore man. who fell
from a train on the Pennsylvania rail-
road at Stanton and died from his injuries
al the Delaware Hospital
In the cases of the colored men the ver-
dict IN each was accidental death but in
Coyles case, the jury reached the conclu-
sion that the man came to his death in a
manner unknown.
The robbery and murder theory fell
when Deputy states Attorney Eugene
ODunne. OF Baltimore, who attended the
hearing. testified that he was sure that
coyle who was personal friend OF his,
had very little money with him at the
time he met with his fatal injuries and
he was also sure that the dead man never
carried a watch. Mr.. ODunne further said
he was positive Coyle did not commit sui
eide but felt sure that his death was the
result of some peculiar accident.
Charles b. Kaiser, colored, Of Philadel-
phia, the porter in charge OF the sleeper
in which Coyle had berth, testified that
Coyle came to the car in Washington on
Friday night, August 2s about 1890 o'clock
and secured his berth. Later he went out
and came back about 12l5 o'clock. Coyis
went TO his berth, but several times dur
ing the night he left It and walked to
various sections Of the car.
Kaiser said he had seen nothing Of the
man for sometime. and as the train was
nearing this city. he looked down the row
Of berths and saw the curtain at Coyle's
place blowing. He walked down to the
section and looked in. Coyle was not there.
The electric lights we're burning. both
windows were open as wide as Il was pos.
sible to get them, the screen had been
taken out and was lying on the bed.
Kaiser then searched all through the
car but could not find the man. When the
train stopped here at S45 o'clock. he no.
tilted the assistant stationmaster at the
French street station that a passenger
was missing and asked him to wire down
the road to have a search made Tor him.
He then told Harry Dixon OF this city
who was the conductor in charge OF the
train about the matter.
Both men walked back 70 Coyles berth
and removed the clothing to the drawing
room, where Conductor Dixon examined
them for some means OF Identification
He found several letters addressed "a
Coyle, saw his name on a wallet and the
initials on a suit case. He was then posi-.
tive that the missing man was coyle. The
clothes were later turned over 10 a rail-
road official at Broad street station in
Philadelphia In a wallet were two one
dollar bills and in the pockets Of the
trousers were 20 cents No watch was
found.
The witness testified that Coyie was th'
only one in the berth. There was a pas.
senger sleeping in the upper berth in ths
same section. He said there could hav'
been no disturbance OF any kind in th'
car without his having heard it. Ther'
was no way Coyle could have gone out o.
the car doors for all were closed and
locked, and he could not have locked then
II he had stepped outside, for they loci
from the inside. Witness declared that
the man had been leaning out Of the win
dow, it was possible for him TO be throw
out by the lurching Of the train. Coyl
had a berth on the right hand side so that
no passing trains could have struck him
Conductor Dixon gave practically ths
same testimony. He said the Pullman
sleeping car windows go up about 90 in.
ches and are about two feet wide so thai
they are large enough for a man to gel
through The windows were open, and the
3 screen had been taken out and thrown
upon the bed
| II. M. Maise. OF Washington, d. c., the
Pullman conductor in charge OF the Pull.
man cars attached to the train. testified
that the porter had notified him that a
passenger was missing, and he investigat.
ed the case with the results as stated
He thought IL was possible for man "a
get through the window.
Mr.. ODunne was the last witness. He
said that Mrs. Coyle had found that her
husband did not draW any OF the money
coming to him in Washington and that
he intended to go to Atlantic City for a
few days TO visit his father and he did not
need any money.
Mr. O'Dunne said that coyle sometimes
walked in his sleep. On the first OF thil
month he and his Vfe. who is a news
paper writer planned 10 take a trip &c
Jamaica. The witness said he knew Mr.
Coyle did not commit suicide because h'
knew the man to be happy and had every
thing to live for.