Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-02
DEATH WAS
ACCIDENTAL
INQUEST HELD OVER BODY OF
SELWYN GRAVES
TRAIN GREW EXAMINED BY THE
CORONER
Funeral Services VIII Be Held This
Morning from Home of Parents
in Alhambra-uncle
Testlfles

1--WE, the jury find the deceased,
Selwyn Ia. Graves, came TO his death
by freight train of the Southern Pa
ciflc Railroad company at Redondo and
North Main streets on the first day
OF March, 1908.
1--WE, the jury, find that deceased
accidentally drove his automobile into
said train.
1--WE fully exonerate the car crew
in charge of said train and Southern
Pacific Railroad company"
The foregoing was the verdict re-
turned by the coroner's jury at the
inquest held at Pierce brothers yes
terday afternoon over the body of Sell
wyn Il. Graves, who met his death be-
meath the wheels of freight train at
the crossing at Redondo and North
Main streets early yesterday morning.
Frederick II. Griffith. an uncle of the
dead man, living at 1886 Severance
street.. was the first witness. He was
instructed to tell the jury the move
ments of the lead man Saturday night.
''Selwyn Graves and myself left my
office at LA North Spring street, Sat-
urday afternoon about o'clock. We
went to barber shop in the Hellman
building, where the young man was
shaved and had his hair cut. Then we
entered the Franklin runabout car be-
longing to Selwyn and drove to the
Country club, where we were joined
by my wife. We then went to- the
Lawrence apartments and called on
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles J. Shannon.
Then; accompanied by Mr.. and Mrs.
shannon, we drove to the Alexandria
hotel. where we called on Mr.. and
Mrs. Robert d. Clark of Peoria, who
have apartments there.
Ate Supper Together
Entering Mr.. Clark's automobile,
the party, consisting of Mr.. and Mrs.
J. S. Shannon, Mr.. and Mrs, Robert
d. Clark, Selwyn Graves, Mrs. Griffith
and myself we drove to a Spanish
restaurant in East Los Angeles, where
we were served with a Spanish sup
per. We reached this restaurant about
10 O'Clock. After leaving there We went
to Levy's about 1890 o'clock. We were
riding in Clark's machine during this
trip.
"We We're taken to our homes and
endeavored to persuade Selwyn to
stay at my house for the night. He
would not do SO. as he had left his
runabout standing III front of the Al
exandria hotel and wanted to get 1t
and go to his home in Alhambra.
He left our house about l o'clock,
going to the Alexandria for his ma
chine. and then left there and went
to his death"
The second witness to testify was
Allie Vaughan, who lives at 264 East
Fifth street, and who is employed by
the Merchants Fire Dispatch as night
watchman. His testimony, in sub
stance, was:
II saw a freight train standing at
the crossing about 1870 o'clock. An
automobile approached and the train
was cut at the crossing to allow the
machine TO pass. AS soon as the au-
tomobile had gone through the train
was coupled up again and began NOV
ing. 1t was on the south side of the
train. l saw an automobile coming
down the street toward the train.
Saw Machine Coming
"The machine was about three blocks
away. 1t was going at a good rate of
speed.
at did not think the driver of the
machine would be able to stop the
machine if he kept up the rate of speed
he was travelling, and l ran out in the
street and waved my arms and yelled
for him to stop.
1.-THE runabout struck the train,
which was moving toward San Fer
nando street. The man was thrown
against the middle of box car. The
machine rebounded and the man fell
against the front of his auto and rolled
under the train and was ground to
pieces, About thirteen cars passed
over him, I think, before the train
stopped"
The next witness was Harry Sulli-
van, conductor in charge of the train,
living at 5251a South Main street. He
said:
1--WE pulled in to the tower at 1870
o'clock. We stopped until we could
get a clear board to go ahead. Brake
man J. B. Swizer went to cut the cars
at the crossing. The cut was made
twenty-eight cars from the engine. The
train consisted of thirty-eight cars The
brakeman stood on the north side of
the train. We always cut the train
when we are standing on crossing.
1.-THE engineer got clear board and
was given the signal to couple up and
we pulled out. This was about 1875
o'clock. The brakeman caught the ca
boose and told me he thought we had
run over something. We both got OH
and saw an automobile standing near,
and found the dead man. did not
give any signal to the engineer to stop
the train From the position OF the
engine he could not have seen us where
we were standing"
Heard Auto Strike
Brakeman J. B. Swizer of 2i26 Pasa-
dena avenue was the last witness. He
stated he was on the north side of
the train and had made the cut. and
later on coupled up He did not see
the automobile strike the train, as
he was on the oppositel side. He said
he heard a noise which sounded as If
one of the wheels was broken. He
looked under the train, but could de-
tect nothing wrong. When he boarded
the caboose he told the conductor he
believed they had run over something.
Both he and the conductor alighted
and found the dead man. He stated
that he saw the partially wrecked rum
about standing near.
After hearing the testimony. the jury
brought in a verdict in accordance
with the facts.
Selwyn T.. Graves was born in Los
Angeles twenty-three years ago. He
lived with his parents in Alhambra.
Funeral ceremonies will be observed
this morning at 10 o'clock from the
home of his parents in Alhambra.
The deceased had many friends in
Los Angeles.
One theory for the frlghtful accident
to Mr. Graves was that his brake
failed to hold the runabout, or that
the machine became in some other
way unmanageable and he was dashed
against the moving train while trying