Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06

fore hold Carl White. an employee of the
Pullman company, criminally response
BILE for the said death, and we hold him
for the action of the grand jury"
Trap Left Open; No Light.
The decision of the jury was not sur
prise to those who heard the testimony.
which, with hardly an exception, indicated
that White had left a trap open connect
ing a Pullman car and the dining car of
the train and Mrs. Harrison fell through
as she was trying to pass into the Pull
man after partaking of her breakfast
The fact that no light was provided in
Il he vestibule while the train was travel
ing through the tunnel was also developed
The porter, White, seemed to be stunned
at the action of the jurymen and kept re-
peating. after being informed of the YER
dict. Il can't see why they blame me; l
didn't leave that door open, God knows l
didn't. l wasn't responsible for the lady
falling off" At the conclusion of the
proceedings at the morgue. where the in
quest was held, White was loaded into
the patrol wagon of the sixth precinct
and later taken to the United States Jail.
Before being taken from the scene of the
inquest he pleaded with his custodians
that they inform the Pullman company of
his predicament.
Yesterdays session was the second and
concluding one of the inquest. the prin-
Friday afternoon. when a large number
of railroad men and other witnesses testi-
fed. The inquest was postponed in order
that Mrs. 1. H. DeWiss, who was with
Mrs. Harrison at the time she fell from
the train, and w. A. sWunnerberg, con-
ductor of the Pullman, which was attach
ed to the dining car, coulu be brought to
this city to testify. Both witnesses ar
rived shortly after noon from Morristown,
n. j., and Jersey City, respectively, in
response to requests by the local author
tiles.
Stepped Through Open Door.
The session was called at O'Clock yes
terday afternoon, and Mrs. DeWiss was
the first to take the witness stand. After
the preliminary questions put by Coroner
hewitt Mrs. DeWiss stated that she lived
at Montgomery, Ala, and was travelling
north from Atlanta. She stated that Mrs.
Harrison was but a train acquaintance,
the two having seats next to each other.
when we were but a short distance be-
low Alexandria," testified Mrs. DeWiss,
1.-The conductor told us that II we cared
for any breakfast to go to the dining car
Immediately, as 1t would be taken off the
train when we reached Washington. Mrs.
Harrison and myself walked into the din
ing car. which was just next to ours, and
when We finished we found that the train
was entering the tunnel for Washington.
Both of us arose and started to go to our
car AS we reached the door we found 1t
was very dark and there was no light to
see where we were stepping.
II was rather timid about going ahead,
and told Mrs. Harrison that l couldn't see
the way. With that she Immediately
stepped in front of me. saying. Follow
me: 1 think 1 know it She went for
ward and turned to the left-thnking
stepped through the open door, as later
found out. l stood behind and couldn't
see thing, it was SO dark. l showed
forward one foot and then another in the
direction Mrs. Harrison went, and sud-
denly heard a rush of air and roar under
me- and I hesitated. Then / became
afraid and held on to the rail beside me
until we had passed out of the tunnel
THE light shot into the vestibule and l
found myself standing almost on the edge
of the open door In a second 1t dawned
on me that Mrs. Harrison had fallen
through the door. and after calling re-
peatedly one of the trainmen came to me
and then reported 1t to his fellow-em-
ployes
Did you hear Mrs. Harrison cry out or
make any sort of alarm?" Mrs. DeWiss
was asked.
Mrs. DeWiss Very Near Death.
NO" was the answer. Il didn't hear
| anything. If she cried out the noise of
the train drowned it." Then. with sigh
| again before her eyes, Mrs DeWiss con-
| tinued Il was very near death my
self"
| Lengthy cross-questioning corroborated
| in many details important testimony
given by witnesses Friday At the con-
| clusion of her appearance as a witness
| Mrs DeWisS left the morgue and later
| in the day took train north.
! W. A. Wunnerberg, the conductor OF
| the car on which Mrs. Harrison and Mrs.
| DeWiss were passengers, followed the
| latter to the witness stand.
| In answering the preliminary questions,
| Wunnerberg said he had been In the EN-
| ploy of the Pullman company for Two
| years and had been running on the
| Southern railway for the past ten weeks,
| He said in reply to questions that Whlte,
| the porter, was considered reliable man,
| and had been on the same run about ten
( or twelve weeks. as himself.
Rules Require Doors to Be Closed.
| 1.-The rules of the company, testlned
| Wunnerberg, require that no trap doors
| or entry doors of the cars shall be left
open during the running Of a train, and
they shall not be opened until the train
comes TO a full stop. When under extra
| ordinary circumstances a door or trap is
| opened while the train is in motion the
| man who opens 1t is supposed TO stand
| guard over 1t until it is fastened up
again"
| WHO has charge of opening and shut
| ting these doors?" asked Coroner hewitt.
THE porter replied the witness.