The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22
FELL FROM TRAIN n,
YOUNG MAN GOING FROM
OR.ASGEBURG
Received Injuries at Ridgcville From
Which He Died in a Charleston
Hospital.

Which He Died in q Charleston
Hospital.
Accidentally falling from Train
No ID of the Southern Railway, run
ming at the rate of from 20 to 80
miles an hour, about half of one
mile west of Ridgeville, at about 9
O'Clock Wednesday evening. a young
nan named Boisy Harris. who
boarded the train at Orangeburg,
vas fatally injured as result, and
ind died Thursday morning at Z
o'clock at the Saint Francis Xavier
Infirmary, In Charleston. after a
twelve hours struggle between life
and death. A compound fracture
Of the skull was the immediate
cause OF death. although many 9TH
er parts Of the body were severely
bruised and scratched by the hard
fall which the youth had sustained.
Immediately OH his arrival in the
city an operation was performed on
the young man, but Harris. was then
llready beyond human aid.
The News and Courier says an
inquest was held over the body Of
roung Harris Thursd9f afternoon,
md resulted in a verdict of death
lue to. accidentally falling -. from
Train Noa:l4, Of: the Southern Rail-
Gay. ..nears Ridgeville, while a pas=
,engers of said train, etc Although
t is reported that there was an act
,al eyewitness of the accident the
person in question could not be
;ound, either by the coroner ar, the
officials of the railway. The young
alan, James Reed, who is said to
We cousin of the deceased, had
left the train upon it's arrival. in
Charleston and left for parts un-
known before the news of Harris
ieath could be sent him.
The first witness examined by
he coroner and jury was C9ndnc-
:or W. H. Keckley, who was IN
charge of the train at the time OF
occurrence. His testimony was as
.ollows: The accident happened at
$3.50 D.. NJ. about cne-fourth mile
vest of Ridgevillc. just as the train
vas pulling into that station. When
he engineer pulled the station
blow for Ridseville | got up and an
nounced the name of the town in
the colored car. going towards the
-car CT the train. | stopped in the
smoking end of the same car, where
his young man (Harris) was sit
ing, and told him that the next
station was the one for him to get
off at. turned and went into the
white car, and shortly afterwards a
young white man, who had been Sill
ting with Harris. ran up to me ana
told me that the latter had jumped
eff the train. | reached for and
pullel the emergency cord, bringing
the train TO stop almost immedi-
utely, and sent my f1agman, /. ID.
Shirer, back to look for the man. at
ne SAME GllllS Vic Iioi't 'p'
He was soon found lying between
the main line and the siding. He
was carried to the express car and
afterwards called DR.. w. b. Way.
Of Ridgeville, in attendance. VINO
accompanied the wounded boy to
Charleston" Several questions were
asked by the jury and answered by
Mr.. Keckley. In reply to the ques-
ton as to what Harris was doing
in the colored smoking section OF
the car at that time the conductor
answered that the colored passenger
traffic is very light through that part
of the country at this time OF the
year and that white and colored men
often used the same apartment TO
smoke in.
Mr.. T. d. Shirer. who was flagman
on Train No. Il last Wednesday
night, was the next witness and
gave the following testimony before
the coroner and jury:
When We neared Ridgeville
went through the train. as Is usually
the custom, and cried out the name
of the town. The train was then
about threequarters OF a mile from
!,idgeville. saw Boisy Harris Sit
ting in the colored smoking apart
mept with his hands crossed. When
I had reached the last car OF the
train l. felt the emergency brakes so
down and Immediately. ran forward
to ask the conductor what the
trouble was. The latter then told
me- that Harris had jumped on and
requested me to go back and look
FOR the young man. 4 short dis
tance in the rear OF the train / hrst
found his hat, and after some
searching found the boy himself ~
ing OH his face on the right side
Of the track. spoke to him. but
did not receive any answer. al
though he was breathing very heav-
i]v, When the train had backed up
the required distance help place
the wounded boy in the baggage
car.
Several questions were also asked
of Mr.. Shircr by the jury. He
stated that he had asked James
Reeves. ii cousin of the deceased boy.
md who. together with another gen
,lcman named f. II. Sweat, who
were the only people occupying the
smoking apartment with Harris at