The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-24

Death Due TO Accident.


Flowers to investigate into the causo
Of death OF John j. Minis, the A. {
l.. yard car inspector who was run
down and mangled Monday mornins
at the Harvin street crossing so
that he died from the shock, met yes
terday afternoon a little after 4
o'clock in the grand jury room Oh
the court house and after hearing all
Of the evidence in the case decided
that John j. Minis met his death en-
tirely by accident.
The evidence was about the same
as already stated in this paper, none
OF 1t being contradictory, however,
save that as to the speed Of the en-
gine.
All of those who saw the accident
were present to testify at the inquest
except l. j. Price and S. r. Huggins.
Mr.. Divine who was running the en-
gine at the time Of the accident stated
on the stand that he saw the man
walking with his hands in his pockets,
head down, and, as he thought that
he was getting too near the track up
on which he was backing his engine,
he blew his whistle and just as he
did so instead Of stepping back I'm
the track Minis stepped in front Of
nf hn
he could do anything to prevent it
he had run over him. He stopped his
engine as quickly as possible. He
slated that he was running his en-
gine about or miles an hour,
while Mr.. H. G.. McKagen stated that
he was running his engine at least
10 miles an hour when he passed the
Manning avenue crossing about $50
yards west of the Harvin street cross
ing where the accident occurred. All
Of the other witnesses stated that
they were attracted by the blowing of
the whistle, and while some stated
that the bell was ringing, others stat
ed that it was not. Others did not
know.
DR.. China was the principal wit.
ness, he having attended the wounded
man and with Doctors Baker and
Stuckey amputated his legs. He told
how he had received telephone
message to come to the passenger sta
ton as Quickly as possible as man
was hurt there, that he had gone and
met the man coming up the street on
a wagon. He had spoken to him and
told the driver Of the wagon to take
the man to the Sumter hospital There
Minis had been revived and had
children, whom he wished to see be-
fore the operation was performed. He
had sent for them and that Minis had
told him low the accident had oc-
CURED. NJ ms had been standing on
the rod of the other engine on the
Gibson train to warm himself for
some time, but had remembered that
he had something to do across the
track and that he had started in a
diagonal direction across the track
to where he kept his tools and that
just as he had stepped on the track
he hard the whistle blow and the en-
gine struck him at about the same
time. He was knocked about ten feet
and had tried to scramble out Of the
way Of the engine, but had not been
able to do so and had been run over
by it. He said that he did not know
the engine was approaching him un-
til the whistle blew. All Of these
statements were not dying statements,
as Minis had not expected to die at
the time that he had made him al.
though he had told him that he was
in desperate condition.
Minis never recovered from the
anesthetics. he HAVING died about 80
or 40 minutes after he was taken
from the operating room.
The jury after being out for only a
short time brought in tHe verdict
that Minis death was due entirely to
an accident Mr.. r. +. HaynsWorth
was foreman Of the jury.