The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-10
TUNNEL ROOF A DEATH WIPE
TWO RUNAWAY SYRACUSE BOYS
KILLED on CAR TOP.

Bodies Found on Pacific Coast Express
In Grand Ccntral-PrObabiy Crushed
In Rock Tube Near New Hamburg
Prayer Book Helps Identification.
Two young boys from Syracuse, steal
ing ride into this city aboard the Pacific
Coast Express. we're found dead on the
top of one of the cars that made up the
train when it pulled into the Grand Cen
trail Station about 5 o'clock yesterday
morning Somewhere in the darkness.
probably near New Hamburg where there
is a split rock cut about 200 feet long. the
train had shot into tunnel and the boys
on the roof Of the car were jammed against
the top and crushed. Their skulls we're
fractured. and when the train arrived in
New York their faces were unrecogniza-
BILE.
One Of the boys. William Beakbane.
was a schoolboy in Syracuse. IA years
old. On his summer holidays he had
been getting n taste Of earning his own
living in a canning factory in Syracuse
and with the independence thus acquired
he decided to run away from home and
come to New York to earn a living and
ace the sights. Beakbane lived in South
Granger street Syracuse. and in the same
house lived the companion who was
killed with him, Robert Crosby. I8 years
Of age. They lived with their parents.
The boys disappeared from their home
on Tuesday afternoon. The Pacific Coast
Express is made up in Rochester. II
carries mail and express. The train the
boys we're on also included number Of
cars of California fruit and consisted Of
twelve cars, II stopped only AZ SYRIA
cuse. Utica and Albany until it reached
New York
The train left Syracuse az sol y. NJ.
Tuesday. and the boys boarded 1t there,
hiding in the yards until they could get
on and climb to the roof of the fourth car
unobserved Crosby wore his working
clothes. a blue suit and flannel shirt.
and Reakbane wore an extra pair of
trousers to protect himself against the
cold
The trip past Albany must nave been
made safely and none of the trainmen
heard or saw anything TO cause them
suspicion that they were carrying two
passengers on top. Below Poughkeepsie,
near New Hamburg. is "A cut hewn out of
solid rock which docs not allow much
space above for cars to go through. The
probability is that tn. boys were killed
there.
At High Bridge the train stopped to
change from steam propulsion to cleo
tricity. but nothing wrong was noticed
there. and il was not until the train pulled
into the Grand Central that a porter saw
a leg protruding over the roof of the
| fourth car. Ii belonged to Crosby. and
two feet away from him, face down, was
Beakbane.
The emergency surgeon Of the station.
| DR. Mcleod, was called. He found that
| the boys skulls had been fractured as
| they lay. with feet toward the engine.
| The bodies were taken To the East
| Fifty first street station and there eX-
| amined. There was nothing on Beakbane
| by which he could be identified, but in
one of Crosby's pockets was found u
small pocket prayerbook. On the fly
leaf was the name Lester Markell. 1908
oakland avenue. Syracuse, New York. :"
and on the last page was "R. Crosby, II
South Granger street. Syracuse"
The police Of Syracuse were commune
Gated with and they found that Lester
Markef had lost the prayerbook few
days ago. but was well and al home Al
the Crosby home. lO3 South Granger
street. they found Robert Crosby. Sr..
who when told of the accident said it
probably was his son, He said his son
had run away the day before with Beak-
lost their nerve when they got TO the rail-
road yard and backed out. but Beakbane
and Crosby adhered TO the schedule they
| had laid out
! Coroner Holtzhauser sent the boys
| bodies to the Morgue. where they will
| remain until relatives come from Syra-
cuse to claim them.