Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-08-24
TWO SAD FATALITIES IN WESTERLY
Thomas Crowley, 81 Years Old Killed by Train, and
Mary A. Phi1brool, Aged g. Struck and Fatally In
ju-ed by Automobile Opening Session of Seventh
Day Baptist Conference Drew Attendance of Over
7OO

/, the young people in advancing the
! principles of the denomination.
| After the reports there was a mus
| ical selection, followed with an ad-
| dress by Rev. G. FL. Van Horn, who
| spoke entertainingly and in an in
| structive way of the work that has
| been done, and could be done with
more united and persistent effort.
| AT 7-30 in the evening the delegates
] met at the church for social hour,
| SO that all might become better &C.
| quainted. Then followed devotional
| cluded a service of song, scripture read
ing, prayer, sermon by Rev. d. Bur-
dett Coon, hymn and benediction.
Thursday will be devoted to the
American Tract society.
Thomas Crowley, lifelong resident
of Westerly, was killed early Wednes-
day morning on the tracks OF the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Rail
road company, and his body was found
i beside the tracks about $50 feet east
| of the Cutler street crossing by the en-
/ sineer of the Colonial express train
due to arrive in Westerly at 4.5S. The
! train was stopped, the dead body plac-
ed on stretcher and left in charge of
a trainhand until Medical Examiner
Stanton was notified. After examina-
| tion the examiner was of opinion that
Mr.. Crowley met his death by being
struck by rain while walking on the
track, and for which the railroad COM
| pany or any of its employees were not
responsible.
Undertaken Murphy took charge of
the remains and they We're brought to
Westerly. Both legs were cut off. both
arms were broken. and there were sew
eral minor cuts and bruises. When
found, his spectacies were in place,
although completely covered in dust,
and his watch was still running and
recorded the correct time.
Mr.. Crowley was a blacksmith by
occupation, but when work slackened
at the quarries, about two years ago,
he secured employment as yardman at
the William Clark thread mill and held
that position to the time of his death.
He left his work at 10 o'clock Tuesday
morning and went to a specialist in
aracts. He left the specialists office
ait 100 and remained in New London
until the departure of the ferryboat
that connected with the last trolley
That car, which was late in arrival
Tuesday night, or rather Wednesday
morning, has terminal at Stonington,
instead of at Westerly.
Mr.. Crowley left the car at Cutler
and Main streets. went to the steam
road tracks, nearby, and started to
walk to Westerly. AS his body was
found a short distance from the cross
ing, it is evident thah he was struck
and killed within ten minutes after he
left the trolley car, and presumably
by a freight train.
Mr.. Crowley leaves a widow and a
brother, James Crowley. He was
member of Division No. /, Ancient Or
der of Hibernians; Narragansett coin-
Gill; Knights of Columbus, and the Holy
Name somietv of St MichaeTs parish.
He was 81 years of age.
Mary Alice PhiIbreok, the six year
old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene
E. PhiIbrook, who reside at No. 1
WEIGH court. was struck and fatally
injured by an automobile when in
Main street, near the foot eff Union.
Wednesday morning. The car was
driven by c. Clarence Maxson, Jr, Of
Westerly, who is chauffeur for Mrs. L..
b. Wilson of California, who is sum
took the injured little girl in the auto
mobile and hurried to the office of DR..
Scanlon, where she died soon after ar
rival. Her neck was fractured, as was
also her right arm above the elbow
and there was evidence OF internal
injury.
DIR. ]. Howard Morgan. medical eN-
aminer for the town of Westerly made
examination of the body and inquiry
regarding the fatality, and his per-
scnal opinion is that death was due to
the fact that no warning sound was
given of the approach of the automo-
bile and in order that the matter might
have legal Investigation, he reported
the circumstances to Coroner Everett
A. Kingsley and to the attorney gen
erals office. Parties who witnessed
the total accident are about unanimous
in the opinion that Mr.. Maxson could
not have avoided the accident, and
tina, it was one Of those fatalities
where no one is at fault. A large de-
livery wagon of the Standard Oil COM
pany was standing in the street, that
entirely obscured the little girl from
the vision of Mr.. MaXson and also pre-
vented the girl from seeing the ap-
preaching automobile. Just as the girl
came out from behind the wagon to
cross the street she was struck AMI
run over by the automobile.
Samuel Mitchell, who resides at No.
4 Union street. who Witnessed the
whole affair, says that the automobile
was moving at a very low rate of
speed and had just passed an automo-
bile going in the opposite direction.
Just as soon as the little girl was
struck. Mr.. Maxson made effort to stop
and did within the length of the
automobile. MIR. Mitchell saw the girl
when she left the sidewalk to cross
the street to go down to her fathers
blacksmith shop and says she went
from behind the oil wagon directly
in front OF the automobile just as the
machine reached that point.
Mr.. MaXson says he was driving
very slowly and cautiously BY the foot
of Union street, and did not see the
Philbrook child until the automobile
struck her He is very much grieved
over the accident. but knows he did
all that Il human being could do to
avoid it.
Mary Philbrook was the only child
of her parents, and when killed the
child was on her way from her nearby
home to her fathers shop, to give him
a part of her candy. The accident has
aroused much sympathy for Mr.. and
Mrs. Philbrook, and also for young
Mr.. Maxson.
Coroner Kingsley will hold an in
quest Thursday.
For the first time in nearly two
years fire alarm was sent in from box
81 for fire caused by sparks from
the chimney of the wood turning shop
of H. Il. Kenyon &. Co., at $50 Wed
neSday afternoon, The fire was on the