The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-19
CORONER JURY
HOLDS INQUE ST
Hears Evidence as to Killing OF
Two Girls by Cannon
Ball Train.
NO BLAME FOR ACCIDENT
Outlook for Southside Virginia
Fair Is in Every Way
Satisfactory.
Times Dispatch Bureau.
Bollingbrook Street,
(Phone 1850



Petersburg. Va, July IS.
Coroner II. c. Leigh and jury held
an inquest this afternoon on the
bodies of the two glris-Blanche AGED
! fourteen. and Ruth. aged eleven years
daughters OF Mr and Mrs. John
EVERY, of Chesterfield county. who
wore killed yesterday morning by the
Cannon Ball train. at Grossmans
Crossing, on the Coast Line Railroad.
one mile north Of this city The bodies
were viewed by the jury in the morgue
rooms OF r. j. Morrison & son. UNDER
takers where they had been prepared
for burial, and the evidence was heard
! in the Hastings court room. \ mum.
Der of witnesses had been summoned,
and eight were examined. William b.
McIlwaine. Of this city, was present in
tile interest OF the Atlantic Coast Line
Iailroud. on which the accident hap
wealth's attorney of Chesterfield. was
Present In the Interest of the county.
Some nifty or seventy 1--we people from
/ Chesterfield We're in Attendance
Mark Noble. engineer OF the train
which struck ana killed the children.
testified in substance that his train
was running at the Spaed of about nifty
miles an hour, that at the whistle post
I
his whistle ana the bell was rung by
the fireman. that the first intimation
OF danger was given him by his fire.
man. that ne Immediately applied the
emergency brakes and reversed steam:
/ that the MT see the horse on the
track until the animal was struck by
/ the train. that his position. the right
side of tho engine. prevented his see
/ Ing anything on the track at that
point
Mi. Noble further testified that
/ he stopped his train as quickly
as possible and went to the aid of tho
/ that could be done. Both were alive.
/ They Were put aboard the train and
/ brought to Petersburg. one OF the girls.
/ ne thinks. dying about the time the
! train reached the station.
/ William ShaloX. the fireman con
Z nrmed Engineer Mobiles statement as
! To the blowing of the whistle and ring
| ing Of the bell. His position was on
/ the lett OF the engine where he could
see better than the engineer. He saw
/ the wagon ana children on the track
| When within about thirty yards of
them ana shouted TO the engineer. who
/ TO prevent the accident The team
/ was struck. the horse thrown to one
/ SIDE and the children thrown thirty
feet or more into the air.
Mrs .Cadmrs Archer, OF Chasterfield
! county, testified that she was driving
Just ahead of the Everly sisters YES
icriay morning. As she crossed tho
railroad track she glanced down the
! ROAD ana saw the train about mile
away coming towards Petersburg.
! After reaching the top of tho hiu n
snort distance from the track, and
nearing the near approach of tho
| Train, she looked back TO see where the
! girls We're Sho saw their horse stand
/ ing on tho railroad track at tho cross
/ ms. and the elder sister using her
whip to urge the animal forward The
"a 4 a.
what would happen Mrs. Archer saisl
! she turned her head to avoid seeing
! the accident. Mrs. Archer said she
! aid not hear the engine whistle or bell.
. sounded.
Mrs. o. A. Hancock. who lives near
me road and near the point of the ac-
ciaent testified that she heard both
/ me engine whistle and bell She saw
/ the children approaching the crossing
and called to them TO warn them IF
.n.'r uhnger. They apparently did
n9t near her she heard the second
/ nloW OF the whistle. but II was then
too late. the horse was on the track
II seemed from the general tenor of
/ ne testimony That persons approachinr
Ihe crossing on account Of the rolling
SURF acc OF the ground cannot sec n
/ train approaching from the dircctio"
OF richmond ana that the persons on
J me trains cannot see any one coming
/ 20 me track The two girls We're not
7 race ana II was too late to move
i back or forward
me verdict OF the jury was that
me sisters came to their death on thu
! i.ln OF July. from multiple Internal in
! Juries received by being struck or III,
/ by the Cannon Ball train. or train %o
-, a, Cheeseman's Crossing, in Ches-
! terneld county.
me little girls were not r,,, o,,o,.
ana ana crushed by the train. nor dis.
! inquired. Their ribs and arms ana Ie,,s
! were broken ana their Injuries ve7s
a NJ, mai i, On the faces Of the girls
sweet and peaceful smiles.
Inc funeral OF the sisters Will ,,ko
1 49, -, .Urlow afternoon at O'clock
rom ola Blandford Church. where tia
! I.loyd = VII be conducted by the Rev.
| la1V3yu =. Moore. of West Street Mrth.
~. bright outiook for Fair.
southsiSGSH '' VIZ. Ior the fair Of the
/ 70 ne held hare next fan, IL in -J TX
nlsnest desree encouraging. the f. nm.
oi me entire section are taking
| NH ,t"tvrest' and they are going 10
! gMasoit their best stock and the best
products or their farms Tho fnfr vii
| ~ Huch larger and better one than
s .m"t OF last year Everything on the
sronnd is to be put In priine condi-
tion; the premium list is a most TX.
SIal one. and the assoclation's eate.
'osue NH soon be issued.
Sthohhi ana otherwise.
Last evening at 1890 O'clock In thu
manse OF the Second presbyteriao
S.hurch by the Rev. J. a. Mcclure
MISS Grace Horne and David Wltherl
spoon Hawkins, both of this city. wero
married The bride was attended by
/ her two sisters. Misses Elizabeth ana
Josephine Horne. "'
Adjutant and Mrs George NJ Woods
! Tor the past three years in charge of
I the salvation Army work in peters.
burg have been ordered to another
iiold They VIII leave on July SO
| Adjutant and Mrs. Woods have done n
vast amount of good work in this com
The July term of the frustinea
Court was opened to-day but on ae-
count OF the seath of Edward G. Mann.
/ brother OF COmmonwealth's Attorney
| H. IL. Mann. all Commonwealth cnscs
We're continued until next Tuesday.
Mrs. Frank y. owen and Mrs. II. r
/ Sing have gone to Asheville, n Q. TO
spend the summer.
! The Retail Merchants Associat ton.
through committee OF it's members.
| is making announcements for the halter,