Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-03-16
MARTINsBURG. W. VA. SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 1872
late Saturday night.

late Saturday night
Coroner Kline impaneled the follow
ling jury: E. D. Gardner, Frank d.
Staley, ]. T. McQuilkin, c. l.. Strckey.
Bailey F.. Philips and r. T. Lemen.
The first witness called was Mark
b. Donaldson. of Baltimore, engine
man Of 2162. drawing the first section
of Baltimore and Ohio westbourd pas
senger train No II. He testified that
he passed the Shepherdstown cross
ing about $50 a. m. running about Is
minutes late and going ar a speed OF
from As to SO miles an hour; that he
blew the customary danger whistle
for the crossing; that the night was
very dark and foggy and that he saw
mo object on the tracks ahead of him,
at said crossing He said that while
loiling his engine in Martinsburg he
discovered part of buggy top on the
pilot and removed it. and that he did
not learn of the accident until he got
to Cumberland.
| The next witness was Raymond E.
/ Porter. OF Baltimore, fireman of en-
CINE 1852. His testimony was along
about the same line as that OF En-
lgiueer Donaldson. He testified that
the engineman blew the danger whis-
tie for the crossing; that he was in
the cab when they passed the cross
ling but saw nothing on the track. the
might being very dark and foggy; saw
part Of buggy top on front Of engine
lat Martinsburg but didn't know of ac-
lcident until train arrived in Cumber-
Land
George w. Bowers and his brother
Andrew B. Bowers, this city, the two
Young men who furnished the music
Friday night at the Lemen dance
which Mr.. and Mrs Seibert had at
tended, were next called to testify
Geo. w. Bowers testified that he
and his brother, driving in a buggy.
followed Mr.. and Mrs. Seibert on
their way home from the dance and
were not more than fifteen feet apart
when the accident happened at the
Icrossing. He said he heard no whistle
, Ifor the crossing nor rumbling of the
ltrain although he and hts brother lis
tened for the sound as they approach
ed the railroad crossing. nor did he
see any headlight of an approaching
engine till he got close 10 the track,
when he saw flash aud a dark OBJ
ject fly up in the air. He testified
further that he and his brother got
out of their buggy and looked around
in the dark but did not see the bodies
lof Mr.. and Mrs Seibert, but found a
, horse at the side of the tracks some
distance away.
A. B. Bowers corroborated the tes-
timony of his brother. He said he
; heard no whistle for the crossing al
though he listened for it; saw the
buggy fly up in the air as the engine
whizzed by; did not see bodies of Mr..
and Mrs. Seibert, the night being so
dark and they had no lantern. but did
find Mr.. Seibert's horse along the
tracks. and they tied him behind
their buggy and brought him to town.
w. A. Fulk, Martinsburg. testified
: that he was at the Lemen dance, leav-
ing there shortly after the Seiberts
did and arriving at the crossing about
a quarter of an hour after the acct
dent. He said he heard no whistle
for the crossing, though he was near
enough to the railroad to have heard
: it had 1t blown; said he did not get
| out of his buggy at the crossing; said
Bowers boys told him the Seibert
buggy was struck by westbound pas
senger train.
Verdict Of Jury.
I 1--WE, the jury. find that j. Harry
Seibert and his wife Nora came to
: their deaths by being struck by en-
CINE 2162 hauling the first section of
passenger train No. II at the Shep-
, herdstown road crossing on the Bal
fillmore and Ohio Railroad about $50
a. m. Saturday, March 3, 1912, while
lcrossing said tracks. And we believe
that said accident occurred by the
failure of engine 2162 hauling said
train to sound the proper warning
signals at said crossing"
E. D. GARDNER,
F. D. STALEY,
J j. T. McQUTLKIN,
C. L. STUCKEY,
| BAILEY F. PHILIPS,
It. r. LEMEN.
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