New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-07
Cut Himself, Wouldn't Risk In
lection, He Declares-Covered
Eyes When Crash Came
Mrs. Pell May Testify.

saw Pelfs car when IL was oO lee'
south OF the crossing. He figured that
his train was about that distance from
the crossing. and Pell. he said, was max
ing twenty-five or thirty miles an hour.
As the train and the automobile met at
the crossing that corroborated Easton $
statement that his train was not run
ming faster than Pell's car To-day.
however. Easton said his train was 1900
feet from the crossing when he blew his
warning whistle. and at that time ne
saw two cars close together pass over
the crossing ahead of him
How far behind those cars was Pell?'
asked Mr. Congdon.
About FIVE hundred feet. I should
say" replied Easton.
Then you ran 300 feet In the same
time that It took Pefs car TO run so
feet?"
81 must have" replied Easton.
Easton lost his temper when the law
yer asked him II he were not running
at high speed when he bore down on the
crossing.
Claims Right to Speed.
IT had the privilege and the right 10
run seventy. ninety or hundred miles
an hour II wanted TO. as long as l
stopped al Wreck Lead station Easton
replied In a loud voice
"You didn't blow your whistle again
after you saw Pells car approaching
mo. sir"
why not?"
faft hot IA M
hrs, whistle. We see that sort OF stunt
pulled on every day where cars
run right up to the crossing and make
a quick stop"
what lid you do when you struck the
car asked Mr. Consdon.
II covered my eyes with my arm 10
save them from any glass that was COM
ing my way didn't want TO see the
sight. either"
on direct examination Easton said he
got out Of his train 10 see how many
were killed.
what did you do toward rescuins
the dead or injured" asked Mr. Cong
don. on cross-examination.
II couldn't do much" Easton replied.
why not?"
You see my cuts" said the witness,
holding up his hands before Coroner
Neu II wasn't going 10 touch the bodies
with those cuts on my hands. ] wouldn't
take a chance OF getting their blood into
them
NJ. Congdon showed that Enston was
spare" engineer and motorman FOR
ten years and had a regular run AS a
motorman since last October. His usual
run was from the Pennsylvania station.
I'm Manhattan, To Whitestone Landing.
He made the run 10 Long Beach only
once on Sunday nights. and then only
infrequenuy. He had run locomotive
TO the beach once.
Girl Testifies-
Another witness to-day was Veja
White. a fourteen-year-od schoolgirl.
who. living a half mile from the scene
of the accident saw the ira from the
porch OF her home just before the crash.
The train was going at its usual speed,
about thirty-five miles an hour | think.
she testified II heard one long whistle
when the train was close 10 the crossing.
A second later ! heard a crash and the
lights went out When the train passed
| noticed that II had headlight working
and that there were red lights on the rear.
After the crash I called my father. We
thought the train was on the track. Then
we saw men with lanterns and thought a
fuse had blown out
Coroner Neu learned to-day that nine
teen year-old youth had been riding In the
car close To Easton. otto IL. Payne. a
Nassau County bicycle policeman. said he
caught the youth as he was running away
from the wreck. Payne said he would
not tell his name, but he learned that he
was spending the summer on the west end
OF Long Beach. The Coroner instructed
the officer to find the witness and have
him at the next session OF the inquest In
the Nassau Hotel. Long Beach. on Au-
gust 20.
H. W. Thornton, general superintend-
ent Of the Long Island road. testified that
no considered both crossings at Long
Beach among the safest on Long Island.
1t was to please the public. he said. that
fagmen were placed there between 10
a. m. and 10 p. m He said he did not
know that the fiagmen left their posts
at 9 40 p. nj.
Augustus T. Post and Charles IL.
Bowers. manager OF the Hotel Empire.
Manhattan. testified that they We're In a
car not far frons the crossing when the
crash came. They said they did not hear
the crossing whistle, as the cars along
the highway were making considerable
racket Mr. and Mrs. George Demarest,
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Dillon and Miss
Alice Clifford were In their car they said
They testified that the trainmen stood
around and seemed disinclined to help re-
move the bodies OF the victims. Mr. Post
said he asked Easton. the motorman. why
h, did not back his train down and clear
the crossing. and Easton asked him II he
was a reporter.
Coroner Neu will attempt 10 have Mrs
Pell as witness at the next hearing
w X Vanderbilt. Jr, will also be on
hand to testify. II is not likely that
Mrs. Laimbeer's injuries will admit OF
her testifying Mt the inquest