The Washington herald., 1913-09-09
BRAKES BLAMED
FOR DEATHS
Verdict on Killing Of William
H. Peck and Ernest
Zell.
SIGNALS WERE POOR
Members of Train Crew and Passen-
gers Tell of Crash of
Auto and Car.

Auto and Car.
William II. Peck and Ernest Zell of
Va, came to their death by
being struck by a coach pushed by
and Old Dominion engine No.
. in charge of Conductor Lee Crockett,
at Mount Vernon crossing, Alexandria
County, Sunday morning between 10 and
II o'clock, according TO the coroner's YER
dict. The jury added:
I'VE believe the crew to be inexperi-
enced. and the accident could have been
avoided with proper warning signals at
crossing and better braking equipment"
The verdict was returned at 80 o'clock
last night by jury summoned by DR.. r.
]. Yates. acting coroner OF Alexandria
County, which assembled at Demaine's
establishment, OF Alexandria,
Va. The jury was out one hour before
reaching a verdict.
The taking of testimony began shortly
after 1 O'Clock and occupied two and one
half hours. Eight witnesses were heard.
among them the four members of the
train crew.
The jury was composed OF the follow
ing: r. F. Green. foreman; John Gary,
n. V. Clayton, George W. Wells. II. II.
Powell, and J. 4. McPhearson.
Among the exhibits offered as testi-
mOny before the jury by the coroner
was a rubber hose connection taken of
the car and a metal pipe and coupling.
Brakes Failed to Work.
Commonwealths attorney. Capt. Gran
daI Mackey, appeared on behalf Of to,
State and examined the witnesses with
the assistance OF Coroner Yates. The
family of Mr.. Zell was represented by
John NJ. johnson, while At
torney Z. B. Taylor, with Attorney Doug
las Stuart, represented the family OF
Mr.. Peck. Judge c. +. Nicol. Of AleXan-
0Tia, and Rudolph Waterman, of the firm
of Lambert and Waterman, of Washing
ton, general counsel for the Washington
and Old Dominion Railway Company.
appeared for that company.
When the automobile struck the pilot
Of the coach the emergency brakes failed
to work, according to the testimony of
OF the train crew. Charles II.
Darley, engineer OF the train, said his
train was running backward from Blue
mont Junction to Alexandra. 1t was six
The first thing l saw was dust: then
an explosion and then fire. A short dis
tance from the crossing ] felt the air so
down. l did all l could TO stop. l gave
four distinct blows for the crossing.
After l found / had struck something i
threw on the emergency brake and il
seemed to have no effect. 1t broke of
the pipes. l was running fifteen or six
teen miles an hour"
Had Tested Air.
He reiterated that hs blew the
whistle four times for the crossing and
once for the station. He was 500
yards from the crossing at the time,
he said. At the start of the run he
tested the air brakes and found them
in good order. He said he didn't know
he had struck anything until told so
by the fireman. Following the acci-
dent he reversed his engine, Darley
testified.
Under cross-eXamination by Attorney
Mackey. Darley said he thought ff-
teen miles at that crossing was a safe
speed. Most of the time automobiles
in passing that place, he said, waited
for the trains to pass. Darley said
he had been running on that branch
for three months, and backing the
trains was customary. He concluded
by saying that he could not have done
more than he did.
Lewis n. Smith fireman Of the engine, !
testified that he saw the automobile as
1t crashed into the train. and one Of its
occupants attempted to jump. II looked !
as il the automobile was trying to cross. !
Owing to the hill. bank, and trees, he !
was unable to see II before the crash. !
Witness said the train was going fifteen !
miles an hour, and half a minute after
the machine he told the engi- !
neer. The engineer applied the brakes |
as soon as he told him. He didn't know |
whether they worked or not. Half
minute after the accident he got there |
and described finding both OF the bodies. |
said he had never been exam !
ined by the railway company for the !
position OF fremen.
Had Not stood Test.
Forrest L. Crook. fiagman of the train |
old of the engineer blowing for the |
,rossing. He saw the approaching ma
,hine. he said, and held up his hand, |
he train then being seventy yards from |
fumes Crossing. One of the occupants !
waved in answer, he declared. He |
hought they would stop. When within |
he emergency air. When the crash
anne, Crook declared. he was struck and |
brown on the platform of the car. be-
ing daZed as a result. According to the
the automobile was travelling
It between twenty and twenty-five miles |
IN hour.
Crook also admitted he was never ex-
lmined by railroad officials for the posi-
ion he held, and that the car was an
I'D one, being probably twenty-five or
hirty years old. Capt. Mackey called at
ention to the fact that the old air
,rake apparently had no connection with 1
he car proper.
Lee S. Crockett, conductor. testified he /
lid not see the accident. The train was
soing fifteen or sixteen miles an hour,
lie said. He heard the engineer blow for
he crossing and Crook blew an air
whistle. l.
James W. King. of ST. Elmo, Alex
Lndria County, was an eyewitness to the
Lccident He heard the whistle blow and
aw the auto run into the train. 1t was
fitted four feet in the air and thrown
lown a short embankment.
George Hatton, brother-in-law of the
iitness, and James Rowe arrived on the
Gene before the witness, and Hatton
ulled the body of Peck from the debris.
lie said that it was fifteen minutes be-
ore the crew came back to the scene.
Two Funerals To-day.
John Gary. of Del Ray. who was on the
Iry, testified that before being selected
S a juryman he measured certain dis
ances, and the train ran 800 feet before