The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-12-09
Coroner's Inquest.

The full details of the Pine stree
grade crossing accident, which occurre
shortly before IL o'clock on Wednesda
night, November 26th, were learned o.
Friday morning, when Coroner Henri
L. Worrell held an inquest at the Cour
House touching on the death of Thoma
| Assay, who was riding with George Wit
craft and the latter's wife when thei
team was struck by freight train Will
| the party was on its way home to Vim
centown after they had witnessed tn
patriotic parade that was held in Noun
| Holly that night.
Testimony was taken before a jury
composed of Winfield S. Gale, Capt
George II. Branson, Jesse Wells, Harry
Hawkins, ST., Eckford n. Watson anC
Frank White.
At the request of Coroner Worrell thu
examination of witnesses was conduct
ed by Prosecutor Samuel A. Atkinson.
OF the several witnesses called only
two saw the accident, Thomas ShinI
and wife, of Nincentown. They hearC
the whistle blow and bell ring of the
approaching train. There was no flag
man at the crossing and it was very
dark in that vicinity.
Mr.. Shinn was the first witness. Al
he was walking at the cemetery corner
his wife was ahead of him and she
wanted to cross the track but he called
her back. He saw a wagon approach
ing, and realizing the imminent danger
that was apparent, threw up his hands
and shouted for them to stop, but nc
attention was paid to this warningl
They drove head first into one of the rea
cars. The horse was thrown back sew.
eral feet and turned completely around
After the train had passed he saw the
men but not the woman. Witcraft
complained about his ankle and then
cried for his wife.
Mrs. Shinn had her daughter with
her. She thought she had time to get
across, but her husband said: mo,
come back, always be on the safe side.
Mrs. Shinn then exclaimed: 'Oh, Thorn
as, look at that wagon. 1t is coming SO
close you had better warn them. | saw
the pitiful scene of Witcraft going to-
ward his wife. The woman was dragged
some distance along the track. The
men were thrown out of the wagon and
they went down in heap"
George Witcraft, who had an ankle
sprained and his left collar bone frac-
tured, said the horse belonged to William
T. Joyce. Those in the wagon heard
no whistle or warning of any kind. Assay
was driving at slow jog. They did not
see or hear anything of an approaching
train. When they got in line with the
fence at Doughty q Co. S coal yard, the
train rushed by and Assay could not stop
the horse. When Witcraft got up he
found that he had no use of his left
shoulder. He noticed that Assay was
breathing and then he began to call for
his wife. Witness declared that they
were sober and that they had not been
that night.
Frank Taylor was near the crossing
and he heard neither bell nor whistle.
The horse was struck with such force as
TO turn it around.
William I. Joyce said he loaned the
team to Assay, who was competent
driver and understood the horse. Wit
ness went to the hospital with the in
jured, and asking Drs. Darlington and
Prickitt what they thought of it, the
physicians said it looked like case of
w. S. Wells, of Camden, was the en-
gineer of the train. He blew the whistle
and the bell was rung as the train APP
preached the crossing. He did not know
that he hit any team. On reaching the
station at Stanwick, he received mes
sage to send in full report, but he was
unable to do SO as he knew nothing of
the accident.
William Bakeley, of Mount Holly, a
former railroad employe, said that John
who is fiagman at the Pine
street crossing, is compelled to work
from $50 q. M, until GA p. M, and
longer if the mail train is late.
DIR. r. G. Darlington, who attended
the injured men, said Assay was getting
along nicely until "A hours previous to
death, when it was noticed that the pa
tent was developing delirium tremens
and he died from commissions. His only
injury was fracture of the left knee
Joint. Death was due to Assays alco-
holic condition. A shock of this kind
is always against man having stron g
drinking habits. Dr. Darlington Sus-
pected that Assay had been drinking.
DIR. A. HI. Small, of Riverside, and
DR.. K. II. Parsons, of Mount Holly,
in making a postmortem of the remains
only wound on the body. The liver
was twice its usual size and the kindeys
were blanched and hardened. These
would lead to the conclusion
that the man died from the excessive
use of alcohol. Commissions are looked
for in such cases of shock to man who
drinks TO excess.
The jury rendered the following YER
dict: THAT through carelessness of the
driver and negligence of the railroad
in not having the crossing
guarded with fiagman or safety
gates, said Thomas Assay came to his
death by driving into freight train on
the night of the 26th of November. We
also recommend to the township COM
mittee to notify the railroad company
to have fiagman or other protection
day and night at the said crossing"