The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-12-07
TWO NEWBERRY BOYS MEET
TRAGIC DEATH IN CAPITAL.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ~

that he picked up the lamp after the
accident. He was questioned as to
whether the lignts on the crossings :
sometimes went out and he said that
a wind would sometimes eXtinguish |
them, but he was sure the lights were !
burning when the accident occurred. |
The train was going at about eight
miles an hour when the engine crossed, !
but was probably making Is miles an
hour when the tail end passed, ac- !.
cording to Mr. Schumpert He testi-
fed that no oil had been placed in the !
lamp since the tragedy.
John Mitchell of SIG Elmwood ave-
nue., who is a section hand in the en-
ploy of the Seaboard Air Line, said ne
was standing at his front gate when
the accident happened. He was going
away on an early morning train to at
tend his grandmother's funeral and
was bound for his sisters house, across
the railroad, to find out the time, when
the tragedy occurred. Mitchell de-
clared that he was about so feet from
the scene. He saw the automobile
coming down the hill and saw the
lights burning on the crossing but
thought the occupants would see the
warning. He said the automobile was
running pretty fast" He didn't know
how fast the train was going. He said
the gate was down and that the auto
mobile did not seem to slow up before
the collision. When asked if he saw
an automobile go west a few minutes
before the accident, he said he did not,
but that he was in his house at the
time. Mitchell declared that the head
lights on the wrecked automobile were
burning when he saw the machine
Train Was Extra Freight,
S. E. Burns of Cayce, yardmaster
for the Seaboard Air Line, said that
he was called to the wreck. He dressed
hurriedly and came to the Elmwood
crossing on motor car owned by the
railway. Mr.. Davenport's body had
been removed and Mr.. Swittenberg's
body was being taken away when he
reached the scene. He said that the
freight train was extra No. 303, with 42
cars and a caboose and was substitut-
ing for regular freight No. 80. He tes-
titled that No. 80 would have a sched-
uIed right-of-way, but. that this extra,
No. 303, would have only right-of- |
way by orders. The train, he said, was
scheduled to make 35 miles an hour.
E. NJ. Lancaster, a patrolman, testi-
fed that on the night Of November
29 he docketed charge against the /
late Mr.. Davenport for reckless driv- !
ing, and that Mr.. Davenport put up c !
cash bond. which he forfeited when the
case was called for trial. He said |
that he did not have his stop-watch
on Mr.. Davenport that night, but that
in his judgment Mr. Davenport was
running about 40 or As miles an. hour,
therefore he placed the charge against
him. This occurred on Hampton street.
David Campbell of 1910 Bryan street,
locomotive engineer on extra No. 1903,
said that the first he knew Of the
accident was when he reached Camden
and was notified. At Camden he ex-
amined his train carefully and found !;
that there was a hole in the bottom Of
the twenty-eighth box car counting
from the engine) and that the trucks
were scared. He testified that the
gates were down at the Elmwood
crossing when his train passed and
that the lights were burning. The
speed at this point he said was about
six or eight miles an hour. He said
ne had AZ cars and caboose, some 30
of which were fruit express cars.
Conductor Testifes.
C. G. McCreight of Hamlet, N. c.,
conductor of extra train No. 303, testi-
fed that he was riding in the caboose
on the right hand side when the train
passed Elmwood crossing. He said
that the lights were burning on the
right hand side, which is the east side,
but he could not say about the lights
on the left side, that on which the ac-
cident occurred. He said that his train
left Cayce at 1855 o'clock and it was
about o'clock when he passed Elm
wood. The speed he estimated at 10
miles an hour. The train consisted OF
q cars and a caboose, 29 of which