The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-12-07
Tluo Newberry Boys Meet
Tragic Death ir, Capital

with Mr.. Davenport at the wheel. Mr.
Falls was in the rear seat While his
injuries are not serious, the shock was
severe. The train mad almost cleared
the crossing when the accident oc-
Cured.
Your correspondent has lived In the
same block with the two young men
who were killed for the past two years.
, Coming from the same town, and liv-
ing so close together in Columbia, it
was natural that our association
should be close, and feel a sense Of
personal loss in their tragic death. In
city where speed mania seems to
have seized most Of the owners and
drivers of automobiles, and where the
regulation and control Of motor cars
has seemed to me sometimes to be al
! most criminally careless, l regarded
Mr.. Davenport as careful driver, and
was surprised to read in the testimony
at the inquest that he had been fined
! for fast driving few nights before
the accident. 1t gives me great deal
of pleasure to be able to testify for
them that, with all the opportunity
have had of observing them in Colum-
bia, theiss conduct was that of young
gentlemen who were working hard to
establish themselves in the world, and
who were succeeding, quietly, soberly
and industriouslg.
{ The street along which they were
running is paved, and they were COM
ing down hill from the cemetery to-
wards the track
The Columbia State gives the follow
ing report of the inquest, which was
adjourned over until tonight.
The Inquest,
S. E. Harmon, NJ D., of Columbia
said that ne was called about 2 o'clock
Sunday morning to Wayne streetNand
Elmwood avenue, where he found a
wrecked automobile. The train had
gone. Two bodies were lying there,
,Nr. Davenport's being nearest the
railroad track and Mr.. Swittenbergs
about 20 feet from the automobile.
Mr.. Davenport was still alive, but un-
conscious. Mr.. Swittenberg was dead.
After examining the bodies DR.. Har-
man went with Mr., Davenport to the
I hospital, where he died not more tnan
80 minutes after his arrival. Both young
men had injuries about the head that
would be sufficient to cause death.
Mr.. Swittenberg's legs were crushed
and Mr.. Davenport had injuries about
the body. The wrecked automobile
was standing parallel with the Sea-
board tracks, not more than three to
six feet away from the rails, and the
crossing gate on the southwest side
was broken to splinters according to
DR.. Harmon. He also said that he
saw pieces of a broken lantern, but
he didn't notice This especially.
W. E. Fulmer, NJ. D., who had also
been called to the scene of the acei=
dent, substantiated what DR.. Har-
mon had said.
f! Eye Witness Examined.
Job schumpert of 935 Gervais street,
! a fagman in the employ of the Sea-
board Air Line railway, who was on
duty Saturday nigh at the E'mwood
crossing, testified that an automobile
I passed, going westward at about 90
miles an hour. This machine went out
of sight, he said, and just then the
headlight of the extra freight appeared.
He pulled down the gates and rang the
gong. He saw something go up against
the train and he went out to see what
had happened. "Wnat do you all
mean?" he said he asked Of the third
cccuDant Of the machine This was
, about 2 o'clock, according to Mr..
, schumpert. He said that there were
red lanterns burning on each Of the
four gates. and ne exhibited to the
jury a broken lantern, which he said :
was the cne that was hanging on the
gate which was smashed in the acci-
dent. When asked how long it was
between the time he saw machine
speed out Elmwood and the time OF
the accident he said about three min
utes. He would not swear that it was
the same automobile, but said that he
supposed it to be the same. Mr..
Schumpert testified that he didn't see
tho cor on ifs ea aStbound trim until he