Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-24
ACCIDENT IS VERDICT !E|:li||I g
Richmond Coroner Places No Respon1
siDility for Deaths of Meade
and Gooch.

Harry G. Gooch, private in Troop
D. First Virginia Cavalry, fomerly
the Richmond Light Infantry Blues,
came to his death ealy Monday morn
inc in the Acca yards, Richmond. as
, result of being accidentally struck
bv a train of the Richmond, Fred
euicEsburg / Potomac sRaiload, OF
which Thomas A. Brown was engine
man. Such was the verdict OF the
coroner's jury in Richmond yesterday.
AS w. F. Meade, of Alexandra, an
other private in Troop D, whs was
also killed in the accident, met death
similarly, Coroner Taylor deemed ar
inquest unnecessary in that case
Brown testified that he saw nothing
of the Young man on the tracks a!
his train passed Acca going to"ar'
Richmond. In his opinion his failure
to observe them was due to tWe
causes. ID One was that the Seaboar'
Air Line train, from which the sol
diers had alighted a few moment:
previously, en- route to camp Stuslr'
after trip to Alexandria, was pull
ing out just ahead of him ON tract
! TO the left and the rays from II:
high powered electric headlight en-
tended over his own tracks, blurrine
his vision. The other was that the
khaki uniforms of the two soldiers
not unlike in color to the Toadbed
made it difficult for them to be seer
in the darkness. Brown thought thai
they were probably in the darkenei
area just behind the rays of the Other
headlight when they were struck: nc
said that his engine carried an OF!
burning: light. Not until the tran
reached Byrd street station did ht
!! gain any intimation that anyone hac
been killed. :.
! When r. H. Mcdonald, his fireman
went ahead to look afterathe lights
after the train drew in, a hat cord
J; such as, is worn by soldiers, was founc
IN the j.. COW catcher. Mcdonald
brought it to his attention, with the
result that he reported the matter tt
Yard Conductor C. Nj. Mallory, who
went back On the track and found tht
W., r,nn@lad bodies in the Acca yards
Br se3, sid he had no pllection o1
srriki4g a1sy 9hiest- Aotillng out Of
the o5diii,rsj.s bapaeted as he came BY
Acea. g,,sgfHs - The usual rate oil
about fifty miles an hour. Fireman
/, Mcdonald testified, however, that
after he discovered the hat cord he
recalled that "a quantity of gravel
struck him in the face as he was
looking out the left side Of the cal
when passing Acca.
This, he said, was doubtless caused
Dy the body of Meade, which was
knocked to that side of the track
Engineman Brown could not recall
being struck by any gravel, although
Detective Sergeant John Wiley, who
investigated the case for the police
testified that Gooch's body virtually
plowcd its way along the tack to the
i right for a distance of twenty feet or
| more after being struck. The body
Of Meade was knocked a distance of
lifty-four feet, leaving trail of blood
IN its wake. 1t was found lying across
another track to the left.
Both John d. McNabb and Joseph
K, Carson, also privates in Troop D.,
who got off the Seaboad Air Line
train with Gooch and Meade, testified
briefly, telling how they turned OF
in another direction going to the
camp ;mmcdia ely and thus escaped
L, .<,I,.