The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-31
Overton and Thomas P. How
ard, Popular and Prominent
Men. and Richard Bagby,
Youth, Instantly Killed
ENTIRE SECTION IS
SHOCKED BY TRAGEDY
Their Automobile Struck by
Car on Richmond and Ches-
apeake Railway Early Yes
terday-Crew Exonerated

BApneratlng the ere" OF. the tSlcH-
rncnd and Chesapeake Bay railroad
car, which struck an automobile car
rying Thomas p. Howard. of Rich
rflors1. Overton Howard. Of Hanover
county. and Richard VI. Bagby, six
teen year old boy Of Hanover. yester-
day morning. killing all three of the
occupants the coroners jury at an IN
quest held yesterday morning about
] o'clock declared that he believed
thar the badly located railroad sign,
which was half-conceaied by foliage
contributed to the tragedy. which
stirred the county Of Hanover and the
city Of Richmond The accident oc-
CURED bout 7:4o O'Clock yesterday
morning as the three victims were
coming IL Richmond. The interurhan
car struck the machine at the point
where the. hne crosses the Ashcake
road the occupants having been tn
SANITY Killed
Thomas =. Howard made his home
hare IN Monroe terrace. and VAS the
chief bank examiner for the Fifth
federal RESERVE district; Ills brother
ovtvton Howard lived in Hanover
near Ashland. and Was prominent
lsst>er ef this city Va tirtaininG offices
- the Travellers blltlng Richard
& HagAr. aged Si>teen wears. was
r. sor of Nfr and Mrs t@yde Eaeny.
af HAuovcr All thrc. - the bodies
were brought 20 EIchM"ua YESTERDAYS
afternoon. and tGrH,d eAer T. L. T
4 h+f.t5aT tr h4rl7I NJ ls<lls fer
fine etere completed ias ri~ht-
~ wN ~ he'd .vftGgds n2rlifg -,
r. hasis! bo.H@ in HolG~tpos,
Ingut - j. Held
Il WIS several hours yesterday
r. r-tn- AFTER tht accident before Act
iae Coroner George Z. Heath. would
re~falt ne bodies 10 be removed, fi@
+ gst summoned his jury. and about
/ locloek the Inquest was held IN
tne town hall of Ashland J. r..
pollard Of Ashland WAS fore
man Of the jury which wax composed
q I've men The verdict was as tol-
aas.
We. the fury. and that Thomas +.
howard Overton Howard and Richard
N RaEbv came 10 their death at 1.4o
a NJ. August 50. isi7, when the All
tonobile in which they we're riding
r.as struck by car OF the Richmond
and Chesapeake Bav railroad whore
The AshCake rpad crosses the Inc OF
sha. eoy1paue The bad location Of
tbs railroad sign at that point, which
l. partly obscured by trees. We believe
sceident. and We hereby exonerate the
,rex OF the car, w s Brinkley. mo-
sorr,an. and ]. A Martin, conductor
Of All blame in connection with the
accident"
NAV Not Have Observed Track.
n was said last night on account of
The car tracks being level with the
roadbed II would he difficult for any
,ne not familiar with the road TO see
the tracks until almost upon them
Thomas r Howard. VINO lives in Rich
mond was driving the machine ut the
time of the tragedy md 1t is said that
he did not know the road we'll. 1t
was also stated that unless an effort
Is made to see the railroad sign. II
cannot be discerned through the thick
growth of leaves which practically
covers IL from view. II can, however,
be seen about twenty-five feet from
the track house to the left of the
road also prevents the driver of an au
.omobile seeing an approaching car.
When the car hit the macnIne It
shattered it into bits. 0verton How
ard was thrown $50 feet. his body
landing in a nearby ditch in some
bushes: Thomas Howard was thrown
clear Of the road and Richard Bagby.
khile lifted on a few feet. was caught
In the impact, 1t was believed. and
killed imm ediately. 1t appears that
when the machine neared the tracks,
and the driver discovered the nearness
pf the approaching car he speeded up
his machine in an effort to clear the
tracks At the same time the motor
man applied his brakes, which ground
into the track. but before the car was
stopped 1t had struck the machine
with terrific force. None of the par.
sengers on the car was injured, and
though the ear stopped TO render
whatever aid was possible. 1t continued
on its way to Ashland when it was
discovered that all three of the occu-
pants Of the machine had been killed.
Gar WhistIcd For Crossing.
The three were returning to Rich.
mond from fishing trip in Hanover
II is said that the machine was going
at a fairly rapid gate of speed when
Il neared the electric car line. The
o'clock Ashland car from Richmond.
/, was declared, had blown for the
crossing just as il made a turn short
distance away On account OF the
thick woods, at the crossing, the posi-
tion of house and cornfield which
obstruct the full view OF the track.
the crossing has always been declared
a dangerous one residents of Ashland
having declared that they have been
expecting to see an accident there at
any time. Several people not far dis
N