Bisbee daily review., 1918-05-14
RAILROAD IS HELD. RESPONSIBLE FOR.
 WILLIAMS DEATHS.

Its employees and agents, responsible for the accident which resulted in the oeath of John s. Williams, a prom inent Bisbee attorney, last Sunday night, and three of his family. the coroner's jury rendered its findings this afternoon at a late hour. The delay in the finding of verdict was caused by the fact that the reporters notes were taken to Phoenix and tran scribed before the findings were de- cided upon.
 Charles F. Bennett of Casa Grande and justice of the peace and coroner for that precinct of Pinal county, con ducted the case. The jury was com posed of the following: George Bur gess, foreman: A. T. McKinlay, Dave Cummings, & O. Chapman, Gordon McMurray, Howard Snyder, Jack Charleton, H. NJ. Miner and Charles Randolph.
 The verdict follows:
 We, the Jury, duly impaneled. sworn and charged by Charles F. Ben nett, justice of the peace in the above named precinct, acting as coroner, to | inquire into the cause of the death | # four persons killed at a grade cross | ing on the Southern Pacific railroad ! in the town of Casa Grande, Pinai county, Arizona, on the evening ol | May 5, 1918, having inspected the ! bodies of said four persons, immediate l ly after they were killed, and at the place they were killed, and having | heard the testimony of witnesses as to the circumstances leading up to the death of said four persons, hereby | he | persons killed at said time and place. as aforesaid, were John S. Williams, age 46 years; his wife, Edith V. Will Hams, age 42 years; Dorothy Williams, age IA years: and Maurine Williams, age years; the last two named being daughters of the said John s. Williams and his said wife, Edith V. Williams; that the place of residence of the said deceased was Casa Grande, Arizona; that all of said persons were killed on the railroad crossing next east from the railroad pump house within the corporate limits of the town Of Casa Grande at about the hour of S:26 ?. m on Sunday. the 5th day of May. 1918: that the said John s. Williams, his said wife and two children, with son Paul. who was not instantly killed, were crossing the track of the South crn Pacific railroad company at the regular public crossing in the said town of Casa Granda, above men, toned. riding in an automobile driven by said John s. Williams, and chat the said John s. Williams. his wife and two daughters, first herein named. were all killed at the same time and that the cause Of death was that the automobile in which they were riding was struck on said crossing by the engine of Southern Pacific train No. 1. westbound; that at the time said automobile was struck and the sad four persons killed, as aforesaid, the said train No. l was running at an excessive and reckless rate of speed, and, as shown by the evidence sub mitted to this jury. the said train was running. at the time of said killing, at from 40 to 50 miles an hour; that at the time of the killing of said per sons. the said train was about two hours behind its schedule time; that no whistle was blown or bell rung on said engine so rods before reaching said crossing. and that no whistle was blown or bell rung until at the moment of striking said automobile, and that, although it was past sun down. no headlight was burning on said engine at the time of said kill ing. and for the foregoing reasons, we Therefore find that the death of said John s. Williams, Edith V. Will Hams. his wife, Dorothy Williams and Maurine Williams, was caused by tho gross carelessness and negligence or the tSouthern Pacific railroad com pany and its agents and employees in charge of said train, and, especially because of the excessive and danger ous rate of speed at which said trail was being run through the corporate limits of said town of Casa Grande. Witness our hands this 11th day of May, 1918. (Signed) GEO. w BURGESS.
 Foreman.
 "A. T. McKINLAY,
 I'll. M. SNYDER,
 IS. o. CHAPMAN,
 "J F.. CHARLTON,
 "H NJ. MINEAR,
 "CHAS. RANDOLPH,
 GORDON McMURRAY,
 "B. w. CUMMINS."