Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-28
Friday, April %, 1922.


not tell the distance that the automo-
mile was carried; but 1t seemed to
her like an eternity from the time the
automobile struck the engine until 1t
was stopped.
The witness was quite sure that
neither herself nor any of the occu-
pants of the chr were injured until
after the automobile had been drag
ged n considerable distance by the
engine. She heard no bell ring or
whistle blow.
On cross examination, Miss Will
liams admitted that she would have
been on closer guard against the ap-
proach of the train at the crossing
had she not been under the impress
sion that the train had already passed
She thought that when her attention
was first called to the oncoming train
the engine was about on a line with
Trinity Methodist church. She did
not recall making statement while
lying in the c. & NV. depot to the
effect that ut was all my fault; the
brakes would not work."
She did not recall making state
mont at her home that "the railroad
company is not to blame; it was my
fault She did remember saying
something to the effect that the train
was coming slowly.
She said she had spoken to Mr.. Ed
Gettys some time prior to the acci-
dent about the brakes on her car be-
ing loose and Mr.. Gettys hid told her
lie would be glad to tighten them
Sc me @tirle. She did not remember
how long this conversation occurred
before the accident.
DIR. r. A. Bratton who said he had
hCnn
Miss Neely for many years told of the
injuries she received. Tie major in
jurie2 were broken legs below the
knees and two broken ribs on the
right side. A rib had punctured one
of her lungs and this, together with
tEe shock received; caused her death
two days after tie wreck.
Minor Hemphill, colorcd, saw the
tragedy. He was standing near the
depot. The train didn't seem to stop,
he testified, until 1t reached the depot.
Then it appeared to stop all at once.
He didn't remember hearing the bell
on the engine ring although he did re-
member hearing the whistle blow
down about the Travora Cotton Mill.
George Wright, colored, saw the
wreck. He too, was at the station.
He saw the step on the side OF the
cow catcher engage a front wheel of
the automobile and pull it toward the
station. The engine did not demolish
the automobile as soon as the two
came in contact; but the monkey
motion drive of the engine tore up
the car when 1t was near the depot.
Y. e. McMackin, clerk of court,
testified that he was at the Carolina
& North Western station on the MORN
ing of the accident and that he assist
ed in getting the injured ladies out OF
the broken automobile. Both the en-
gine and the automobile were some
thirty or forty feet from the Crossing
and nearer the station when he first
observed them. He saw the morning
train coming through the cut in front
of the Methodist parsonage but he was
unprepared to estimate the speed of
the train because 1t was coming di-
rectly toward him. He testified that
Miss Mary Williams said after she
had been carried into the station that
she felt like the accident was all her
fault because she had been under the
impression the train had passed.
Plaintiff Rests.
At the conclusion of Mr.. McMackin's
testimony, the plaintiff rested its case.
w. W. Hudson, the first witness for
|
fed that he was living at the Travora
mill on March II, 1921, the day of the
wreck. He remembered distinctly
hearing the train blow a station blow
that morning and he also heard the
| bell ringing as the train passed near
the mill. He did not hear of the wreck
of the automobile until about 10
o'clock.
Jesse J. Faris who was living at the
| Travora mill at that time was en-
gagged in tying out his cow on March
II, 1921 when the train passed. He
heard the train blow for the "Over-
head Bridge" one mile south of York
vile and he heard IL blow as it passed
near where he was standing with his
COW. He couldn't say whether or not
the bell was ringing; but he remem-
bered distinctly about the whistle be-
cause it frightened his cow.
John Edward Fewell, aged IL, son Of
Alex Fewell lived near the East JEFF
ferson street crossing at the time OF
| the accident. He had started to school
the morning of March II and seeing
the train coming he waited until it
had passed Jefferson street crossing.
He heard the whistle blowing and the
bell ringing.
Ben Faris testified he was living at
| the lIdNOId Tie VI lAC
| tragedy. He was standing near the
warehouse at the TravOra mill when
the train passed He heard the whistle
on the engine blow two longs and two
shorts after leaving the "Old Depot"
He remembered particularly the day
because the engine had different
sounding whistle the engine being a
Southern engine. He judged the train
was travelling some 25 or 80 miles an
hour when it passed him.
NJ. c. D. Owens was in the Nichols
building where his shoe shop was
located the morning OF the accident
His attention was called to the scene
by school children. 1t appeared oto
him that the car was connected to the
engine between the pilot beam and
the cylinder head. 1t was all over
when he arrived on, the scene.
Tried to Warn Victims.
Carl H. Hart was coming up town
from his home on East Liberty street
the morning of the wreck. He was
standing on the west side Of the track
when the accident occurred. He heard
the bell on the engine ringing and he
saw a negro woman cross the track in
a buggy just before the train started
passing the crossing. He saw the au-
tOmobile driven by Miss Williams COM
ing. He said he yelled to Miss Will
liams to come to the ditch. Then he
saw her ont her car directly toward