The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-12-20
B. NJ. GRIFFITH
KILLED SUNDAY
Machine Struck by Reading Fly
er at New Road Grade Cross
ing Shortly After Noon.
Death Came Instantly

Death came instantly to Benjamin
M. Griffith, aged AZ years, on Sunday
shortly after the noon hour. when his
automobile was struck and demolished
by a Reading flyer at the New Road
grade crossing in this city.
Wreekage of the Ford roadster was
strewn for thirty feet down the rails.
The body of the unfortunate man was
found on the embankment near the
ruins of the car. The engineer of
the express saw the car too late to
avoid hitting it, but he applied the
emergency brakes at once. The train
vert as far as Main street before it
stopped, however. Then the train
backed up to the Gene of the acc1-
dent and remained there until after
Coroner Parsels had been called and
viewed the scene.
Griffith, who kept his car at Heck
er's garage, 124 S. Main street, took
the machine out at 1915, inviting the
proprietor of the place, Samuel Heck
er, TO take a short drive with hin,
saying that he would be back shortly,
as he intended taking the / o'clock
train out of the city, That a second
death was avoided is due t the fact
that Heeker's dinner was ready, and
he refused TO go.
The machine was driven up Nam
street, turned up Washington avenue
and into the New Road toward Abse-
con. 1t just reached the tracks when
the express, going toward Atlantic
City at a fast clip, struck it. Specta-
tors who reached the spot first found
a tangled heap of wreckage and the
body of the man on the ~embankmeDt
a few feet away.
Mayor Crawford, who resides on the
New Road near the railroad, was
standing at his window when the ma
chine went by. From his point of
view he could see the red stop sign
at the crossing show. Thinking that
the car would stop, he remarked that
il was by a close margin if it crossed
the tracks before the train went by.
A few seconds later he went u on
his porch, where he saw a small girl
going up New Road turn around and
u in the opposite direction. The
Mayor ran to the crossing and, with
others attracted by the noise, found
the body.
After it had been determined that
the man was dead, the remains Were
taken to the undertaking establish
ment of Coroner Parsels.
County Physician Souder anne To
Pleasantville on Sunday after receiV-
ing notice from Coroner Parsels q
the accident. He viewed the body, THE
scene of the accident and took note
of the facts in the case. His decision
was that the affair was an unavoida-
BILE accident and that there was no
need of an inquest in the case, there
fore no further inquiry will be held.
Griffith, who has been in this city
since May, came here from Bethles
hem, Pa, for the benefit of his health
He was formerly employed in the
mills at that place, but found the
work too combining, and so accepted a
position here with the Singer Sewing
Machine Company. For the first FIVE
months he roomed at the home 81
Walter j. Anderson. 1872 S.. Nam
street. A few weeks ago he left that
place and took rooms at the Old
Turnpike store, where the Singer Of
flee is located.
He resided in this city alone, BIS
wife living at Bethlehem, where be
had a daughter, a student at the
Stroudsburg Normal School. Besides
his wife, he is survived by five daugh-
ters, Marion, age 21; Catherine. aee
10; Frances, age Is; Hone, age l7f
and Beatrice, age Is.
His brother, William Griffith, Of
Glassboro, was Immediately notified
of the accident, and came here on the
FIRST train.