San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-29
ONE DEAD, ONE
HURT AS TRAIN
AND CAR CRASH
Charles P. Martin, Gov
eminent Employe,
Is Killed.
COMPANION IS HURT
Trainmen Claim Injured
Man Said He Tried to Beat
Train to Crossing.
COMPANION IS HURT

Charles T. Martin. 53, 302 IL South
Alamo street. was killed and \. L
Aitkens. 43. 3O5 Water street. is near
death as a result of a crash between
an automobile they occupied and mixed
train No. 22S. Southern Pacific rail
way, from Eagle Pass. at q 10 o'clock
Thursday morning. The accident oc-
CURED at the Frio road crossing. near
Kelly Field.
The automobile, a roadster. caught
On the pilot of the engine. was dragged
sixteen car lengths. Martin and Ait
kens were carried in the automobile
for 100 yards before they were hurled
to one side of the tracks. Martin died
while being brought to the city IN the
trains baggage car. Aitkens, badly
injured. was taken 10 the Santa Rosa
hospital. 1t is reported he will prob
ably li,.
Both were civilian employees Of the
government. being retained as night
watchmen at the air intermediate de-
pot, Kelly Field.
81 thought | could beat the train
over the crossing" J. 7. Lackey, 10
connective engineer, quoted Aitkens ~
saying, when he with other members
Of the train crew lifted Athens into
the baggage car to be brought to San
Antonio.
Claim Whistle Sounded.
Martin and Aitkens. according to
information given at Kelly Field. had
LIS ha
fore the accident. They were en- route
TO their homes in the city, after hav-
ing been OF duty all night. lnvestiga-
ton. according TO Lackey. showed the
radius rod Of the automobile had
hooked 10 the left side of the engine
pilot. which was responsible for the
car being dragged. This. it is be-
lieved, prevented the automobile from
being crushed beneath the train.
J. Il. Ammons, 1113 North Pine
street. fireman on the train. in teSti-
mony before Justice Ben $. Fisk, at
the inquest hearing held at IL o'clock,
said he saw the headlights of the
automobile approaching the train at
rapid rate. The engineer. he said.
had only few moments before sound
ed his whistle for the crossing. but
that he yelled to Lackey TO blow the
whistle again. The whistle of the en-
CINE, he said, was still blowing when
the automobile and the engine met
at the crossing. The automobile. he
said. struck the back end of the pilot
and hung there. Because the engineer
could not see from his box on the right
side of the cab he again called to him
to stop. He said the brakes were i'm
mediately applied.
Martin Native of City.
Lackey testified that when he had
brought the train TO a stop. the engine
was standing some sixteen ear lengths
beyond the crossing. He jumped out
of the cab and found the automobile.
empty. still hanging TO the left side of
the pilot. He went bacl; about six ear
lengths, he said. and found the in
jured men. With the assistance of the
train crew the men were carried to
the baggage car and taken 10 the de-
pot. Martin dying en- route.
Martin was a native of San An
tonic and is survived by brother.
II. X. Martin, and two sisters, Mrs.
Alice Jacobs and Mrs. Antonette
Schaefer. all of San Antonio. The
body was removed TO the Riebe I'm
dertaking Company. where it will be
held pending the arrival of Mrs. Jacobs
who is visiting in Chicago.