The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-12-27
RUNAWAY TRAIN KILLS
TWO MORTON (WASH. } MEN
One of the Victims, Harry Ash
by, Was Native of Garrett
County, Md.

The Republican of December 18th
mentioned, very briefly, on account
of the lack of definite information,
the fact that Harry Ashby, son of
Mr.. Ralph Ashby, of Crellin, had met
with an accidental death at a point
near Morton, Washington, few days
prior. Recently this paper was in re-
ceipt of newspaper clipping giving
details of the accident, the same hav-
ing been taken from the Tacoma
(Wash.) Tribune of December 4th, as
follows:
Hating two runaway cars after
they had already crashed into two
men, killing one instantly, j. B. Wan
gsford. section foreman for the Taco
ma and Eastern Railway here, pre-
vented what would have been much
more serious accident when he stop
ped their death dash near here yester-
day.
The two cars a few minutes before
had crashed into speeder on which
Harry Lyle, 80, and Harry Ashby, As,
were riding toward Lindberg for the
mail for the Lytle-Inch Logging Co.
Lytle was killed instantly and Ashby
died few minutes after he was taken
to the Eatonville Hospital.
The cars, one fiat car loaded with
ties and the other an empty car, be-
came detached from the train in Nor
ton and started on the steep grade
toward Lindberg. The two men, with
their backs to the wildly careening
cars gaining impetus at every revo-
luton Of the wheel, could not hear
death approaching them above the
sound of their own motor.
Swaying from side to side the cars
crashed into the slower moving speed
or. hurting the two bodies to the sides
of the right Of way and reducing the
speedcr to wreckage.
Continuing on their mad dash down
the hill they slackened speed as they
went up the grade on the other side
and finally came to a halt a mile and
a quarter from here.
The daily passenger train, due to
leave here at 12:45, was about ready
to leave for Tacoma with It's regular
numbrr Of passengers, ignorant Of the
a
wee poised on their return trip and
inevitably crash into the oncoming
train.
But Wangsford, seemingly an in
strument Of fate, prevented 1t.
When the two cars stopped. and be-
fore they began the dash down the
hill and back toward Morton, he
hastily put blocks under the wheels
and then went ahead several hundred
yards and tagged the approaching
train to a stop.
Horror-stlicken at the sight Of the
two ears dashing toward the two men,
whom he could see riding Oil their
gasoline speeder, ignorant Of the
swiftly approaching death. Alex Nc
Lean, superintendent Of the camp,
was Dowerlcss to warn them. He was
q mile away on the crest Of a hill
and saw the accident.
Calling several woodsmen, he hur-
ried to the scene and found Lytle
killed and Ashby unconscious from
fatal hurts.
1t was said here this morning that
seveal other cors have broken away at
different times in the past, but this
is the first time it has been attended
with fatal consequences.
Ashby, one Of the victims Of the
death-dealing dash of the cars, was
former mayor Of Morton, and had
lived here many years. He was one
of the best known men in the city.
He was employed as head tiler at the
Lytle-Inch Logging Co. camp, R. f.
Lyle, principal owner of the COM
pany, being the father of the other
victim of the crash. The companys
offices are at 500 Tacoma Building,
Tacoma.
Besides his widow, who was in Ia
coma with her 16 year old daughter
Elsie, attending a business college
there, Mr.. Ashby is survived by an
IS year old son, Frank, who lives
here. LXtle was unmarried