Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-26
HUSBAND NAMED
IN GRADE DEATHS
Coroner's Jury Finds Lem
mons Contributed to Cause
of Crossing Accident.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HYATTSVILLE, Md, October 26-
Douglas Lemons, member of the
Washington Fire Department, in the
to the cause of the death" of his wife
Mrs. Edith Lemons, and his 6-year-
old son, Milan Lemons, who were
killed when the machine was struck by
a southbound Pennsylvania Railroad
train at Landover, Prince Georges
County, Monday night at l0:40 o'clock
according to the verdict of a coroner's
jury, which met in the county Police
Court room here last night. The jury
of which Fl. L. Leonard of HyattSville
was chairman, was in session three
hours. Justice of the Peace Herbert j.
Moffat was acting coroner.
1t also was set forth in the verdict
that the railroad crossing is unsafe
and that the jury recommends suit
able warning. such as a bell and gates.
be installed to warn the public OF APP
preaching trains.
GTaySOn'S Testimony.
1t was the testimony of William
GraySon, colored Waterman at the
Landover crossing that caused the Jury
TO deliberate so long before returning a
verdict.
Grayson said that the Lemons car
crossing for some time before the acct
dent. He said that he noted by the
glare against the sky the approach of
the train and taking his red lantern,
crossed the track. When he reached
the other side and turned he declared
that he saw the Lemons car APP
preaching the track. Grayson said he
yelled and waved to Lemons to stop,
nut that the latter kept on until the
car was on the tracks. Grayson testi-
fed that Lemons then asked him to
help get the machine off the track, but
this they were unable to do, and he
then told Lemons to get his wife and
child out of the car. Grayson said that
Lemons grabbed the boy, but then let
him go as he jumped to the rear of the
machine just in time to escape as the
train hit the automobile and killed Mrs.
Lemons and the boy.
Lemmons. who did not testify last
night, said after the accident that when
ne started his car toward the track he
discovered 1t was in gear and that when
IL got on the tracks the engine choked.
Other Witnesses
Other witnesses to testify besides
Grayson were r. H. Sansbury of Bowie.
this county, engineer of the train, who
said he saw the car when the train was
so or so feet away and he was making
70 miles an hour and that he immedi-
ately threw on his air brakes: j. H.
Robinson, fireman, who said he also
saw the automobile about SO or so feet
away and had blown his whistle for the
crossing, and H. L. Poland, conductor,
who said that he felt the sudden appli-
cation OF the brakes, that the train was
brought to stop some distance beyond
the crossing and that he then took steps
70 warn other trains of the accident.
So suddenly were the brakes anDIied
that part of the train coupling was
broken and the automatic switching
system in the section put out of COM
mission temporarily.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lemons
and her son were held this morning
at 81. Peter's Catholic Church, WASH
tngton, and later the bodies were
sent to Utica, N. Y, accompanied by
Mr.. Lemons. for tnterment. Mrs.
Lemons mother lives in Utica.