Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-23
RAILROAD BLAMED
|FOR BERWYN CRASH
WHERE TWO DIED
Jury Foreman Refuses to Let
Traffic Official Quiz
Woman Driver.
GATEKEEPER'S VISION
CALLED INSUFFICIENT"
Witness Testifes One Barrier Down
as Car Started Across
Tracks.
BY STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

by d stan correspondent OF The star.
BERWYN, Md, July 23.-Criticizing
both the manner in which the crack
Ohio was handled and the way in
which the gates on the Central avenue
grade crossing are manipulated, cor
cner's jury last night laid responsibility
for the accident which cost the lives
of two locomotive engineers Tuesday
on the railroad company, generating
Miss Ethel Thomas, driver of the car
which the train struck.
After celebrating two hours and a
half the jury framed verdict. oeclar-
ing the train crew failed in using
proper precaution in bringing the train
under control, having view OF one
half mile of the automobile sta ed on
the crossing"
Gatekeeper Also Blamed.
1--WE believe that the operator of the
gates has not sufficient vision OF the
road to give the public sufficient pro-
lection" the verdict concluded.
DR.. w. Allen Griffith told the jury
that L. r. Walters, one of the engineers
who leaped to his death when the blaz-
ing gasoline from the tank of the auto
mobile poured into the engine cab, died
instantly of conclusion of the brain.
j. Albert Ward, the other engineer,
probably died of internal injuries and
shock, the physician said.
Mss Ethel Thomas. an employe OF
st. Anne's Orphan Asylum. whose car
she was driving at the time of the &C
cident, insisted she used every precau-
ton In crossing the tracks.
She said she slowed down in passing
some children playing on the road near
the tracks. When she reached the cross
ing she slowed down further and looked
both ways before starting to cross.
Heard No Gong. She Says.
The young woman declared she heard
no gong and without warning the gates
dropped in front of her just as she was
crossing the last track, causing her to
stall the engine.
Efforts to start the car we're futile,
she said, and two men made an unsuc-
cessful effort to shoe it of the tracks.
The men then urged her to leave the
car. and she got out without assistance,
she testified Miss Thomas told the
jury she had been driving almost four
months"
F. H. Lorent. the gateman, who has
been stationed at Berwyn only month,
told how the Columbian Flyer blew all
the way from Branchville." He admit
ted the gates formerly did not work in
unison, but said the equipment was in
perfect working order Tuesday after
noon when the tragedy occurred. He
did not see any car on the road when
he started lowering the gates and was
surprised to see the machine driven by
Miss Thomas stalled between them a
moment later.
Mans Story Varies.
Edwin c. Yost declared Miss Thomas
was driving up the road about 35 miles
an hour. One gate was down and the
other just missed the top of her car as
she drove under it, he testified.
Andrew A. Mothershead. who rushed
to Miss Thomas assistance, along with
Mr.. Yost and Mr.. LorentZ, claimed the
locomotive was rocking sideways as
it approached the crossing, showing the
engineer was applying the brakes.
William H. Conroy. an investigator
for the motor vehicle commissioner
office, sought to question Miss Thomas,
but was blocked by j. Fred Keefauver.
foreman of the jury, on the ground
that such questioning would admit
lot of irrelevant testimony. After the
verdict had been rendered Mr.. Kee-
fauver apologiZed for not permitting
Conroy to interrogate the witness, say
ing he thought the man represented
the American Automobile Association.
Kenneth D. Heinbuck of Berwyn as
serted that on June Is the gates were
not working in unison and he wrote
complaint about them to the rallroao
company.
The verdict, so adverse to the rail-
road company, was rendered in the
companys own freight and passenger
station here, which had been loaned
for the inquest. Justice OF Peace
Francis A. Shipley acted as coroner;
Attorneys Lansdale G. Sasscer ana
Clay Espey appeared for Miss Inomas
While the Jury was celebrating a
group of reporters in the station checked
tn, time between the start of the warn.
ing bell and the time the train arrived
at the crossing, and found 1t TO De 'o
seconds.