J.S. Patrick, furniture repairer, who lived in brick row on West Fifth street beyond the Southern Railway, is the man who was struck and killed by a shifting train on the Southern Railway tracks between West Morehead and West Hill streets Friday night and whose body lay unidentified in the morgue of Hovis’ undertaking establishment until nearly noon Saturday.
The man who lives in the same building and who knew Patrick called at the undertaking establishment and said Patrick was the man. This man gave the information that Patrick had worked as a furniture repairer for A.W. Smith and an employe of the store also identified him.
The dead man’s home is in Darlington, SC., and the body is being held here pending word from his family.
It seems that Patrick has lived here for some time, having worked several years for Swift & Company. It was reported that he was employed on some kind of painting job at the Standard Oil Company here.
Patrick was struck in the head by a shifting train operated by Engineer Sam McCall and Conductor S.A. Dover about 7:45 o’clock Friday night. None of the train crew knew of the accident until a negro informed Mr. McCall that a man had been hit nearly an hour later.
The engine was backing with a string of cars ahead. The place where the man was supposed to have been hit is dark and the cars in the front of the engine cut off the light of the head lamp.
He was struck by the first car yet Mr. Dover, who was riding on that car, did not know of the accident. Later, he discovered blood splotches on the end of the car.
A negro man and negro woman were walking south on the tracks when they saw a man tumbling along the rails. They ran back to the Hill street crossing and told two white men who were passing.
Police were informed and Detectives Gribble and Pittman found the man lying by the tracks with a gash in his right temple. He was still alive and the detectives hastened to send him to St. Peter’s hospital, where he died on the operating table two hours later. His skull was fractured.
From the cut on his face, it appeared as if he was knocked against the rail or cross-tie. He must have been seated on the tracks and the car hit him on the back, hurling him against the rail.
The undertaking morgue was visited by hundreds Saturday morning but none was able to give a clue until the West Fifth street man came.
Coroner Frank Hovis will not hold an inquest in as much as it is evident to him that Patrick was struck and killed by the train.
From the Charlotte News, Saturday afternoon, April 15, 1922
No comments:
Post a Comment