Craven County NcArchives Court.....Lee, Charles 1876 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Guptill sguptill@mindspring.com February 24, 2013, 7:22 pm Source: N C Archives Written: 1876 Folder: Inquests 1876-1879 Name of deceased: Charles LEE DOD: 6 Nov 1876 Witnesses: Isaac W. HUGHES, MD, James B. HUGHES, MD, Clayborn MENDENHALL (train foreman), unidentified witness, Albert WHITFORD, baggage handler and brakeman, Geo. W. MASON, Jr., apparently passenger, Joseph J. ROBERTSON, apparently passenger, John J. IRELAND, foreman on MANWELL's train, Mark MCCLEES, passenger on MANWELL's train, Limber LEWIS, worker on MANWELL's train, Wm. MURDOCK, road master of ANCRR, WS HANCOCK, freight clerk at New Bern office, Albert POWELL, conductor of mail train, BM PINER, passenger on mail train, James B. HANKS, engineer of an unrelated freight train, Chas. R. HANCOCK Witness statements: (Deceased was engineer in the Atlantic and NC RR Company; train was the mail train). I. HUGHES and J. HUGHES issued a joint statement that the lower two thirds of LEE's right lung was disorganised, partly due to the severe fall on the right shoulder and side, history also indicates that his brain was concussed. MENDENHALL stated the collision occurred between Dover and New Bern. Train had left Goldsboro and arrived in Kinston early; left Kinston about 20 minutes early. Train did not have a headlight; it was broken. They carried a red light instead; it could probably not be seen as far. Saw the other engine 3-4 car lengths ahead of them. Does not know if LEE jumped off of engine or was thrown off. Saw LEE after the collision; he was groaning and stated he was hurt bad. Unidentified witness said both trains were bearing red lights which could not be seen a quarter mile away; a quarter mile would have been time to stop. Collision occurred about 8 o'clock [PM]. WHITFORD described the night as dark and foggy; they were coming through the swamp. MASON primarily testified about time; stated he looked at his watch when the collision happened, and it was a minute before 8. Later learned he was about 4 minutes slower than RR time. Said LEE told him in Kinston that they were 20 minutes early, and they left a few minutes after that. WHITFORD also said that LEE had told him after the collision that he was not hurt bad; WHITFORD bathed LEE's wounds with brandy and noted swelling and bruising. Another unidentified witness said he was with LEE when he died a few minutes past 11 PM. ROBERTSON said that after the collision he heard a conversation between Albert POWELL, conductor of LEE's train, and MANWELL discussing the time and whether POWELL was ahead of schedule. IRELAND said the train he was on was carrying a load of wood from Dover; saw a red light on the track and tried to stop. Said MANWELL looked at his watch [before the collision], and said he had time to go where he wanted to. MCCLEES said that he sold some wood in Dover, and he went on MANWELL's train so he could show which wood it was, then MANWELL was bringing him home. Collided with mail train about 1 1/2-2 miles above Dover. All other witnesses primarily testified about time and visibility of the red headlights. Inquest verdict: (Jury convened at the secretary's office of the RR, where the body was lying on 7 Nov 1876 and continued the inquest over several days until 10 Nov 1876). Deceased came to his death from injuries sustained by the colliding of the train upon which he was engineer with a tender and engine on the same road under the management of James MANWELL, Master Mechanist, and that LEE was culpable in not having a head light in his engine and that MANWELL was acting in the most reckless manner in leaving Dover Station at the time he did. Additional Comments: Craven County Coroners' Inquests 1870-1905 (broken series) Citation: CR.028.913.2 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/craven/court/lee2439gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb