OBIT: Grace SPEICHER, 1904, Cresson, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ Cambria Freeman, Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, December 9, 1904 Volume XXXVIII, Number 48 Aroused Over Grade Crossing Grace Speicher Killed That the citizens of Cresson are aroused over the fact that a grade crossing in the borough is proving a death trap is evidenced by the verdict rendered by the coroner's jury in the death of Grace Speicher, the five-year-old girl killed last Thursday by train No. 25. The jury recommended that the Pennsylvania Railroad company either construct an overhead bridge of an underground passage. The inquest was held by Coroner Miller Saturday at Cresson. The testimony of the five witnesses was to the effect that the crossing, which is located just west of the C. & C. overhead bridge is most dangerous at all times because the view of the tracks east on the town is shut off by the abutments of the railroad bridge. It was shown that although caution was observed by a sister of the little girl killed last week, the little one was struck before she could see the train. It was brought out also that the engineer did not blow the whistle as he should have done but instead pulled the cord when he was almost on the spot at which the accident occurred. The witnesses examined are Gladys Speicher who was with her sister when the latter was killed; W. E. Glass, Chas. M. Bell and T. T. Barrett. The jury was composed of T. A. Coop, M. L. McGuire, C. F. Buck, P. M. Brown, V. P. Sanker, J. W. Anderson. The verdict was as follows: "We, the jury, find that Grace Speicher came to her death through being struck by P. R. R. train No. 25 on a grade crossing. We would recommend that the Pennsylvania Railroad in order to do away with the death trap, build a subway or an overhead bridge, thus making passage safe."