Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Gatewood, Arthur August 9, 1895
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Suzy Ward Fleming wardflemin@aol.com January 19, 2015, 1:39 pm

The Norfolk Virginian, August 11, 1895


The Ocean View Wreck
Arthur Gatewood and Wm. C. Murdaugh Killed
A Spike was put on the Rail. The Railroad People Interviewed, A Reward of $1000 
Offered For the Guilty Party
Topic of Conversation

The wreck on the Ocean View road Friday night was much more serious than was at 
first reported and The Virginian regrets to announce the death of two very 
bright and promising young men in this fearful accident. Arthur Gatewood, son 
of Rev. Robert Gatewood, and William C. Murdaugh, son of Judge C.W. Murdaugh, 
of Portsmouth, who were upon the second car and were crushed to death.
The Virginian’s report of the accident secured by one of its staff, who visited 
the scene, was correct in every particular and contained all of the facts up to 
the time of going to press. At the hour the whereabouts of the two unfortunate 
young men was unknown, but The Virginian was assured that they had been seen 
leaving the wreck and were uninjured. 
The Virginian has talked with the officials of the road, also many persons who 
were upon the car and it is now stated as a fact that the train was wrecked, 
though this was not known till yesterday morning.
What Mr. Owens Said.
The Manager of the Ocean View road was seen at his office on Bank Street 
yesterday, He said that the truck was in good condition and the car was not 
going more than twelve miles an hour and would never have left the track but 
for an iron spike which was placed upon the rail by some person to throw the 
train off.
He said that Mr. Barrett in an expert motorman and that he had turned off the 
current, and at the time the train was going forward without pressure. He says 
that Mr. Barrett was prostrated with grief over this accident.
Mr. William Pannill says he was on the train, and Mr. Barrett, who was at the 
lever, was running at three knots, until he approached the bridge, he then 
threw off the current.
Mr. Pannill says that when the two men were missed, that an effort was made to 
find them, and that the officers of the road were informed that the young men 
had been going towards the power house. When it was ascertained that they were 
not at Ocean View or in the city the railroad hands were directed to make a 
diligent search of the wreck and they were found.

Crushed to Death
As stated in The Virginian yesterday the first trailer jumped the track and 
plunged down the bank on the right of the bridge, the front of the car being 
several feet from the mud.
The young men killed had the front seat on this car it is thought perhaps as 
soon as the car started down the bank they jumped and were caught under the 
cars. The theory is equally as plausible that they did not jump but were on the 
front platform. They were directly under the car, close together. Young 
Murdaugh’s chest was slightly crushed and had a long red mark across it.
W.C. Murdaugh was 19 years old, a student at Virginia Military Institute and an 
intelligent and popular young man.
Arthur Gatewood was also a student at Virginia Military Institute and would 
have graduated this year. He was only 17 years old, but was one of the 
brightest boys at the Institute.
The Inquest
Justice Hawkes, as soon as the learned that the young men had been killed, 
caused two coroner’s juries to be summoned. 
The jury which inquired into the causes of Arthur Gatewood’s death was composed 
of John A. Lesner, foreman, Wm. Carmine, W.T. Stevens, George Robinson, J.J. 
Ransome, H. Allen.
The jury which viewed the body of Wm. C. Murdaugh was composed of E.W. Savage, 
foreman, Wm. Hunter, A.C. Cromwell, E.G. Ferguson, H. Neal, E.R. Hawks.
The Coroner adjourned the jury till next Wednesday, when they will again 
assemble to make further inquiry. The remains of the young men after the 
inquest were turned over to their friends.
The burial permits give as a cause of death “suffocation and other causes” 
which would indicate that in the opinion of the Health Officer the young men 
were not crushed by the weight of the car.
There were a score or more of persons more or less injured. Some were bruised, 
other had their skin broken in a number of places and possibly fifty were 
pretty severely “shaken up”. Of these Leslie Fine, a boy 15 years old, who 
lives at 105 Bank Street, and works at Wright’s store on Main Street.
Lester Fines Injuries
He was in the seat with Murdaugh and Gatewood and when the searchers went down 
to the edge of the water under the trail car they found the boy under the end 
of the car and pulled him out.
He was badly bruised about the legs and hips and was carried to Ocean View by 
the railroad officials and cared for. Yesterday afternoon he was reported to be 
doing well. Many of the ladies were badly shocked and one of them fainted.
Reward Offered
The officers of the company have offered a reward of $1,000 for the capture of 
the party who placed the spike upon the rail. The company will leave no stone 
unturned to discover the perpetrator of this awful crime, and when discovered 
there will be another hanging in the vicinity.


Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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