Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Timberlake, Walter August 2, 1883
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Dorothy Strawhand https://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008405 August 14, 2021, 1:19 pm

Norfolk Virginian August 3, 1883

 Mr. Walter Timberlake, a young white man quite well known in the city, and 
who for years past has been engaged in the fish business, was run over on  
yesterday morning, between 1 and 2 o'clock, near Chapel Street, by a special 
train on the Ocean View railroad, and instantly killed.  The train in 
question bore a number of Norfolk ladies and gentlemen, who had been to a 
german at Ocean View.  The unfortunate man was badly cut about the head, and 
the remains were much mutilated.
As the occurrence happened outside the city's jurisdiction, Willis Hodges, 
commonly called "Specs," a colored magistrate, was notified, and at his 
direction, Sheriff Lesner of Norfolk County, summoned an inquest jury, 
consisting of five white men and one colored man, which at an early hour on 
yesterday morning investigated the matter.
The chief witness was the engineer of the train William Mathieson.  He 
testified that the train was going at a moderate rate of speed; that in 
turning the curve between Kelly's Road and Landing Street he saw a man 
stretched across both rails of the road, and just in front of the engine; 
that before he could move to reverse the engine, the man was struck and his 
body crushed; that he left the remains by the side of the track and in the 
custody of three young gentlemen who were passengers on the train.
Testimony was also shown that Mr. Timberlake had at a late hour left his 
house on Wide Street adjacent to the spot where he was killed and gone down 
town where he drank freely.
The inference is that he was on his way home, when stupefied by drink he 
laid on the track, unaware of the horrible fate that awaited him.
The fact that the accident was unavoidable was confirmed by passengers on 
the train; and in justice to the engineer, we would state that on a curve 
the headlight of a locomotive lights up only a few feet of the track; hence 
such accidents are more liable to happen on curves than at any other point.
The verdict of the jury, after hearing the above evidence, was that the 
deceased had come to his death by an accident, having been run over by a 
train on the Norfolk and Ocean View railroad, and that no blame was attached 
to the engineer or any one connected with the road.
The deceased was about forty years old and leaves a wife and several 
children.
We learn that on the night previous to the accident, Mr. Timberlake was 
advised to go home, as he had been drinking very freely --counsel that he 
promised to take as he went out of the saloon.
A rumor was started on yesterday morning that the deceased had been murdered 
and his  corpse placed on the track: but, so far as we know, there are no 
grounds whatever for any such supposition.
The company will, it is stated, have the remains interred at its expense.


Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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