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September 8, 1916 MRS. SADIE HOWARD KILLED BY STREET CAR
Mrs. Sadie Howard, daughter of Mrs. Sallie Kinder, of Belfast Mills, Russell county, was killed by being struck by the street car here last Saturday morning. The accident occurred about 10 o'clock at a point near the colored church at Midway. At the time of the accident the car was loaded with passengers en route to meet train No. 5, which reaches North Tazewell at 9:45. The unfortunate woamn was going in the same direction. Her body was mangled, her neck, both legs, and one arm being broken. Motorman Fugate White observed the woman on the track some distance in front of the car, and gave the usual warning signals. he presumed, of course, that she would step from the track in time to avert the accident. When it appeared that she had noe such intention, he exerted all efforts to stop the car, but without avail. The track was damp, and the car wheels, being locked by the brake, "skidded" on the track. At this point, and for some distance further the track is used as a side-walk by pedestrians. It is seldom that a trip is every made in either direction that people are not seen walking on the track when the car is approaching.
The woman's body was taken to the home of a relative nearby, and Magistrate George W. Patton summoned a coroner's jury and an inquest was held. The jury, composed of S. J. Thompson, Geo. W. Lewis, C. C. Payne, J. A. Richardson, J. H. Heldreth, H. G. McCall promptly reached the conclusion, after hearing all the testimony of eye witnesses, that the accident was unavoidable, and that the motorman of the car was blameless in the matter, having done all that was possible to avert it. The verdict was unanimously voted.
Mrs. Sallie Kinder, the deceased woman's mother, of Belfast Mills, and her brother, John Kinder, of the same place, came to Tazewell Saturday night, and were present Sunday afternoon at the funeral, which was held in the new cemetery. Rev. W. S. Bullard, pastor of the Christian church, officiated at the funeral and burial.
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