Berry Cobler

 
The Cartersville Courant
Cartersville, Georgia
October 21, 1886, page 3
 
Transcribed by:  
 

Killed On the E. & W.
Berry Cobler Knocked From the Track of the E. & W. Road by and Engine and Killed – Details of the Accident.

The Courant has received the particulars of the killing of Berry Cobler on the E. & W. road on Friday last, by an employee of the road, who was on the engine at the time of the accident.  This gentleman said: “Last Friday afternoon about 4 o’clock I was on the engine of train No. 5 going west, and as we neared the East and West Junction, nearly to the crossing, I was looking back watching for the conductor’s signal.  We always blow a long signal for the crossing, we were just at a curve, and it was physically impossible for the engineer to have seen ahead of him.  In a very short time the engineer called for brakes four or five times, I didn’t know what was the matter, thought of course he just wanted to stop.  We didn’t run over a train length though we had a heavy train.  Just as soon as we stopped the engineer said to me “the engine has killed a man.”  We got out and went up to the body of a man that was lying on the side of the track, where it had been thrown by the engine.  The man was picked up and cared for, but he only lived about 30 minutes, his skull was evidently fractured by the engine when it struck him.  We discovered that the man was Berry Cobler, a middle-aged man and a farmer, who lived on a Mr. Ryan’s place near the Junction.  It is evident also that he had been drinking freely and had been warned about walking down the track as our train was expected, but he paid no attention to the warning and suffered the terrible consequences.

It was also said that the Coroner held an inquest on the body but our informant had not been apprised of the verdict.  The man was killed within 300 or 400 yards of his home.  No blame can be attached to the train men, as it was utterly impossible for them to have seen the man ahead of them around the curve where the unfortunate man was.

 

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