Whitehall, NY Train Accident, Sept 1853

ACCIDENT AT WHITEHALL, N. Y.----As the afternoon train from Rutland was entering the village of Whitehall, N. Y., on Saturday, a man named Joab Smith, was struck by the locomotive, at the crossing on Williams street, and so badly injured that he dies at 11 o'clock the same evening. At the Coroner's inquest, held on Sunday, it was proved that he was in a wagon at the time, racing with some boys in another wagon. The boys just cleared the track in time which he was unable to do. The accident was, therefore, in good degree, attributable to his own carelessness. It was proved, however, that the cars were running at the time at a speed of thirty-five miles an hour, and that this was their usual rate of speed a the crossing. Still, as the Trustees of the village had never used their power to restrain the speed of trains within the village, and as the engineer blew the whistle and rung the bell, as usual, there seemed to be nobody to blame.

The New York Times, New York, NY 28 Sept 1853
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!