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George Long, aged between 65 and 70 years, better known as
"Fiddler George," was struck and instantly killed
about 11 o'clock Friday night by a trolley car enroute to Cambridge Springs. The accident
occurred at the Fountain House, about four miles from Meadville.
The car, with F. H. Leslie as conductor and George W. Thompson
motorman, left Meadville at the usual hour, and about 20 minutes later phoned to the
Meadville office of the company that the car had struck and killed a man. Coroner W. E.
Byham was at once notified and together with Dr. R. B. Gamble and a Tribune-Republican
reporter, left for the Fountain House on a special car.
Long was dead when the special arrived, having been almost instantly
killed. The forward trucks had passed completely over the middle of the man's body and in
addition had broken the left arm in several places.
An examination of the motorman and conductor disclosed the fact that
the car had been moving slowly. Long, it was stated by the motorman, was first seen
standing about two feet from the track, facing the rails and signaling in a manner with
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arms that he wanted to board the
car. Motorman Thompson applied the air and was just coming to a stop when Long evidently
caught his foot or slipped and pitched forward onto the rails. The motorman reversed the
car, but was unable to stop.
Joseph Balliet, Lynn Gilmore, Edward J. Muckinhaupt, Murray McCullough,
Frank H. Osborne, and John L. Laley were impaneled as a Coroner's jury and viewed the
remains, also taking the testimony of the motorman, conductor, and neighbors of Long. The
formal inquest was fixed for Monday evening at 7:30 o'clock at the undertaking rooms of
Frank M. Hunter, at Saegertown, where the body was removed.
Mr. Long is survived by three sisters, Miss Margaret, at home; Mrs. Wm.
Davison and Mrs. Chas. Johnson of Ripley, New York, and one brother, Albert, of near
Saegertown. The dead man had lived with his sister on the old homestead between Blooming
Valley and Saegertown for years, and was well known in the community. |
