Inquirer 20 Feb 1955
A 6-year-old boy, playing with his dog, was killed by a passenger train on the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge over Frankford ave., south of Sedgely, yesterday within sight of three horror-stricken playmates, Joseph Hart, of 1929 E. Buckius st., was struck by the Washington bound train as he played with his pet, Snooky, near the west side of the bridge. The dog was along the side when his master was run down. He was taken home by the friends of the dead boy. While three neighborhood playmates watched, Joseph started across the span. He walked near the iron guard rail adjoining the outside track as the dog scampered along at his heels.
STARTS RUNNING BACK
Patricia Eldrich, 9, of 1900 Buckius st., and her two brothers, Charles. 8, and Frank, 6, told police the boy suddenly turned around and started running back. They watched in horror as the train rounded a curve and bore down on the boy and his dog. The train struck Joseph and hurtled his body a dozen feet to an adjoining track. The train operator, T. H. Van Horn, 60, of Belleville, N. J., told police his view was obscured by buildings as he came around the curve. He said he applied his emergency brakes the moment he saw the child and came to a stop at nearby Frankford Junction.
HEARING TUESDAY
Van Horn was allowed to continue his run after about a 15-minute delay when railroad officials assured police he would appear at a hearing Tuesday. Frank Buck, a railroad detective, said the engineer blew the train whistle and put on emergency brakes about five passenger car lengths from the boy, but was unable to stop in time. The train was traveling about 50 miles an hour. Joseph, a first-grade student at St. Joan of Arc School, was the only child of Robert and Helen Hart. The mother is employed as a packer by C. L. Meyers & Co., cotton yarns, 2d and Somerset sts. Detectives said the boy apparently was trapped between the track and the iron rail.
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