The evening world., 1888-07-19

Assistant Dtstrict-A ttorney Macdona and
eth Evening World " Appear for the
Peoples Interests
The task of ascertaining who is criminally
responsible as the slayer of Mrs. Sophia
Levy, of 81 West Fiftieth street, who was
killed on the 10th inst. by q Twenty-third
street bobtail car, was begun by Coroner
Messemer and a jury shortly after IL O'Clock
this morning.
II is but the beginning Of q celebrated case
which is brought by THE EVENING WORLD
with the one object to rid the city of the con-
ductorless system of surface railways which
are O constant menace to life.
That this effort is to be met with deter
mined opposition might be gathered from
the fact that the railway company's interests
were represented by three attorneys before
the Coroner.
The LAWYERS are Col. James A. Dennison,
ex-Assemblyman House and George W. Con-
nor.
The rights of the people were watched by
Assistant District Attorney Harry McDona,
who was present at the request of Coroner
MESSENGER.
Among the witnesses who crowded the
room were Secretary Mclean, of the Twenty
third Street Railroad. with books and docu-
ments which ore expected to show who is re-
1 RoAoAct AVA tAO IN
this company Is conducting.
There were other officers and directors of
the railroad present, all ~subp9naed at the re-
quest of The EVENING WORLD.
President Arthur Leary excused himself
from attending on the ground of illness.
The jury was composed of the following
gentlemen:
LEWIS G. MINISTER, manufacturer Of robes, $50
RICHARD N. WALTERS, pianos, University place
and Twelfth street.
TnEoDoEs hADIL, superintendent Lexington
A, enasi ans & siA HnscM, 'i iu@S.r dealer. 1873 w..,
Sixty-tnird street
coRSELIus oREILLr. storage. % East Forty-nnn
CAPT. WILLIAM FOWLER, liquor dealer, Q West
Twenty-eighth street.
Es JFs sepen,,l ksgSsn . :sssins-nouss proprietor ass
F=BnDiNaSp aoIBkI, dealer in hops. i7s East
CHAiIss NJ. RosrSrHAI. s,auoner. as Eas.
HUGO Ii. HoENAcK, restaurant proprietor. IN
RoBRRr B. COOKE, clerk. 1877 Eighth avenue.
CHARLES EMhENs, leather dealer. 81 Eighth ave-
nue..
Driver Duffy, the irresponsible cause of
Mrs. Leyy's death, came into the courtroom
Assistant District Attorney Macedonia no.
ticed his troubled look and remarked grimly
that the people were not looking for such
small game as q driver.
The first witness called was Officer Edward
j; McCabe. of the Twentieth street squad,
who testified that on the afternoon of July
10 he was at Eighth avenue and Twenty-third
street when q lad told him a woman had lust
been run over by a horse-car.
Turning towards Seventh avenue, he saw
James Duffy, of $50 West Twenty third
street, driver of bobtail car No. 6. of the
Twenty third street cross-town line, stepping
OH his car. A woman lay on the track under
the car. Witness arrested Duffy, who was
sober, and sent for DR.. Costales, of Twenty
third street.
The woman was Mrs. Sophia Levy, wife Of
She was about sixty-three years of age. She
was not dead when the officer found her, but
died soon after.
To Assistant District-Attorney Macedonia
~sistance but acted like q dead man. He
asked him no questions about the accident.
He turned his prisoner over to Roundsman
Churchill, of the Second Precinct, and ran
to the station to summon an ambulance.
Coming back he took Duffy to the station,
three blocks away.
Duffy, who Is an intelligent young fellow.
twenty-three years Of age. arose in his place,
and the officer identified him as his prisoner,
and said Duffy said at the station that he
couldn't help the accident. He didn't see
Mrs. Levy in time. He put on his brake,
but it was too late.
Then ex;Assemblyman House took up the
witness. He asked George W.. Conner, of
the Twenty-third Street Railway Company,
to stand up. Mr.. Conner arose and Mr..
House asked the witness:
Was not this man at the scene of the ac-
cident when you reached it, and didn't he
tell Duify to say nothing. that he was attor-
him 2"
Officer McCabe said that was all true, and
then Mr.. House introduced a diagram show
ing that the juggernaut was going west. and
that ut the time II ran down Mrs. Levy il was
opposite 1853 West Twenty-third street.
THIS was about q hundred feet east of
Eighth avenue. The wheel of the car had
not passed completely over Mrs. Leyy's
body, but was resting partly upon her. Her
head was lying on the north rail.
To MIR. Macedonia the officer said he did not
know the name of the boy who informed him
DIR. Emil d. Costales. of 1853 West Twenty
third street, was next called. He is a dentist.
He testified that he saw the accident. 1t was
between A and 4. 80 p. NJ.
He vas looking out at the window when he
saw Mrs. Levy emerge from the dressmaker's
house opposite. She was crossing the street
and the car was coming along slowly, the
horse walking.
Mr.. Levy held up her umbrella, signalling
an east bound car, but the car did not stop
and Mrs. Levy turned to go back to the curb
stone,
To reach the curb she must cross the west
bound track, but her way was blocked by a
coal wagon and she turned again.
At this time the driver o. tue west
car was turned with his back towards the
horse. The car was very near and the horse
turned aside q little to avoid the old lady.
TIT animal was walking very slowly.
Mrs. Levy fell to the track.
The car still moved on until the wheel
struck her body. Then the driver turned
face forward again, put ON the brake and
"Stopped the car with the aid of Mrs.
Levy's body 2" asked Mr.. Macedonia.
Eyes, SIR"