Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-01
GROUND BY THE GRIP.
Little o-Year-Old Nellie McGibbon
Killed Instantly
ON THE FIFTHAvENUECABLE
She Suddenly Ran Right in Front Of Car
Going Down Grade.

She Suddenly Ran Right In Front OF Gar
Going Down Grade.
THE GRIPkAN'S STORY OF THEAFFAIR
The first fatal accident happened on the
Fifth Avenue Traction line yesterday after
noon at 4:40 o'clock. Ellen McGibbon, a
little daughter of Mr.. John McGibbon,
years and months old, started to run across
the road on Fifth avenue, near Jumonville
street, and was struck by car No. "a, going
toward East Liberty, and crushed under the
wheels, only giving one gasp before dying.
The little child was a daughter of Mr..
John McGibbon, worker at Moorhead &
McLene's Soho mills, who lives in the rear
Of 481 Forbes street, on Ann street, with a
family of four children-little Lizzie years
Of age; Ellen. or Nellie, as she was COM
monty called, years and 5 months old; lit
tie Walter, years old, and a babe in its
mothers arms, the mother having been con-
fined to her bed for about 13 months, and is
just recovering.
THE LITTLE ONES START FOR A WALK.
Yesterday Lizzie came home from school,
and told the other children she would take
them walking. Tying on their bonnets the
trio started down Fifth avenue on the south
side of the street, all holding hands and
chatting along in childish glee at walk
with sister. What followed. is better told
in the words of Miss Lizzie Hoffman, girl
in the employ of Mrs. Minnie Schiller,
Fifth avenue, near Jumonville street.
When seen by DISPATCH reporter last
night, she said:
"About 4:40 o'clock was standing at
the window, watching the traction cars pass.
Across the street noticed three little chill
dren coming down the street, all hold of
hands. When about opposite Lingenfel-
ser's new house the largest girl crossed the
street, and was waiting for the others to
come. The other two stood at the curb.
Suddenly one ran to cross the street. Just
then saw car coming, headed toward the
East End.
'HThe gripman pulled his levers, but could
not stop the car quick enough, and it struck
the little girl, and saw the car heave up as
she went under the wheels The child was
on the side next to the track the car was
running on, and was so little she probably
did not see the oncoming car as she toddled
to the middle of the track"
When the accident occurred, DR.. j. P.
Orr happened to be coming up the street
and picked up the child after the car had
been backed of, but the little thing only
gasped once before expiring. A workman
just then rushed out from house near bv
and threw bag over the child, shutting the
little bruised and bleeding body from sight
When little Lizzie saw what happened,
she rushed toward home, and to neighbor's s
house, this side, crying "Oh, M-s. Hefrin,
Nellie is under the traction car, with both
legs broken. and the bones sticking out"
Mr.. Heffrin then ran to the scene, and
took the child from DR.. Orr's arms and
brought it home. Shortly after The Dis
PATCH reporter reached the house, Coroner
Mcdowell also arrived, and together the lit
tie mangled form was viewed.
The child had golden hair, and blue eyes
that were partly open, no look of pain being
on the face, which looked as if death had
been nearly instantaneous. The child's
limbs and body were all black and blue and
crushed, and three fingers were cut off one
hand
The mother has been sick for weeks, and
is just recovering. The father was too heart
broken to say much, and as the reporter left
little Walter was leaning against the side
of the wall crying for Nellie;
A SISTERS STORY.
Lizzie said to a neighbor last night that
she thought that her sister caught her toe in
the slot as she went to cross, but it was all
done so quickly that she is not certain.
The gripman was learned to be Mr.. John
Packard, and the conductor Mr.. James Nc
Mahey. The gripman ran the car through
to East Liberty, and on his return to Oak
land gave himself up to Special Officer
James Mclaughlin, and was lodged in the
Fourteenth ward police station, awaiting
the action of the Coroner.
Gripman Packard was released from Jail
about $50 o'clock by Coroner Mcdowell.
Chief Engineer Davis of the company went
his bail, and put up bond of $1,000 for
Packard's appearance at the Coroner's hear
ing tomorrow morning.
HE TELLS HIS SIDE.
While on the way from the Fourteenth
ward station house to the Central station in
charge of Lieutenant William Duncan,
Packard was interviewed by a DISPATCH
reporter. He looked and felt very badly
over the accident, and said to the reporter:
''The father of the little girl cannot feel
any worse than I do over the sad affair.
The accident was thing that could not De
avoided, although tried my best to do so.
81 was coming down the Soho hill just
east of Gist street, and when nearing the
corner of Jumonville street noticed the
little girl kind of standing in the gutter
She seemed to be motionless. and did not
think anything of her standing there
When the cowcatcher of my car got almost
opposite her, she ran out onto the track
within five or six feet of the car As is nv
custom, I had one hand on the grip lever
and the other on the wheel brake. As soon
as she ran out threw back the grip and
jammed down the brake lever, throwing my
whole weight on it. The wheels locked
tight, but the momentum of the car was so
great that it could not be stopped, and slid
along the track. 1t was on a down grade
and there is no power on earth that could
have stopped the car under the circum-
stances.
''The cowcatcher of the car hit her, and
TURNED HER AROUND.
The front wheels of the car ran onto her
body, and as they stopped there, you can
imagine how quickly the car was stopped
IF the child had not run out on the track
when she did, the car would not have struck
her. II she had been standing on the track
any reasonable length of time, 1 am sure
would have seen her and could have warned
her or would have stopped the car
Mr.. Packard is Sc years of age, and has
been running grip car for number of
years. He ran on the Philadelphia lines
and came to this city when the Fifth
avenue road opened. He was one of those
the company brought here to teach the new
men.
ANOTHER CENTRAL OFFICE. =.