Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-04
KILLED BY THE CAR.
A SAIL OR FATALLY INJURED ON THE
MklN-STRsET LINE.
Jumping from One Car lie Strikes the
Headlight OF Another Going In
Opposite Direction.

Thomas Smith, steward on the schooner
Julia Woods. now unloading her cargo OF
ice in the Richmond dock, was so seriously
injured by an electric car on Main street
near Seventeenth last night about $3.50
O'Clock that he died little more than two
hours later at the Retreat for the Sick,
where ne was carried for treatment.
smith. II seemed. was feeling badly and
,amc uptown TO get some medicine. just
sf'er car No. II. on which he was passen-
gcr. passed Seventeenth street gong west
Smith inmped Of and struck against the
headlight Of car No. ~. which was coming
from uptown. but which he evidently did
not see was 40 near him
CARRIED TO THK RyTBEAT.
Policeman Parkinson was on hand few
seconds after the accident occurred. but
he told a Uspdfch reporter later in the
night that the man was PIT INTO the
ambulance. which was Immediately sum-
moned by telephone. and carried Oh so
quickly that he could make no report at the
Nstiou-house.
HURr TO DKA1B.
About quarter 10 II o'clock a Dispatch
reporter 'phOned the Retreat for intorIna-
tom concerning the accident. of which IN
-
hours carrier. and inquired the condition
Of the injured man.
The doctor on duty then gave the CIR
cumsiances Of the occurrence almost as re-
lnied above. The injuries. he said, con-
ssting Of several broken ribs. broken
hip and right knee. severe cut on the
head. and bad bruises all over the body.
The reporter was asking him If there was
a chance Of the man recovering, when be-
fore the sentence could be completed the
doctor said the sailor had died while he
was talking. This was At 1850 o'clock.
TIE MoTon-MAN's STORY.
In less than FIVE minutes from the time
Smith breathed his last "A representative
of this paper was on Car 49, which did the
harm. talking TO the motOr-man. Mr.. X. NJ.
Duval. who gave the following version OF
the affair;
a little after 2 o'clock tonight. as my
car WAS in front of Frayscr's drugstore.
INST little west Of Seventeenth street. 60
INC towards IultOn.a man jumped from
Car No. II, which was passing. directly
INTO my headlight. breaking the glass. !
reversed nv motor at once. and brought
the car 10 "A stand almost Instantly. | was
able 10 do this as | had Just started up,
having stopped "A moment before to let OH
"A passenger. The man had gone down
under the car. but the wheels were SIX
inches from his body when they stopped.
The passengers expressed surprise al the
car stopping thus suddenly. and said they
did not think IL could be done so quickly.
The ambulance came down and carried
him of. and | have heard since that the
doctor said no bones were broken. Inc
only hurt he has -, j think, about the
leg
Mr.. Duval was. as Will be seen from the
above. not aware OF smiths dcath. Inc
i. :, q. 10
~. knowing by sad experience that bad
news travels fast enough.
on BOARD THE JULIA WOODS.
Rv the time the motor-man had con-
cluded his account of the affair the car was
nearly opposite the Old-Dominion sheds,
between which and Hawes's cOal-eleyatOr
is the Home Ice COmpany's wharf. Here
tle schooner Julia Woods. of which Smith
was steward. was living. II was very dark
on the wharf, and between the danger OF
falling over the frozen water around ana
the river below the approach 10 the vessel
was no easy task. Once on board, where
all appeared 10 be asleep, there was the
danger of being taken for whari-rat or
dock-thief and being shot IN the dark. he
peated calling at last brought forth reply
from the mate, who bade the newspaper
come below. where that officer was lying IN
his berth ~ dishGl,sAe He was shocked NJ
hearing of the stewards death, and dad not
even know OF his having been hurt.
TIE CAPTAINS STORY.
Just AZ this point Captain Spalding came
In and furnished the reporter with the tol-
lowing;
Ills ship. which is owned in Rockland,
Me, had sailed from Rockport, also IN Mr.
Reeds empire one week ago to-day WIN q
cargo of ice. Smith joined the vessel at
nj. alo Ht NgggEu
gwen great satisfaction, as he was very
clean and did not drink. All day yesterday
the steward was suffering from neuralgia
in the head, and had. so he was Informed,
gone TO get some medicine.
The Captain said that he himself
went uptown about bali past 3.
While he was sitting IN Mr.. ID. O'Sulliyan' 8
store. corner Eighteenth and Main streets.
n colored man ran IN and told HIM his
steward had been run over. He went up
towhere he was. but in few moments the
man was put in the ambulance and carried
of.
CONSCIOUS TO THE END.
Captain Spaldng and Mr.. O'Sullivan
went up 10 the almshouse, but found ont
that Smith was not there, but at the Re
treat When informed of Smiths death
Captain Spalding was quite surprised, as
he had only left the Retreat short time
asked If the Captain was there. When told
YES he seemed satisfied and said nothing
more.
The doctors had tried to set the hip
bones but had given IL mp until morning
and had given him a sleeping draught.
Just before he left Captain Spalding in
ouired of Smith If he should telegraph his
wife. The injured man had replied, " Yes,
yon must send for her." In compliance
with this he had stopped at the telegraph
Office on his way back TO the boat and had
sent telegram to Baltimore. where she
and the two children live, telling her OF
her husbands wish
HAD BEEN ALL ovER THE WORLD.
Smith was very light mulatto, and
Captain Spalding asserted that he was one
OF the incest colored men he had ever
known. He had been all through Europ,
and even 10 China. lie was forty-ont
years of age, and considering his experi;
ence, he ought to have known a great deal
better shan to Jump without looking.
At midnight neither the coroner nor the
police knew of Smiths death.