The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-26
TOO RAPID DRIVING,
PEDESTRIANS ARE CONSTANTLY
MENACEO.

Iaw-Brcaking Due - Carelessness or
Thonehsicssncss- chief Of Police
and other omoiaIs Talk ON the
Subject.
The city is fast acquiring an unen'iable
reputation for fast and reckless driving.
Every now and then the public Is Informed
that some one has been Knocked down and
run over by a jumper. or some other
wheeled vehicle Of destruction. Horses are
driven carolessy and at a fast speed
through the streets throngcd with people.
They spin around street corners at a rate
that endangcrs the lives Of pedestrians, and
even become So needless of circumstances
as 20 tackle the steady going sireetcaf' as
il moves over its prescribed chartered bed.
The aged and inhrm have 10 Keep
their wits sharpened. and their
ewes and ears wide open as they tread the
streets. 10 say nothing of the Young and
active. whose agility frequently prevents %
doctor from having "a job. 10 would De a
wise prccaution for an who travel on foot io
take out an accidental insurance policy. \
short time ago Young lady was Knocked
down. and made a narrow escape from IN
iurv. from "A vehicle ON Main street Not "a
week ago. gentleman was badly injured
on Broad street. and numerous narrow
escapes could be- chroniclcd. Complaints
have reached the TIMES. about ali This, ana
it publishes to-day. the city ordinance re-
lating 90 such matters.
RATE or srETD ALLOWED.
The thirty-lhrd section Of the city ofdi-
nance concerning streets reads " II any
owner or driver Of a wagon. dray or cart
licensed or not. shall permit his horses
mules. OF other animals, by which the same
is drawn, 90 go i'm street or alley, pubic
or private. or on the grounds ot any pubic
park or square belonging 10 the city iuSiei
Than walk. except that amy vehicle having
springs may Doc drawn 40 "a rate oi speed
not exceeding five miles per hour. or shall
feed. or permit his horses. mules.
or other animals tO Boz fed DO any
street or public alley; or If amy person run
"a hOrse-raco or cause Che same 90 DE run, OBJ
shall ride or drive a horse or other animal
at greater speed than SIX miles per houf.
in any street or alley, public or private, oI
in the grounds Of any park on square De-
longing 90 the city. hc shall Doe lined noi
less than one nor more than niif dollars,
and on failure % pay said fine shall be con-
fined In the city jail for not less than hNe
nor more than thirty days.
NOr TO STOP IN THE STREET
Section G6. OF the same ordinance reads,
"any driver of vehicle meeting amy other
vehicle ina street on public alley. shall
seasonabiy drive to the right hAnd so tnhi
each may pass The other without interior
ence. And when in street on public ale,
a vehicle j. Oyortakon hy any other Nchi-
Gle. the driver Of the former shall bear o.
the LEFT. until the latter shall have passed.
'ln no instance shall driver Of a car
riago. wagon. dray, or cart. stop the same
i'm the middle of a street, or public alley, OF
oppOsite 90 an intcrsecting street or alley.
or upon any granite crossing, but DC shall
stop the same ms near to the sidewalk as D.
can without being on IT, Any driver viola
ting this section in any respect shall. iOl
each olenso. pay line of not less than one
nor more than ten dollars
ARREST OF OFFENDERS.
In section IS Of the ordinance concerning
streets occurs this language: For am,
oilenso against The sections referred 10, COM
mitted i'm the presence of any police officer
Of the city. Dee may arrest the offender and
take him forthwith before the Police Justice.
such officer may pay twenty-five cents for
the safe Keeping Of the vehicle or animal
during the absence of the driver or owner.
and what is So paid shall Doe included i'm the
costs, ifany, recovered against the offender
THE CHIEF OF POLICE SPEAKS.
When Major John Poe, chief of police for
the civ. was spoken to in regard TO the r--
lcatod violations Of the ordinance concern
ing driving I'm the streets. he said that he
knew il 10 De "a fact, but that the difficulty
in the way had been in ascortalning and
81. .ftt.. It.I a.4f of
making. II charged with making more
than six miles per nour, the defendant
would generally Introduce evidence lo|
prove that he was not making anything like
that time. and he would De told 10 20 and
sin no more. ~ will say this, however,
for Justice Crutchfeld believe he has stood
by the force in their Efforts TO break
up this fast driving whenever he could,
said the Major. 81 know | have barely cs-
capped being rum over myself several times.
and whenever / turn a corner ] am careful
the land lies. ] caution my wife % be care
ful how she drives about town. She has
already had two accidents happen TO bier
while driving. a great deal could be said
on this question, and !, for one. wonid like
10 see the practice abated; but While tae
ordinance is Yiolalcd. lind 10 hard 20 have
offenders punished
CAPTAIN ANGLES VIEWS.
Captain j. d. Angle, in charge Of the
Second pOlice-stauon. was asked how the
fast driving could Doe abated. Enforce the
audience rigidly." said he. "ihat is the only
way il can be done. As it is now. men who
choose 10 do SO break the law daily. They
do so without thinking. \ great many OF
our best citizens drive faster than Is allow
ed. and would be made mad If arrested. and
Ia ia D. Boo
fast enough TO do any one any harm.
That is one thing. and then, again,
comes in the crarelcss driving why
the other day, | saw "a couple of ladies
seated jan a phtaion driving M trot down
Broad street. and they were SO husily enc
gagged in talking 20 each other that thcl
came very near running into am electric
car. There are great many accidents that
are the results of such carelossnCss. but ihc
main thing 10 complain Of is the fast drN-
ing. especially around corners, when
passers are not looking for anything OF the
sort | wonder more people are not hurt nom
such causes than are
GENERAL COMPLAINT.
The Mayor was called upon, bat he was
out of his Office. but I'm the large number OIL
gentlemen spoken 90 ON the subject not one
was seen. that did si0t express himself asl
clearly of the opinion, that on our streets
and public parks and drives, there WAS a
reckless disregard ofiaw in driving. Then
the coal. wood. and city cart drivers areI
also fragrant offenders, they do not recog
nize the law In regard TO turning ont when
oycrtakcn. or when they are met. They
sullenly and impudently move right ahead.
safely porched on their heavy carts, and im-
demand the right Of procession.
A coal cart driver will stop his cart IN the
middle If the street aud 20 visiting for nali
an hour. and would rather trim on Tie wheel
of "a lighter vehicle. or make q man, with "a
silk bat on his head, troi out OF his way,
than % do anything else save vote the Re
publican ticket.