Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-21
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
Verdict In the Case Of the Child Killed in
Temperance Avenue.

Verdict In the Case Of the Child Killed in
Temperance Avenue.
Temperance avenue between T and q and
18th and 18th streets northwest was the scene
Of q sad affair Wednesday which ended in the
death Of ten-months-old child Of
Mra Mary Collins and the arrest Of
. colored girl named Alice Thurs
ton on . charge of being responsible for
the child's death. Not more than square from
the residences OF Mrs. Collins and the Thurston
girl are the flying horses. where large crowds
congregate every night Wednesday night
was no exception and Alice Thurs
ton was among those in the crowd. It
was some time after 10 o'clock when Alice
started for home. and in order to take a short
cut, after transacting some business at store,
she went through Temperance avenue on the
plank walk. She hurried through the narrow
avenue and in doing upset Q carriage in
front of Mrs. Collins house.
The baby was in the carriage, but when the
vehicle upset the infant went out on the ground
with the carriage upon its body. DR.. Gillette
was called, but the baby had sustained such
severe internal injuries that death relieved its
suffsrings at 4 o'clock yesterday morning.
Soon after the police learned Of the affair
Sergeant Smith arrested Alice Thurston and
locked her up.
His First Inquest.
Coroner Woodward was notified, and today
he held the inquest, which was the first con-
Quoted by him since his appointment as coroner.
Or. Woodward had attended inquests previous
to this one. and so the swearing Of the fury and
witnesses and the examination Of the latter
were by no means novel transactions to him.
The Jury assembled at the eighth precinct
station at o'clock and went to the house Of
Mrs. Collins, where the body of the deceased
was viewed The Jury then returned to the
station and the taking Of the testimony was
commenced.
The Testimony.
DR.. Gillette was the first witness examined.
He testified that Wednesday night about ~
O'Clock he was called to see the child. The
child was in its mothers lap at the
time and was quiet; witness dis
covered nothing unfavorsble at the time
except the position in which 1t held its head.
Witness did not consider the case q serious one
at that time, but later in the morning he learned
that the child was in spasms. and later the
father came and said the child was dead. Wit
ness did not strip the child.
Deputy Coroner schaeffer testified to
the autopsy he made this morning on the
body of the child. Witness found no external
injuries to the body. He found a dislocation Of
the neck, which pressed on the spinal cord, and
this was what caused the childs death.
Rebecca Blair colored, testified that she saw
the baby carriage. Then she saw Alice
Thurston come through the alley and
knock over the baby carriage. Wit
ness called to her to stop. but she
did not do SO. Alice did not touch the car
riago with her hand, but she Just brushed by it
and her side went against the carriage. The
prisoner did not 60 between the carriage and
the house.
''Bettie Shields" called the coroner, and q
Short thickset colored girl responded.
"Tell your full name," added the coroner.
"Bettie Ann Shields"
estate your residence and occupation"
II live at No. 1912 Temperance avenue and
| cook wash and IRON"
Witness corroborated the testimony of pre-
ceding witness, and said that the walk was not
| solid by any means. Witness said she knew OF
| no reason why Alice should want to knock the
child over. She heard that Alice walked on the
rickety boards and the carriage accidentally up
| set.
Alice Chavis, another colored resident of
Temperance avenue, was called and she said
| that the carriage was upset by . woman walk
| ing On the plank walk.
Other witnesses gave similar testimony and
| the prisoner declared that if she upset the car
riage It was an accident and she did not know
anything Of it.
| The Verdict.
The jury returned a verdict finding that tht
affair was an accident, and Alice was dis
charged.