Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-07
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Run Down by an Electric Car saturday
Night and Almost Instantly Killed.

Run Down by an Electric Car saturday
Night and Almost Instantly Killed.
John Skovoliski, Polish boy, met
aviolent death on East Front street near
King, Saturday evening. The lad in
company with his 11-years-old sister
Josephine, started out to buy sweet
meats, and after making their purchase
ut q store they started for their home at
No. 800 East Front street. As the
children started to cross the street
Josephine saw q car coming on the
east bound track, and told her brother
TO wait until it passed.
The little fellow for some reason did
not heed the timely warning and ran
right in front of the car The wheels of
the trolley car passed over his body.
He was almost instantly killed. The
body was picked up and carried to the
home Of the parents, where sad scene
was enacted when the awful truth of
the accident was made known.
An inquest was held on Monday. The
jury went to the scene of the accident
on Il special car and at the home OF the
deceased viewed the remains. Ex-
Coroner Charles Il. Sparks was fore
man Of the jury, while Charles IL.
Brandt was secretary. After visiting
the scene of the accident the jury re-
turned to the deputy coroner's office,
where evidence was heard.
Frank Keemer, the motorman of the
car told his story under considerable
mental strain and has suffered much
mentally since the accident. lie said the
child ran directly in front Of the car
and he was powerless to avert the i'm
pending danger. He declared that he
was running at very moderate rate of
speed when the Child was killed.
Thomas Mahaify aged ID years, and
Henry q. Mahaify, aged Is, both testi.
fled that tho car was running ut a
moderate rate Of speed. So did Clara
Massey, colored, who was on the car
and George t. Vandyke, the conductor
and William Stewart The testimony
was all given under oath.
Josephine Skov0lisli, who was with
the lad when he was Killed, said the cal
was running pretty fast" According
to the evidence OF the majority of the
| witnesses, the boy was struck by the
tender of the car, and before it had
passed over his body the motorman had
brought it to a sudden standstill, and
in fact the car was stopped so quickly
that to the average juryman the impress
sion was conveyed that keemer coult
not have been running at n very higt
rate of speed when the accident &C
CURED, Accordins,to his statement HI
was watching drunken man crossing
the street and did not see the child unit
too late. No one could be found VIII,
saw the drunken man besides Keemer
but the jury took into consideration tn
excitement under which the witnesse
were labcring at the time Of til
accident, and the impression prevailet
that the drunken man might have es
capped their notice. At any rate, til
evidence pointed to the fact that til
motorman was running at moderat
rate of speed; that he exercised du
diligence in stopping the car when h
saw the danger and to the jury the aC
cident seemed unavoidable, and one o
those casualties liable to occur, unde
such conditions. The verdict was, there
fore one of accidental death and tn
motorman was relieved of culpability