The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-01

A most distressing accident occurred
on the South Side about 8 o'clock last
night, by which a young man lost his
ife.
About that hour one OF the electric
cars was going at rapid rate down
Main street, though according to the
motorman's storyi without the power
on, as on that thoroughfare from Twen.
ty-Grst street several squares south
there ia slight down grade, and it Is
customary to run the cars with power
off until the level stretch at the Bel
mont mill is reached. This car was
handled by one OF the regular operators,
Dave Stewart. A few rods below Twen-
ty-iirst street Stewart noticed man on
q safety bicycle coming up on the east
side oil the street, about midway be-
tween the curb and street railway track,
When the car and the bicycle were
nearly opposite each other tile
bicycle struck loose brick or
some other obstruction throwing both
the rider and machine onto the track
Immediately in front OF the rapidly APP
preaching electric car, giving tho UNI
fortunate man not the remotest chance
OF escape from being crushed. The
operator NJ once saw tho ilishQp ttRt
had occurred and turned on the brakes
with all the force he was capable OF put
ting into them, but without seeming
effect, as the car crashed into the man
and wheel. The former was dragged
along, according to the operator, some
ten or fifteen feet before he could stop
the car. Others say the car was going
so fast that it could not DO stopped
within that distance, and that the I'M
fortunate man was dragged two or three
times that distance AS soon Us the
car had been stopped the operator, con-
ductor and number OF people who saw
the terrible accident endeavored
to extricate the man, but with
out success. 1t was found that
tho wheels had not passed
over his body, but that the ~" shaped
pilot had caught and pinned him to the
ground. 1t was found necessary to re-
verse and run the car back before the
injured man could be taken out. This
was done and he was laid out as COM
Portable as possible. 1t did not take
the professional eye Of a medical man,
10 SEQ that the man, who
proved to BIO John Keys, q young
railroad man, was injured very badly,
probably fatally, and call was sent in
for the police patrol wagon which con-
veyed him TO tho City Hospital. Physic-
ians were at once summoned, DR.. Wal
dron being the first to appear, followed
shortly afterward by DR.. EIildreth.
They made an examination and found
that both OF Keys legs had been broken
Immediately below the hips, and that he
was fearfully crushed and bruised all
over his body. Everything possible was
done, but he expired in about half an
hour after being brought to the hospital,
at 0:l5 p. IN.
The operator OF tho electric car, Dave
Stewart, was arrested and brought be-
fore Justice Gillespie, charged with
manslaughter, and after preliminary
hearing he was committed to jail, and q
hearing OF the case set for Tuesday. II
the state Is ready, however, the hearing
will DO held Monday. Tho Wheeling
railway company was notified OF the
arrest OF Stewart, but could do nothing
toward securing his release, as the death
OF Keys made bail impossible.
Stewart came hero from Lima, Ohio,
since the inauguration OF tho street car
strike, and has worked on the line since
then. He says he is an experienced
operator, and lives in Alloy 10, East
End. When seen by an INTRLLlGESCER
man last night he said: ""1 was going
down Main street on the down grade
with power off, and when little below
Twenty-second street | saw man on n
bicycle coming up. When u few feet III
front OF my car his wheel struck some
thing which threw him on the track,
and before could possibly stop the car
it was on top OF him" When asked as
to what speed he was going, no could
not say exactly, but not greater than
usual.
Keys was about twenty-five or thirty
years old, and was employed as fire.
man and brakeman in tho Baltimore 4
Ohio yards at tho foot OF Twenty
seventh street, South Side, and was 60
ing from his work when struck by the
Cur. He came hero from st. Glars.
vile, where his parents 1.-Two, and
boarded at tho corner OF Twenty-tlrst
and Main streets.
So far rs the ascertained facts show,
as yet, there seems to be no cause to
blame the operator OF tho Cur. 1t was
an accident OF an unavoidable character.
The accident is the first fatal or even
serious one in which q bicycle has fig
urcd in Wheeling. t0iI lA0
nut,t, f,unI D.,,I.