Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-01
FREE FROM BLAME
Verdict Of tho Ooroner's Jury as to the
Death Of Means
Neither MOtorman Nor Conductor
Were at Fault-The Testimony
mt the InQuest.

A coroner's Jury which made an inquiry
this morning at Birch's undertaking estab-
llishment. in West Washington. to deter
mime the responsibility for the death Of
Louis Edward Means, who died at the Gar
field Hospital early Sunday morning as the
result Of injuries sustained in a collision
with Chevy Chase trolley car Tuesday
afternoon last. returned a verdict COM
pletely generating the railroad company,
motorman and conductor from all blame.
The Testimony.
DR.. L. w. Glazebrook, the deputy cor
oner. who yesterday made the autopsy en-
the body, was the first witness. Accord
ing to his testimony, DR.. Glazebrook found
the collar and right arm of Means broken,
and also bad fractures back of the left ear
end at the base Of the skull. The wounds
were necessarily fatal.
w. w. Clement telegraph hneman.
reached the scene Of the accident soon
after 1t occurred. There was no bend in the
as though Means had driven directly into
the car The man with Means, Joseph
Riley. was very drunk, and stated to wit
ness that he had kept to the right. going to
wagon tracks that the driver had used the
left side Of the road. in which the railroad
tracks are laid.
Policeman Fathers Evidence.
Policeman Collin E. E. Father was on
the front seat of the car at the time Of the
accident. He noticed a wagon on the
west side of the road going zig-zag. One
of the lines had been dropped, and mo-
ment later the wagon crossed the track.
The motorman did all in his power to stop
the car. but before he could do so 1t struck
the wagon. The companion OF Means was
very much intoxicated. and witness also
detected liquor on the breath Of deceased.
Policeman Flather declared emphaticauy
that the accident was entirely the fault of
Herbert Claude. superintendent of the
Chevy Chase division Of the railroad. on
learning of the accident fastened to the
spot. His testimony corroborated that
of tine other witnesses regarding the intox-
icated condition Of Means and Riley.
James E. Gingles. the motorman. next
described the accident He first saw the
wagon containing Means and Riley when
about 300 yards distant from it. When
very near the wagon the horse suddenly
turred directly across tho track in front
Of the car. The wagon was upset and
Means fell between 1t AMI the car. Wit
ness was running the car at the rate of
ten miles an hour. and did all in his power
to warn the man and prevent the accident
There was no doubt that Means and Riley
were both very much under the influence
Of liquor at the time.
Riley Failed to Appear.
Although he had been summoned. Riley
failed to appear at the inquest. Policeman
Hartman, who served the summons. how
ever, was sworn, and testified that Riley
stated to him that he Riley) was drunk at
the time of the accident and therefore had
no remembrance of it. The witness stated
that Rlley's reputation for sobriety Is
poor.
The testimony ended here, and the jury,
consisting of William w. Brewton. James
NJ FrizZell, Frank Thomas. John J. Ffster.
Alonzo H. King and Henry Burrows, in q
few minutes returned the verdict as stated
President G.. T. Dunlop of the Capital Trac-
ton Company was an interested spectator
at the inquest.
Immediately after the conclusion or the
coroner's proceedings the body of Means
was removed to his home in Brookand.