The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-16
KILLED BY AN ELECTRIC CAR.
WILLIAM BUTLER run OVER AND
HORRIBLY MANGLED.

He Was Crossing Bay street when
He Was Struck-His Body Wedged
Under the Truck and the Car Had
TO he Lifted To Get Him Out-The
Conductor and NOtormnn Arrested.
The Injured Man Killed Almost In
staRtIy-An Inquest To-day.
William Butler. the well known lumber
stevedore. was run over and almost IN
stantly killed by an Electric railway car
at Bay and Price streets last night at $50
o'clock.
Mr.. Butler was crossing the street just
ahead Of the car. The street is very dark
at that point and the probability is THAI
he did not see or hear the car until too
late to avoid it, The motorman said that
he did not see Mr. Butler until within
twenty-five yards of him and that al
though he rang his gong and called out the
man stopped on the track. The car was
stopped just as it knocked Mr.. Butler
down. He was wedged under the front
truck which had to be lifted up to remove
the body He died ia a few minutes after
being taken out and without speaking.
The body was laid on the sidewalk and
afterwards removed to the house AZ Eass
Broad street in the police ambulance.
Policeman Keane, who was near by.
summoned the police ambulance and plac-
ed the conductor and motorman under
arrest. He allowed them to take the car
in to the office, going there with them ana
then brought them back to the barracks,
where they were held TO await the result
of the coroner's inquest to-day.
A Morning News reporter. who arrived
on the scene shortly after the accident,
found blood and pieces of flesh on the
track where the accident occurred. The
eastern end of Bay street is just the
place for such an accident TO occur.
There is no electric light on the
street from Bay to Lincoln.
There is one light over on the
green north Of the street, but it is inter-
cepted by the trees along the green. Peo-
pie in the neighborhood said that the
motormen are in the habit Of running
their cars very fast along this portion of
the street. The Waterman at Gleason's
stables, in front of which the accident
occurred, said that the motorman was not
ringing his bell when the accident occurr-
ed other people in the neighborhood
said the same thing. No eyewitness to
the accident could be found. though
number of people arrived on the scene
shortly afterwards.
Mr.. Butler was found lying between the
two wheels of the front truck with his
c5tl
and the truck beam pressing down tight
" on him. 1t was necessary to lift up the
car in order to remove the body. lie
was taken from under the car by John
Carr, Louis Hennessey and others and laid
on the grass where he expired in the arms
of his friends Mr. John Fitzpatrick and
Mrs. Mary Clancy.
After the body was removed Coroner
Goette was summoned, and took charge.
An examination showed that the body was
badly mangled. Both arms were broken,
the right arm being broken inthree places
and the left shoulder broken, a bad wound
in the back of the head and the left groin
terribly torn and mangled There were
probably other internal injuries. The de-
ceased was 6s years Of age, and the shock
alone was sufficient to cause death, even
had none of the injuries been mortal in
themselves.
The car which did the damage was No.
49, with Motorman ]. NJ. Holder and Con-
ductor Joe Hagan. Both We're seen at the
barracks and gave their account Of the ac-
cident.
AIotorman Holder said that the car was
going east on Bay street at speed of be-
tween six and seven miles an hour. When
near the scene OF the accident, he saw an
old wa
coming across the street from the north
side He was walking lelsurely, and when
he first saw him had just placed one
foot across the outer rail of the track.
He was in the act of stepping across
the second rail-" said Holder, when he
stopped and turned around, looking to-
ward the car / rang my bell and yelled
TO him to look out as loud as / could. He
made no move to get off the track. When
/ saw him stop 1 threw on the brake and
reversed the car with all my might. The
car stopped just as it struck him. He was
caught between the wheels, but whether
the front wheel passed over him or he
was thrown in that position by the truck,
can not say There was only one pas
senger on the car at the time. Holder said
that he had been running as motorman
for four years. He seemed to regret the
accident very much.
Conductor Hagan said that he was max
ing UP his report at the time. He heard
the gong ring, but took no notice until he
heard the motOrman call to somebody to
look out. lie looked then and saw the
old man just as the car struck him.
Coroner Goette will hold an inquest this
morning. He will have the colored pas
senger who saw the accident as a witness.
The funeral Will take place at O'Clock
this afternoon.
FELL ASLEEP ON THE TRACK.