Evening star., 1895-06-20
JUMPING ON CARS
Railroad Anxious to Have the Prac-
tice Stopped.
JUDGE KIMBALL'S POSITION
He Would Like to Afford Oppor-
tunities to Newsboys.
yesterdays BAD ACCIDENT

1nere is ponce regulation that imposes
| penalty on minors for jumping or moving
street cars and stealing rides, and the ac-
cident OF the Washington and Georgetown
cable road yesterday recalls the many ac-
cidents of this kind that have happened
since tine cable road was started. Judge
kimball has hes rd number of these
cases, but has always given the newsboys
the benefit of their occupation, and held
| that urder ordinary circumstances the law
did not apply to them In so holding Judge
kimball has said that he thought the law
was not meant to apply to the newsboys,
and SO far as ne was concerned he did not
want to stand in the way of boys or other
persons who are endeavoring to earn an
honest living.
Case Today.
Yesterday afternoon Sergeant Lombardy
made case of this kind, the offender be-
Ing a newsboy named A. T. Crimmett
While the boy was selling papers his con-
duct On the car was not entirely proper.
He was taken to the police station, and
this morning his case was called for trial
before Judge Kimball
Lawyer Enoch Totten, counsel for the
railroad company, appeared in court to pro-
tect the company's interests, while Mr..
Pugh was present for the District. The boy
had no one other than the judge to look
out for him.
When the case was called the conductor
was called to the stand, and he told the
court Of the boys conduct. The boy
jumped on the car and ran along the run
ming board, and when spoken to by the con-
ductor he became impudent and refused to
get off. After some little trouble the con-
ductor caught the boy and turned him over
to the police.
Col. TOtten's Remarks.
Col Totten, representing the cable road,
said he desired to say something about this
question of boys jumping on cars.
Only yesterday. he said, there was an
accident on the road, and he understood
that the little boy was fatally injured. This
poor little fellow was newsboy and was
jumping about the car when the accident
happened. He explained that the boys
jump on the running board on the side
next to the other track in order to jump
from the car to moving car on the other
track. He said he witnessed a case yester-
day and gave the boy a warning, which,
however, was not needed, for the boy only
repeated his dangerous jumping.
There is a severe regulation on this SUBJ
ject, said counsel. "and 1 hope 1t will be
rigidly enforced"
The Newsboys.
TT will be enforced 1 presume" said
Judge kimball, but 1 dislike very much
the idea of depriving the newsboys of a
chance Of earning a livelihood. Every
morning on my way down town see the
boys get on the cars, and some of them
sell dozen papers. And the passengers
expect them. Heretofore 1 have made the
law apply to all boys other than those en-
gagged in selling newspapers, and 1 would
be glad II some means whereby the news
boys could get on the cars and sell their
papers without being in danger could be
devised"
Mr.. Totten said he did not know how
such an arrangement could be made, for
he said there is more or less danger at
tached to jumping on the moving cars.
Always Danger.
Judge Kimball suggested that perhaps
the boys might jump on the ears from the
outer side of the track and thereby avoid a
great amount Of danger.
Even then there would be danger said
counsel, but the boys would insist on jump
ing next to the other track in order to get
from one car to another. He thought it
was a cruelty not to enforce the law
against newsboys as well others.
The accidents prove great annoyance
to the company, for whenever there is an
accident the railroad men are arrested and
locked up, and there is a suit entered
against the company.
But" said Judge Kimhall, where there
is such contributory negligence. verdict
against the company would never stand.
In the case yesterday the people will have
nothing upon which to base suit for
damages"
THAT may all be true" said Lawyer Tot
ten, but it is not an easy matter to per-
suade jury that the company is not to
blame. and whatever the result may be, it
is great annoyance to the company. and
there are already enough suits on hand"
Judge kimball said that in this particular
case he had no doubt as to what he should
do, as the facts in the case were not such
as applied strictly to a newsboy selling pa
pers When, however, a case against a
newsboy attending strictly to his business
comes before the court, he will give the
matter the fullest consideration.
The Crimmett boy was fined IS, which he
paid