Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-05
A SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
Little Hattie Berkeley Killed by
Fall From N bicycle.

Little Hattie Berkeley Killed by n
Fall From n Bicycle.
A shocking accident occurred yesterday
afternoon on Capitol Hill which resulted
in the almost instant death of a pretty
little school girl. The victim of this sad
occurrence was Hattie Berkley, the thir
teen-year-old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Berkeley of 723 10th street south
east.
About 5 o'clock in the afternoon Hattie
Berkeley was riding merrily about the
streets on a bicycle which she had just
borrowed from some boys who were play
ing nearby. They had been trying to ride
1t In turn. but finding it too big for them
willingly entrusted 1t to the little GIRL who
said she thought she could ride 1t all right.
1t seems that the machine belonged to a
boy named White. and had been taken
from him Wednesday evening by some Of
his playmates In spirit of fun. MIR. ]. A.
Bury had been asked to keep a lookout for
the wheel and, thinking that the one Hattie
was riding was possibly the one wanted,
he called to her to stop. Evidently she
thought 1t was some of the boys calling to
her. and laughingly called to them to say
that If they wanted it they must catch her
first.
A Fatal Fall.
She was riding along the north side of
the parking, in the middle of the, avenue
near 9th street, when a big. heavily loaded
brewery wagon came driving by. Hattie
was not very expert with the wheel. and
her attempt to pass, going between the
wagon and the parking, was what led to
the fatal accident. She had passed the
horses, when her wheel swerved and she
seemed to lose control of it. Probably her
foot slipped on the pedal, but at any rate
IT fell to one side, toward the wagon, and
she herself fell to the pavement with great
force. She was just In front of the rear
wheel, and at first it was thought that it
had passed over her body, but the bruises
that were found about her afterwards
would seem to contradict this and probably
she was just pushed along by the wheel.
The wagon was one belonging to the Ma
tional Capital Brewing Company, and was
driven by William Schaefer. who lives at
1000 9th street. He stopped his wagon in
stantly. but not until the little girls cloth
ing had been torn and her body badly
bruised. The accident was witnessed by
number Of people, who considered that it
was In no sense the fault of the driver, but
an accident pure and simple. DR.. Brum-
nett and Mr.. Bury, who were standing
near ran forward and picked up the poor
little body. Life was not extinct although
the child was unconscious, and 1t was evil
Gent even then that nothing could be done
to relieve her. She was carried into DR..
Brummett's office. and Mrs. Berkeley was
summoned. Within ten minutes Of the
time of the accident she died in her moth
ca al hiSs WttuOuC having recovered con-
sciousness
Result of Accident.
Coroner Hammett viewed the body short
ly afterward at the Berkeley home on 10th
street From the nature of the injuries
DR.. Hammett decided that the wheel did
not pass over the child. and upon close ex-
animation he found a small fracture at the
base of the skull. 1t was evident that she
had died from conclusion of the BRAIN
The coroner decided that an inquest was
not necessary, as the testimony of eye
witnesses clearly exonerated Schaefer from
all responsibility. Schaefer was put under
arrest and taken to the fifth precinct sta
ton, but when the lieutenant heard the re-
suit OF the coroner's visit to the house he
released the man without any DELAY
Schaefer has been working for the company
but few weeks and was formerly a con-
due tor on the Brightwood electric railway
The dead girl was a very bright child
and was a pupil al the Esputa Hall public
school, She was very popular with her
playmates and friends ard her death has
caused sincere sorrow in the neighborhood
Mr.. Berkeley is a machinist, but has been
out of employment for some time past