People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-20
CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR TROLLEY DEATHS.
JUSTICE GAYN0R'S VIEW
When a MOtOrman Runs on
Schedule Time, Blame for
Accident Lies With His
SuperiOrs.
From the N. Y. Press.

From the N. Y. Press.
The case against the motorman
rests wholly upon the fact that the
deceased and his wagon were thrown
so great a distance as to show that
the car must have been running at
criminally dangerous and unlawful
speed. Upon this fact alone the
coroner's jury charged the motor
man with criminal responsibility,
censured the railroad corporation
Gas though that amounted to any
thing) and said nothing Of its officers
and directors.
The censure of the corporation
necessarily implies that it directed
The undue speed of the car; that is
to say, that its officers and directors
directed 1t. Such 3 discriminating
administration of the criminal law
will not do. 1t is both Intellectual
and demoralizing.
II the motormsn was running on
schedule, then he was only obeying
the orders of the officers and direc-
tors Of the company to run at that
dangerous speed, and if such speed
caused the death, the chief criminal
responsi bility Is with them.
The inquiry seems TO have been
conducted upon the mistaken theory
that only the motorman could be
crlminally responsible for the Grim
inal speed, whereas the law is quite
the reverse.-(From Justice Gay
nor's opinion in the case of motor
man whose trolley car killed a man
in the street.)
UPHoLDs TIE PRESSES VIEWS.
Justice Gaynor in the Supreme
Court delivered an opinion yesterday
which will cause the officers and di-
rectors of the trolley companies to
do some thinking. AS the Press has
said from day to day, these are the
men who should be held directly re-
sponsible for the indiscriminate
slaughter of human lives in the
streets of Brooklyn.
The officers and directors defy the
law and refuse to place safety fen
ders on the cars.
The off oersAnd directors shorten
the time schedules so that the motor
man has to crowd on all possible
speed to "get there" and make up
the time spent in stopping at cross
ings.
HAD TO WORK WHILE HALF ASLEEP.
1t was an officer of the company
whe sent out Fred Bliss, a motor
man, on his trip despite the fact that
Bliss, for lack of sleep, could not
keep his eyes open and begged for
a lay -off. Bliss got his lay-off after
little Ethel Denham had been
mangled under his car. The baby's
life was crushed out before her
mothers eyes.
The authorities in Brooklyn, the
Mayor, the District Attorney, the
police, have treated the officers and
directors as though they were not
amendable to law. When an arrest
is made it is always Of a moto; man
whose yearly income is less than
500.
One Of these unfortunate motor
men, James B. Elliott, was arrested
last Friday. His car ran into the
carriage Of John j. Read at such
speed that Mr.. Read was hurled to
the ground and his neck broken.
STRUCK AT THE ROOT.
The coroner's jury held Elliott
criminally responsible for Mr.. Reads
death, and yesterday the prisoners
lawyer brought him into the Supreme
Court and asked that bail be fixed.
Justice Gaynor ordered that the
stenographer's minutes of the in
quest be read to him. Then he
handed down an opinion which
strikes at the very root of the trolley
evil.
The justice made the point which