Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-21
DEATH UNDER THE WHEEL
INQUEST to Be Held on the Death of Little
Louis Bachsmid
The Witnesses Agree on Some Points
The Driver of the Wagon Makes
Statement.

The inquest over the little boy, Louis
Bachsmid, who was run over by wagon
belonging to NJ. w. 'Beveridge, and driven
by George L. C. Brooks, will he held at 5
o'clock this afternoon. At IL O'Clock this
morning Dr. Hamn,ett, the coroner. met
the various witnesses. and questioned each
one privately to ascertain the1 facts of the
accident. Among these witnesses we're
Thomas J. King. H. Oppenfieilnep. J. b.
Sechrist and George Cole, who were eye
witnesses of the distressing affAir. The
exceptionally considerate conduct of
Brooks in going for doctor and: then re-
turning to the house after he had deliver
ed his load had created a strong simpres-
sion in his favor. and all who, spoke of the
matter commended him for this. Is -"
On the Wrong side. 30 III
The accounts all agreed that the wagon
was not on the right side of the street,
that the boy had crossed and got past the
path in which Brooks was driving. and
that it was not the boys eareiessness, nor
any act of his that caused the accident
and that while Brooks may not have been
directly and actually responsible for 1t, the
horse and wagon went out of its way still
further to the left of the center, of the
street and caused the boys death. DR..
Hammett, who had been inclined to re-
gard the accident as unavoidable, was un-
willing to take the responsibility of de-
Gliding the question of criminal RESPONSE
bility, and. therefore, announced that a
jury would be summoned to meet at the
home of Mr.. Bachsmid at 400, and then
go to station No. /, where the witnesses
would be examined and the question of
carelessness passed upon by the jury.
The Drivers Story.
Brooks, the driver, Mr.. Beveridge says,
has been with him several years. and has
always borne himself as faithful, intelli-
gent ard well-behaved employe. Three of
his brothers are employed by Mr.. Bev-
eridge, and all have a good reputation.
When the accident occurred Brooks stop.
ped his wagon and went after a physician.
and brought enc back to the house with
him. He then told the boys father that he
would stop by and see how the boy was
after he had finished his delivery uptown.
When he learned that the boy had died
he went to No. l police station house and
delivered himself up to Lieut.. Amiss. He
was locked UP to await the result of the
coroner'S investigation. Several friends
called to see him last night and today
Brooks says the boy was about three feet
from the wagon when he first saw him.
He called to him, but he ran right in front
of the horse, and the animal knocked him
down and the wheels passed over his body.
This account is not, however corroborateu
by the bystanders. Yet no one seems to
know just why the horse suddenly plunged
to the left and upon the boy. Mr.. Sechrist,
who is a good norseman, said he noticed
the wagon before the accident, and it was
going at about six miles an hour-not at
all at a pace that could be called fast
driving MIR. BachSmid, the father Of the
little fellow, was present today at the pre-
liminary investigation. He says, from all
he could hear, he could not blame the
driver, although he may have been care
less in being on the left side of the street,
when he should have been on the right.
The cause of death being. clearly shown
from the preliminary testimony, Coroner
Hammett gave the undertaken permission
to embalm the body and prepare for the
funeral tomorrow.