The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-15
Samuel Cash Explains Why the
Car Was Not Con.
trolled.
CRAWFORD LOST HIS HEAD.
An Excited Motorman Reverses the
Car and Drags the Bleeding Vic
tim Several Feet.

A Kearny-street electrician, No. 1103,
struck Johnnie Figone, 14-year-old boy,
who resided with his parents at Bartol
street, yesterday, about IL 80 o'clock, and
in fifteen minutes the little Lao breathed
his last at the Receiving Hospital.
The accident happened in the crowded
portion of the City, Just north of Califor-
MIA street, and hundreds of people watched
the boys death agony as the merciless
fender held its victim in cruel grasp
while the iron wheels ground the life out
of the young body. Few there were who
noticed the accident in its incipiency, for
the circum stance which led to the catas-
trophe was SO commonplace that it at
tracted no attention.
The boy, who was working for J. Jack
son, a tailor at 500 Kearny street, had
been sent on an errand. On his return an
express wagon driven by colored man,
William E. Davis, passed him going in
Figone's direction, and Johnnie, true to
the small boys instinct, clambered over
the end gate and proceeded to enjoy sur
reptitious ride. Reaching the vicinity of
his employers shop, he jumped carelessly
to the ground and directly in front of a
south bound car. The car struck him and
he fell. The guard, which is placed just
high enough from the ground to allow a
human body to barely pass beneath it,
also struck MIN, and as he rolled beneath
it he uttered heart-rending scream.
The motorman threw his weight upon
the lever. but the car was going too fast TO
respond readily. and the wheels passed
over Figone's body. Motorman |. w.
Crawford reversed the motor and allowed
the car to drag the boys body back as far
as it had been dragged forward.
Bystanders rushed to the lads as.
beneath the fender that the car
had TO be lifted before he could be re-
moved. Then it was too late. His left
thigh was crushed in a frightful manner
and speech and consciousness had left
him. Officers Magee and Butterworth
conveyed the injured youth to the Reeeiy-
ing Hospital, but it was useless journey.
Five minutes after their arrival the boy
died.
Samuel Cash, the proprietor of shoot
ing gallery at sos Kearny street. saw the
accident from the time the boy was struck.
II was standing IN my door," he said,
"when heard shrek. looked up and
was Mortified to see boy passing under
meath the guard OF one of The cars. The
boy screamed as the guard struck bin,
and then he revolved two or three times
until / heard another shrek, and then I
knew the wheels had reached him. The
motorman was doing his best to stop the
car, and am satisfied if he had not been
going so fast he could have stopped it all
right. / noticed the car was going very
fast.
Soon after the second shrek the car
stopped ana then the motorman reversed
the car. / can't imagine what he did that
for. He must have been excited, for be
dragged the boy nearly twelve feet. By this
time crowd had collected, and they
managed by lifting the car to get the poor
boy extricated."
HLouis Isaacs, who works in a shoestore
at $40 Kearny street, was one of the first to
go to the boys assistance. ''I heard q
Scream" he said, 'iand looking out of the
door, saw a boy beneath one of the cars.
He had just passed under the guard when
/ saw him and in another moment he was
beneath the wheels. The motorman
stopped the car and then for some reason
reversed it. The boy was caught under
the car and dragged several feet. I rushed
out to bis assistance and, reaching under.
found that the board in front OF the wheels
had imprisoned one of his feet. l called
upon the crowd to lift the car, and by
doing so We managed to get the boy
loose"
Officer J. s. Adams arrested the motor
man, Crawford, Immediately after the oc-
currence ana took him before Judge Jo-
achimsen on a charge OF manslaughter.
Crawford explained the accident by saw
ing the boy jumped Immediately in front
OF the car and he had no opportunity to
apply the brakes. He was allowed to 90
On bis own recogniZance.