The Portland daily press., 1896-01-03
ssoBsTRucTlNe ELECTRIC CARS.
Singular Contlrct of Rackman Samuel r..
seeiey-broHe dis Hack in Front of the
Car aud Re fused to Get Out of the Way.


In the Municipal court yesterday MORN
ing nine employees Of the Portland Street
Railway and many hackmen were
present. some of them to appear as wit
nesses in a case of the railroad company
against Samuel r. Seeley, proprietor of
the hack stable on India street. This case
was not heard because of Mr.. Seeley's
absence, and was postponed till today.
Mr.. Seeley is charged with obstruoting
the traffic on the Portland Street Rail
way with one of his hacks. About five
O'Clock Wednesday night, the Street Rail-
way employees say, Mr.. Seeley was on his
way in from the Union station with
hack. Near Oak street, on Congress,
an electric car came up behind the hack,
which was moving along rapidly in front
of the trolley.
The motorman says Mr.. Seeley did mt
get out of the way when he rang his gong,
and refused to do SO, even when ordered
by Officer Cousens to turn out into the
side of the street. The officer swore out
a warrant for Mr.. Seeley's arrest for
obstruoting traffic.
1t is also alleged tina. Seeley drove back
and forth in front of the car end APP
parently interfered with its progress
voluntarily.
Mr.. Seeley told a reporter yesterday
afternoon that he knew nothing Of the
charge against him until one O'Clock.
when he was summoned to appear before
Marshal Trickey. "Last night" said he,
81 was driving in from Union station on
the left hand side of the railway tracks.
just as reached Oak street my horses
turned of their own accord to GROSS the
track. An electric car was behind me,
but I did not see it or hear the gong
until it had almost run me down. The
motorman wasn't paying attention to his
business and barely escaped colIiding
with my hack. After this / remained
ahead of the car on the side Of the street
until was obliged to turn out for an
other team. Then my hack wheels, which
are very narrow, got caught in the rails
In order to get them out had to come
to dead stop, but did not delay the car
chhy iolSOL Uudu WcS dDbUlul6lY u6C6HSiTY
for me to get out of the track -
Yesterday, County Attorney True, in
whose hands the matter properly belongs, |
made out a warrant for his arrest.
The offense with which Seeley is
charged is quite serious. It is not city |
ordinence, but Maine statute that he is
charged with violating. The statute is as
follows:
eff any person shall wilfully and
maliciously obstruct any street railway
corpo. 1tion in the use of its roads,
tracks or property, or the passing of cars
of said corporation thereon, such person
shall be punished by fine not exceeding
5000 or may be imprisoned in the county
jail for period not exceeding sixty
days.
In regard to the statement that Ameri-
can Express drivers had been interfering
with the electric cars, Col. Henry Osgood,
superintendent of the company, said
yesterday, that he had been unable to
discover that any of his drivers had been
guilty of such action. He had taken
pains to inquire of the motoImen. and
they declared that the only complaint they
had against the American Express drivers
was that one of them had habit of leav-
ing his team backed up against the side
walk SO that the horse was in the way of
the car. But they said this was a very
common offense, and not very serious,
and of course not malicious. The ex-
press drivers would be very unlikely to
do anything to retard their own pace be-
cause they are expected to deliver goods
from the express office to the Union
station at as fast a pace as possible and
if they don't reach the station on time
there is a man there who knows it, and
reports it, and the deligent driver is
called upon to give an account of his
time.
The Bowling Tournament. III