The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-16
VICTIM NUMBER TWO.
Willie O'Brien, Nine Years Old,
Crushed Under the Wheels
or = UNION TRUNK LINE CAR.
He We Juss Ont Of school ana IL Seems
@ Have Been Nobody's Fault but
HIS Own That He Il Dead.

wmie o,Br.en. aged years. was killed
st noon yesterday By car No. % OF the
Union Trunk line, on Remington avenue,
directly IN front Of the Pacific school,
Two carx were approaching each other,
and the boy attempted 10 cross u front
Of them. He succeeded IN escaping the
west-bourd car. bet as he attempted to
pass In from. az the east-bouna he .ss
knocked down and injured fatally. The
ca was going 81 80 slow a rate Of spec!
tina; II Was stopped within eight feet
'sBlIlys. O'Brien was the son Of Michael
c. O'Brien q iaborer. who lives at the
corner o. Prince William and Randolph
streets There are about Ave children In
the family. '.Biliy'' attended the Pacific
Fisken's class. When school was let GU.
yesterday at II O'Clock. ne made rush
To- his home which II in q southeasferiy
direction from the school.
About this time car No. 90 in charge OF
Conductor Daniel Wood and Motorman N.
". Mcccombs, was passing along Rem
ington avenue on Its east trip from the
power house Approaching from the east.
west bound, was another car. in charge
Of Conductor Curtis Egs,cr: and Motor
nan NJ. NJ Cooper.
II is a custom I'm accordance with the
rules OF the road that the cars run slowly
when the children are coming cut OF
school.
The recklessness Of The email boy has
caused The street railway men to be ex-
trsrneiy cautious, for fear OF accidents.
The cars were consequently travelling
slowly when young o'3riea dsrted across
the atreet. He had no trouble Ia beating
the west-bound car. which WIS going UP
grade. but instead of keeping on across
the other track he hesitated and stood for
q moment between the tracks. Motorman
McCoombs rotIced the little form ahead
and rang the bell and put on brakes.
The boy, however. suddenly attempted to
cross, ard as a result The edge OF the
vestibuIe of the car struck his head He
was knocked to the ground. One shrek
OF agony was heard and then the car
stopped. The front wheel rested partly
on the boys body, and IT was necessary
- back the car Ia order to release II. IL
was found also that the neck had been
disiocated. From the moment the Shrek
was heard Until the last signs OF life were
gone there was not sound from the
victim.
The father. who was working AT the Y.
NJ c. A. grounds close at hand. came and
locked at his sesfs body. He called the
boys name. and In his sorrow cried as II
he we're child himself. Deputy Coroner
Teater came and then the body was re-
moved to the family residence.
This Is the first fatal accident on the
Cn,Jn Trunk line. although II has beer
In operation for FIVE or six years. II Is a
wonder. though, that one or two children
are not Killed every week. Despite the
efforts OF the school teachers. the pupils
are constantly playing tag with the cars.
Rcr-'nIr nds seem 10 have no effect for
the fist opportunity that presents itself
the ca.li-sn retu. n 10 the amusement Of
botheri1g the street car men.
Motorsnan McCoombs Is an efficient.
conscientious man. and standG high with
the officials OF the company. Superin-
tendent Bruce said last evening that after
= thorough Investigation OF the case he
did not believe that the motorman was to
blame The car was going slow. he said
because 1. was stopped Sithin eight feet
ON down grade.
J. ID. Lowman, secretary of the COM
pany was notified as soon as the accident
occurred. He went direct 10 the scene
from his home and talked with several
people who were witnesses He said that
from what he learned he could not see
that the moiorman was at fault The boy
dartad across the street and the first the
mo srBan saw OF him WAS when he stood
between the tracks. II am surprised"
added Mr.. Loman, "that there are not
more accidents. The school teachers try
TO make children keep away from the cars.
bat IL does no good"
~. III. Young, president OF the company
Fan so long without a fatal accident. IT
% not know what We can do about the
Children he said. 'Thcy viii run around
the cars. Some OF them take delight in
seeing how close they can cut In ahead of
. ear. They grab hold OF one end and
when the conductor tells them TO let go
they obey hut grab hold OF the other
end. Our men exercise the utmost vigil
lance 10 avoid accidents. and in spite OF
this there are many narrow escapes be-
cause children are so reckless
The rast i've days have been given up
70 fatal accidents and Coroner Askam has
been on the 80 continually. First. little
Rudolph BlumQuist jumped from a bakers
cart In front of North Seattle electric
car and was instantly Killed. The same
evening John g. Roberts was crushed to
death by Great Northern work train OF
tho north end OF the local yards. Mon
day evening Rachael Duncan. aged years
fell into tile water a, the corner Of Lane
anu sixth avenue suUth and was drowned
Tuesday, night IauIn Cabano. cook on
thc steamship walla WaIia fen from the
boa; ~ the wharf, n distance OF ten feet.
but fortunately escaped with only a
sprained ankle. About the same time
Thomas McElroy TEL into the hay and
vas pulled out IN an exhausted condition.