New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-17
THE INQUEST BEGUN.
STORY OF THE ACCIDENT OF JUNE I.
PASSENGERS on THE 1Il--FATED NASSAU RAii-
ROAD CoMPANY's CAR GIVE THEIR EX-
,,,,,r,~,-r-c NJ, srEsTTMONY

|
dent on the Nassau Railroad Companys car on June
on Thirty -nnth-st. HILL in which two people were
| killed and a more injured
A notable incident the presence OF the ota'e
| BOARD OF Railroad Comm ssioners. or which MI
Beardsley is chairman. Several of the railroad Peo-
| ple were I'm the room, and in addition thrty-nVe
witnesses were on hand testify. The inquest WAS
| based on the deaths OF Frank Applebaum the young
boy. who was instantly killed, and Mrs. Mary H.
! Evans who died in the hospital two days later. a
working model of a controller and brake was ca'ie
| TO the court by some of the railway employees
| Isodore Levy of No. 100 Muberry-st newark ~
| T. was the first witness. He testhed ne WAS o''
| tho Inflated car, standing near the motornan Oh
the uptown trip The car was cro"oeu al NV
seats were occupied and many people s'ooo vi
the steps. .x wit
ness when the car started to go down mn. 0'-''
body shouted that the trolley pole was OIL III.
did YOU see the motorhah 'ry ~ '''p ~
asked Coroner Coombs. , 49,
| yes sir He was trying to put the oreAh Oh
but it wouldn't work" The examination then "e"'
| on. 49,, .h ,uo
| Odd he stay all the way down tho hi"'
o-Working at the brakes all the time? A'-fes'
the motorma qaa xTg r
COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BRAKE.
Odd the motorman make any complaint CON
| corning the brake at any time A.-ho u'u y"
Atlantic-ave The brake wouldn't Work
| Odd YOU hear Ian say so? Al did
! O-Wha1 else? Ale made the same compla M
at the car barns but he was sent risi' q" win '''
George C. Burieen who represented some Of i the
iniured people then asked the wit ness several qu h
tons pertaining the accident lie went Oyer d sne
same ground practically Levy ,1 b car While the
car was on its run down hill and saw the pole free
from the wire.
| u N Solomon a lawyer, who said he represented
several people, endeavored to md out from tho
witness ~ the motorman spoke TO any one con-
| nected with the company when no compihheo OF
the brake at the car barn. ~~,
| IT suppose he did," the witness answered. inc
,notornan asked for grease oil. but did not get
| It," -,
| In answer to juryman's question Levy e"iu
| there were III people on the car
How do you know" asked Coroner Coohps.
| because l noticed the register" was the reply.
| Jacob Walker, of No. 4sS Barcay-st Newark ~
| T was not productive witness. Although he was
an .ba oar he did not see the trollcy-car. Il stayed
on said the Witness land did not get hurt That's
| all know"
| ASLEEP ON THE CAR
| Charles f. Thomas. junior partner OF inc .>assau
mnca, ROOM at Coney Island, said he was asleep on
the car when It began to go down hill. lie a"oAe
| lust in time to near some one say: Jump io' sou'
| lives"
| "One woman tried to jump" the witness explained
THAT was after several people had already mace
| tho snrine I tried TO hold the woman but she bit
| me on the arm and got excited ana let hes go
did not see the pole come on
Thomas said he did not see either the Inotormah
| or conductor in the wild rush
Charles Johnson OF No. ll9 Safest. brooklyn,
| was the next witness He boarded the car at Fulton
Ferry He sat facing the motorman, about the
| centre OF the car.
"pid you notice anything unusual2" asked the
Coroner. NM J.,
Nothing until / heard somebody say' The car IS
running away.
w r Robbins. of No. III East Broadway. New
York. a smooth-faced young man. appeared AFTER
three witnesses had failed 70 answer to their names
He he'd sat next 10 Mrs. Mary Evans lie SAID 'he
hrak, failed 10 work well on the incline at the
Bridge The car started to go backward. he went
on land the motorman put the power on ana sent
1t forward!
In telling the story Of the descent he said he saw
the motorman put the brake on. but 1t had done no
good
DID you hear Mrs Evans say anything OF "''
""i Il heard him say. We won't como on this car
Ss asked If Mrs Evans jumped, the witness said d:
II saw her fall. 1 think she was pushed OUT out
!Di iiPt YOU see tho motorman try the brakeT'
Il DID"
THE WITNESS CROSS EXAMINED.
J. c. Church. counsel for the Nassau Company
; then took the witness in hand. Were there any
people standing up in your open space?" ne asked
YES sir one boy.
, you could see the motorman plainly?' he asked.
I'm not sure ] think 50 o..u, A. ,r,.,
, What did you first notice the mo'orman DO when
the gar began going down!
t IBID you notice him moving the electric handle
moving them back and forthF
Nathan hickman Of No ls7 Fssexst,, New-York.
capmakeT SAID he was slandng IN the een nnce OF
pothns unusual on tho trip. He remained IN mo
) car with his wife. She wanted to jump but he
I'D YOU hold herr" asked the Coroner
Where Is your wife?" ...,.
In the Womens Memorial Hospital"
"How she hurt"
Bloc1nan testified he paid attention to the
motorman or conductor
George Gnnsher Of No iss LudlOw-st NeT, York
hand when the ran into ne birthstone told ne
from Of e the two pTseHE a' d'
William 81 rs s4y so, trq 1Ss
Of AZ haS Ssn n1ona his
Atlantic-ave near Fifth-ave He was thrown off
; the car. he said.
THE MOTORMAN ON THE STAND.
Charles T. White. the motorrnan. the most
important witness Of the evening. He said that no
, had trouble with the brake near the Bridge Cor
oner Coombes asked him what occurred between tho
ferry and Thirty ninth-si He said that the pole
badly on the incline ne had to reverse the cur
rent 10 keep the car from going backward When
station master, Harding mat he had bad pole and
a brake. Harding had answered. he testi-
= fed "Oh, go along We will make a car specially
for you
D.. White then proceeded He said he. had more
trouble with the brake at Invent sevenill-st Then
he testified. 'as struck the hill Thiry-ninth-st
put on half speed, thinking that with the people I
had on board the full current would probably bow
2 out the fuse After discovered that the trolley
pole off tried 10 stop the with the brake
but 1t would not work. knew " reversed the
rent while the car was going backward. would
either blow out fuse strip the gearing In
either case would have cost all chance OF stopping
the Then threw off the hand switch but ii
= did good"