Evening star., 1896-08-08
WARNED WITHOUT NEEDING
Howard Fleet Killed by the Mt Vernon Elec.
= .. tho Cars.
The CsreAef's Jury Decides That
None of the Company Omcfals
Were to Blame.

Coroner Hammett held an inquest this af
ternoon at the sixth precinct station ovel
the body OF Howard Fleet. q sixteen-year.
old colored boy. who was killed yesterday
afternoon on the Long bridge. Fleet was
walking across the bridge on his way from
Johnsons Hill, Va, which is just beyond
Jackson City. when he was struck by a
rorthbound electric train on the Alexandra
and Mt. Vernon line. He was killed almos,
Instantly.
The first witness called was DIR. L. A.
Sia1ehrook. the deputy coroner. who testi-
ned to an autopsy made upon the body. He
said the boys skull was badly fractured
and both legs broken. SO that medical at
tention could not possibly have saved his
life.
kerl Randolph. a colored man. who was
en the wagon road at the time of the ac-
cadent. testified that he saw Fleet walking
along the track toward the city Fleet vas
walking with his head bent over and appa-
rently paying no attention to where he was
or what he was doing.
A boy who was walking with Fleet call
ed to him to look out for the cars but
Fleet did not seem to hear him and did not
even look up until the motor car was fair
ly on him.
Did Not Heed . Warning.
VIM Henry Terry. a twelve-year-old col
ored boy. said that he was walking with
Fleet on the railroad ties on the bridge
When he called to Fleet that the cars were
coming Fleet stepped squarely onto the
track instead Of out Of the way.
According to this witness the accident
happened about midway of the two bridges,
on the causeway. He said that he had Of
ten seen Fleet walking on the tracks and
told him that sooner or later he would he
killed if he kept 1t up. In his opinion the
n
torman blew his air whistle. but Fleet did
not seem to hear it at all. The witness said
that he knew he had no right to walk on
that side of the bridge, and several people
warned them of, but they preferred to stay
on that side and Fleet refused to go onto
the footpath.
Stepped On the Tracks.
B. F. Hall. the motorman Of the electric
train, said that Fleet was about fifty yards
ahead Of him when he first saw him. The
hey was walking between the two tracks.
He at once put on his whistle and applied
the air brakes. He called to Fleet and the
Boy instead of getting out of the way of
the cars. stepped on to the tracks directly
in front and was struck by the motor car.
IL Fleet had stepped to the left there
would have been no accident, but the boy
stepped the wrong way, and was struck
The whistle was blown as soon as he saw
Fleet. The latter was badly cut up. and
died within few minutes.
Conductor A. A. Davis testified that he
was engaged in taking up tickets when he
heard the notorman call to some one on
the track. He looked ahead and saw a col
ored boy deliberately step in front of the
train In his opinion the train was going
at the rate OF about twenty miles an hour.
Just this side OF the scene of the accident
the tracks make a sharp curve, and 1t is
necessary 30 slack up to five miles or less
before entering the city. After reaching
l4th street the cars are equipped with fen
ders. but no fender had yet been put on his
motor.
Other Testimony and the Verdict.
Edward g.. Pickett. a fiagman on the
train which struck Fleet. testified that he
vas ON the rear coach, and SO did not see
the accident. He heard the motorman
blow his whistle, and saw him put on the
brakes, but did not see the boy until the
cars had passed over him.
Elisha NJ. Payne. brakeman on the train.
was on the front end of the first trailer
ana did not see Fleet on the track. When
he heard the whistle blow he at once ap-
piled his brakes and assisted the motorman
In his efforts to stop the train.
After delberating briefly on the eyi-
dence strbntftted fhe jury decided that Fleet
met his death as result of an accident,
and that neither the railroad nor any of
Its officials were in any way to blame.