The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-10

The Queen City Good Roads Club won
an important victory YESTERDAY sfterr oon
IL the municipal coar:. when Martin Niles
was convicted Of riding a horse on ne
Lake Union bicycle path. judge Bogae
said that as was satisfied ,es.
ire ordnance covering sucn cases
hal been violated but ne 5id no. feel
certain that The defendant has acted il a
wtilf1i manner. lie would therefore re-
solve tbs 1ca5, in his favor and infict ire
minimum hne OF 81 and costs. Niles was
not prepared 70 settle The bill. so the court
kindly extended The tine OF payment mil
this morning.
Since the Construction Of the Lake Union
and the Lake Washington bicycle paths.
considerable annoyance has been OCCASION
c! BY Ire trvspassing of cows and ..orss-
back riders on the paths An ordnance
was passed making /, nis6emeanor TO
turn the paths into drivexaye for cows and
bride paths for those who rode horses.
Day before yesterday SpAcial On.oer
George Cave VINO patrols from Albert
street 20 Leschi park for the express pur-
pose OF stopping scorchtng and preventing
otner mis- hueanorS, arrested Miss a cat
tie herder. for riding a horse OF the b.
cycle path. Incidentally the case included
the feature Of COWS being on the path. 100.
TIE tTial was called before Judge Bogue,
in the municipal court yesterday after
II. T.. NJ III
represented the prosecution. and Daniel
Cross the defense The evidence OF Officer
Cave was 70 the effect that he saw Niles
riding on that portion of the path used
by cyclists. and that two cows in Nils
charge were also on the path.
Niles claimed that the only portion OF
the path upon which he rode was that
where a street crosses, and when It de-
veloped that he rode along the path he ex-
planned that his horse was not on the path,
bpt alongside OF 1t
On cToss-exs nlination Gen. Carr tried 70
MAKE Niles admit that he had had trou-
BILE with bicycle riders in the past about
allowing his COWS TO walk on the path.
but Niles made a pointed denial Niles
also said il was not true that his en-
ployer. Mr.. Jolife, had told him to do
as he liked about the path and that he
would pay the fine X Il came 10 such a
pass
There were no other witnesses, and At
torney Cross in his argument said that
police officers We're apt 10 have vivid
lima gina;ions. as they were interested in
cases where they had made arrests and
desired 10 secure convictions. He argued
that in q case where It was necessary for
man 10 cross the path. he was not
violating the ordinance.
Attorney Hardin unbosomed himself in
the closing argument for the prosecution.
He knew the history Of the path and all
about the footprints In the sand" and
spoke not only eioquentiy. but logically.
Judge Bosue said he was satisfied that
the ordinance had been violated. but as
there was nothing 10 show that Niles
had acted wIllfuiiy. he would be ienient
and impose q fine Of only s. and costs.
The Queen City Good Roads Club is not
anxious 10 institute prosecutions, but IL
realizes that the wheelmen and wheel
women OF Seattle look 10 il as the natural
protector of their rights. II practice
that Is in direct violation Of the laws OF
the city cannot be stopped after repeated
circumstances, then IL becomes necessary
to adopt means that is more TO the
point. II has taken money and time to
build the lake paths, and every one who
has kept In touch with the movement
realizes the annoyance experienced from
cows and horseback riders. All sorts OF
means have been adopted 10 avoid the
necessity Of going TO law" but in the
end such course was forced on the club
and 4 did not shrink from what it deencd
10 be it's duty.
The next thing in order IL 20 bring
Few scorchers into the municipal court
and have Mr. Hardin tell Judge Bogue
what an abomination they are TO the gen
eral public, and also 10 those riders who
go along at a respectable pace. There is
no way 20 avoid the truth OF the state
ment that the Lake Washington path.
with all It's beauty, grand scenery and
dainty hooks. is dangerous. The turns
are many and most Of them are sharp.
II Is wonder. in view Of the fact that
there IS scorching along the path. that
several serious accidents have not hap
pened There have been accidents. but
ms most riders shrink from having their
misfortunes heralded in the newspapers.
they keep quiet. and the news does not
come out until il IS stale.
Riders should approach all sharp curves
az slow speed and ring their bells. It
VIII be a misfortune felt by every cyclist
in Seattle x a fatal collision takes place
on the Lake washington path.