The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-20
BY HIS OWN cARfLESSNESS.
VERDICT OF THE CORONER's JURY
IN THE sCHAFFER CASE.
Death Caused BY injuries Received
In the Collisien with . Hack. bat
Driver Chilas Was Not to Hiane
The Dicyclist Was scorching.

The coroner's inquest over the body OF
young Harry w. Schaffer. held 10 deter
mine whether or not Sam Childs. the
driver OF the hack, WAS responsible for
the death, resulted Ia the verdict that The
boy came TO his death through his own
careIsssness. and that Childs was not TO
hiame.
The inquest was conducted by Coroner
Yandell at Batterworsh.s undertaking
rooms on Third avenue. The Jury con-
sisted Of ]. W. Sweza. Louis Huny, K.
c. Wilson, William w. CondeIl, Mason
Anderson and H. Fl. Kulies-
Or. Limerick. the physician who was
called In at the time OK the accident and
who attended the young man until his
death. testified that there were internal
injuries 0f a serious nature. but that
death. In his opinion. was caused by the
severe shock sustained by Schaffer. The
doctor told the coroner la detail the tests
be had made TO ascertain the exact in
t1rnai injuries which the young man was
suffering from. There was a hurt of
some kind in the region of the intestinss.
Tone Droshe. q fruit dealer near the
place where the accident occurred, testi-
fed that the boy had been carried into his
place Of business and then carried to
Rarrington's drug store. He did not see
the accident.
r. r. Burke. q clerk In nellie & Ensle-
hrecht's, was an eyewitness OF the COLI
sion and was the first to reach the pros
trate boy. He saw Schafer pull his hat
down over his eyes TO keep the rain oat
Of his face. and then start 10 scorch down
the street. He looked down the street
ard saw the hack coming up, and he made
q mental note that il the young man was
not careful he would run into the hack
Then the driver saw the boy on the BIZ
cycle and pulled up moment before the
collision. Mr.. Burke ran down to the
boy and aided in picking him up. Mean
while the team had reared up and dashed
up the street In great fright.
Samuel c. Chiids the driver. gave the
same story as he aid in the Post-Intelli-
gencer on Thursday morning. He was
driving up Second avenue at about six
miles an hour, and when just above Union
he observed the bicyclist coming toward
him. AT first he thought the rider would
turn out, as they usually do, but when he
got to within fifty or sixty feet of him
he noticed that the rider had his hat
pulled over his eyes and was not looking
ahead. He instantly pulled up his team
and had them stopped. when the bicycle
struck the end OF the tongue. The boy
fell under the horses feet and they COM
menced to rear and plunge. The horses
ran away up the street. and Mr.. Childs
was unable 10 stop them until near Pine
slfeef. ohe OF the horses caught his foot
In the bicycle. and the wheel, clingipg to
the frightened animal and dangling about
at every step, increased the fright of the
horses. Finally the shoe OF the horse
which was holding on TO the bicycle broke
and the wheel was left behind
j. C. kelinger, an umbrella member,
testified that he saw the accident and
that Ch;lds was driving very fast when
the collision came. He also said that
Schaffer was scorching and that the shock
when the two came together was terrible.
The horses ran away after the accident.
Testimony Of several witnesses was that
Schaffer had no lantern on his wheel hut
the hack had lights. No one was found
who said that Childs was using the whip
on his horses.
Tho jury was only out a little while.
and the verdict. after stating that Harry
w Schaffer's death was caused by in
turies received In a collision on Second
avenue with hack, went on 10 say that
the collision was the result of Schaffer's
own earelessness and that Driver Ch.lds
was not TO blame.