Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-19
HELDF0R GRAND JURY
Bait Regarded as Responsible for
John Eagles Death.
EVIDENCE BEFORE CORONER'S JURY
-s
Defendant on Witness Stand in
His Own Defense.
ADMITS STRIKING EAGLE

ADMITS STRIKING EAGLE
Samuel Bait, the driver for the Union
Transfer Company, who was arrested yes
terday on a charge of causing the death Of
John ]. Eagle. the clerk in the wreckng
department of the Southern Railway Com
pany. as told in yesterdays Star, was held
for the action of the grand jury by the cor
oners jury at the inquest held late yester-
day afternoon. The arrest of the prisoner
was quickly accomplished by Detectives
Baur and Muller, as stated yesterday. and
they were highly commended for it. When
they left headquarters all they knew was
that there had been trouble with man on.
a bicycle. This man had dealt Mr.. Eagle
a blow, and his death followed. Only a
few minutes after the officers had reached
the scene of the trouble they learned that
Bait was the man they wanted, and he
was apprehsnded seon as he returned
to the stable with his team.
Mr.. w. L. Hohlitzell was the only wit
ness present at the hearing who claimed
TO have witnessed the entire affair He ex-
piained to the jury that after working in
the railroad office all day with M. Eagle
the two went to the bathing beach and had
swim. After getting out of the water
they had drink, but did not get drunk.
They had passed through the Monument
grouhds and had reached 14tlf street when
they stopped to determine just which way
they would 60 While standing there the
man on the bicycle came up and the front
wheel of the machine passed over witness
1907 and struck against Eagle. Witness
sa1d that Bait told him he (BatD had run
over his foot because he wanted to do it,
Don't you like it?' Bait asked him. and
bis response was, Indeed / don't like tt
Then. he said Bait called him an ugly
rane, and said Take that striking at
MIN There were two other men there and
when they struck him he ran
rms man. said witness, pointing to the
prisoner. turned and struck Eagle who
had not opened his mouth Eagle fell and
ball.
witness said he ran because there were
theh three men against him. When he re-
turned TO look after his friend Batt in
quired, Whats the mattar?' and witness
told him he ought to know, as he injured
the man.
Unconscious of Injury.
witness said he questioned his friend
Eagle, but the latter was not conscious
that he had been hurt. AT first when he
got up he asked what his own name was
and where he lived. Witness went almost
to Eagles hotel with him. His injured
him over night but he could not CO.
Was Eagle drunk" the coroner asked
NO. cir, he answered, but he had had
something to drink after coming out of
the water"
Had the man who struck him been
Drinking"
HE didn't look as if he had"
Detective Baur testified that about an
hour after being assigned to the case he
went with Detective Muller and arrested
Bait. The prisoner admitted the charge
and made an explanation of the case. He
told witness that he apologized for running
over Mr.. HobiitZelfs foot. He said he
apologiZed twice, but Mr.. Hobitzell said
that was not enough and squared off for
a fight. Bait said he struck at Hoblitzen
who ran, and then he turned and struck at
the other man. Afterward he said he was
sorry that he had struck Eagle, and said
he wished it had been HoblitzeH The de-
PENDANT, he said. made detailed state
ment of the affair. He made no effort to
conceal what he had done. He denied to
witness that there We're two other men
there, as stated by Hoblitzell.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook told the jury
that the dead man weighed about 40
pounds He was well nourished and was a
very well developed man. The only exter-
Hal injuries were two bruises on one elbow,
such as would be inflicted by a fall. Wit
ness described the fracture Of the skull,
and said that the mans death was due to
hemorr hage following the fracture of the
skull.
HI Ills o"H
The defendant in his own behalf said he
had just returned from bicycle ride and
was going in the stable to get some cold
water. He admitted that his wheel had ac-
cidentally passed over the foot of Mr.. Hob
litzell, for which he offered ample apology,
saying what he had done was an accident.
Hoblitzell, he said, called to him: Are
you the who ran over my foot?'
i'm no he nd
repeated his apology.
Il won't stand for apology HoblitZell
told him, and he QIoblitzeID squared off
for a fight The latter was in front of him
and Eagle was behind him. HoblitzelI ran
off before he was struck and witness said
he hit Eagle.
Then said defendant. IT said I'm sorry
l hit you, but that fellow (HoblitZelD was
looking for trouble
They afterward shook hands and parted
as good friends. He said he thought both
men were drunk,
Mr.. HoblitzelI denied that he was drunk
or that he had used any bad language.
The case was about to be given to the
jury when young man named Harry
Hayden rushed in and expressed a desire
to be heard. He said he had been up to
Glen Echo on his wheel with Bait and
while there they drank four or five bottles
Of beer, but they were perfectly sober when
they returned to the city. He was across
the street when the row started. He heard
his friend Bait apologize and heard the
witness (HoblitzelD refuse to accept it.
When he reached the scene he separated
Hoblitzell from Bait, and when he turned
he saw Eagle lying on the pavement. He
did not see his friend strike Eagle He de-
MED that the two men mentioned by Hob
lhzan were there. This closed the proof and
the case was submitted.
Body Sent Home.
J The body of Mr.. Eagle was prepared for
burial and placed in the chapel connected
with j. w. Lees undertaking establish
ment. This morning about thirty friends
of the deceased called and saw the body
which was sent to his former home at
Lewis Turn Out, near Chester, s. c.
TO RESTRAIN SALE.