Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-05
THECoMPANYS CONTENTION
Promoters Of Electric System Deny State
ments Concerning Injury of a Horse.
Condition Of the Animal to De
Appeal to Commissioners.

Mr.. F. NJ. Haines, who represents in this
city the Brown system of electrical propul-
! sion, and Is also general manager of the
Capital Railway Company, has prepared
| statement to be submitted to the District
| Commissioners in reference to the killing of
| the horse belonging to Mr.. ]. w. Middle
| ton, which, it has been alleged, was the re-
| suit Of contact with one of the boxes in use
| On the line of that company Saturday even
| ing last. The full particulars of the acct
| dent have already appeared in The Star.
| Mr.. Haines said last evening to Star
porter that he has made an investigation
| of the whole affair and is confident he will
| be able to convince the Commissioners that
| the condition of the horse previous to the
shooting was due to other causes than a
shock by electricity. Mr. halnes stated
that he mas received statements from a
number Of persons which go TO show the
| animal had been in an enfeebed condition
for a considerable period. In reference to
the allegation that the box, which, it Is
said, the horse touched, was alive when il
was supposed to be dead, Mi. Haines said
this box, with all the others i'll the vicinity,
was tested a few moments before the al
legged accident occurred, and also immedi-
ately afterEard, IN tire presence OF the
| owner of the animal anu several other per-
sons ana found to be absolutely perfect.
This articular box has not since the acci-
| dent been disturbed in any way, he said.
and is still open tor inspection, and the
claim that anything could be injured by
contact with it is ABSURD.
In Rcfutntion.
Among the statements which will be filed
| with the Commissioners part of Mr..
| Haines report will be one from Mr.. b. IL.
White of Congress Heights, who said:
about six week or so ago Sergeant Ander-
son, from whom Mr.. Middleton purchased
| the horse, rode up to Congress Heights on
| the animal. The sergeant stopped in front
| of where was stanuing, and 1 became en-
| gagged in conversation with MIN. L noticed
| that the animal held one OF its feet up, and
| l asked the sergeant what was the matter.
Sergeant Anderson replied, 1 have given
| the old fellow such hard runs that he is all
| broken up. l am either going to turn him
out or get rid of him, he is liable to give
| out with me any time. He has been a race
horse in his time but is now played out in
| his legs"
Mr.. Haines has been informed by other
] parties that the animal had at least one or
| two serious complaints, one of which is
said to have been the blind staggers.''
| DIR. c. NJ. Emmons, professor of COM
| parative physiology and histology in the
same college with DR.. c. B. Robinson, who
| ordered the horse killed after the occur
| renee, said
Il have not as yet seen the animal, but
! on general principles of electro therapeu-
| tics, the assertion that the horse was
| shocked and killed by the contact box of
| the Capital Railroad Company is, as a mat
| ter of fact, absurd. Such current could
| not have passed through the body of the
| animal without causing immediate death
| as the only sequence"
| Offers to Arbitrate
An official of the Capital railway is au-
| thority for the statement that yesterday
| morning Mr.. Middleton called at the office
| of the railway company and stated that ne
was willing to submit the question of the
cause of the injury to his horse to arbtra-
| ton. and that the railway company ac-
cepted the proposition. Mr. Middleton
| them the official said, made appoint
ment with the railway officials to again
! take up the matter in the afternoon, and
| meanwhile the company made arrange
ments to carry out the agreement. MI.
Middleton did not, however, return at the
time designated by him, and SO nothing
| came of the agreement.
| During Mr.. Middietcn's stay at the Office
| the railway officials suggested that the in
VeStigation of the cause of the accident be
| left with the District Commissioners, but
| Mr.. Middleton did not agree to this.
The same official said he had been in
formed by reliable authority that the horse
| was lame before he reached the tracks. and
| that the owner purchased him recently for
| So. He further said that as soon as the
| accident reported TO the office of the
| railway company one of the employees OF
| care of horses, was sent to see the horse
before he was shot, but was unable to get
| admission to the stable in which the an
| inal was placed.
| The Commissioners have not yet received
| the written statement which Mr.. Haines
| proposes to file with them, although he
| called upon Commissioner Black yesterday
| afternoon and made a verbal statement OF
| the accident Mr. HaineS then told Capt.
| Black that he had tested the box a few
moments before the alleged injury to the
| horse occurred, and also a few moments
later. finding upon each examination that
| the box was dead Therefore Mr.. Haines
| insisted that the animal could not possibly
| have been injured by an electric shock
| coming from the box. Mr.. Haines also
| said that he will be able to prove that the
| horse was lame, if not broken down. before
i. reached the tracks of the Capital Rail-
| way Company. 1t is said that the animal
was an old race horse, and Mr.. Haines be-
| lieves he will also be able to show that the
| rupture of the tendons was due to the hard
| racing the horse had participated in while
| on the race tracks.
commissioners to Investigate
| The Commissioners will have an inves-
| tigation of the affair made and will en-
| deavor to ascertain every fact which will
erlghten the matter. Meantime during
| the continuance of the ninety days in
which the promoters of the Brown under
ground electric system have in which TO
perfect the system, every precaution will
! be taken by the Johnson Company to pre-.
vent accidents of any kind, and the COM
| pany is fully confident that none will occur
A post-mortem examination of the horse
said to have been made by DIR. C. 3. Rob-
lnson and other veterinarians, is reported
| to have convinced them that the animal
was injured by an electric shock, which is
contrary to the contention of Mr.. Haines
Complains Against His Brother.
Grover Siias, twelve years old was tried