The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-30

CRUSHED UNDER TROLLEY
Little George Kerner Ground
to Pieces Beneath a
Bayonne Car.
RAN IN FRONT OF THE MOTOR
Firemen Had to Lift the Car
to Extricate the Mangled
Body.

One more was added to the list of troll
ley victims last evening about seven
o'clock, when George Kerner, a bright lad
of twelve years was crushed to death be-
meath the ponderous wheels of a Bay
onne cars. This fatal accident occurred
almost in front of the house of Hook and
ADDER Company No. A, on Ocean avenue,
between Dwight street and Stegman ave-
nue.. The boy died about fifteen minutes
after being struck. His body was crushed
almost beyond recognition, and many of
the boys friends who saw him when he
was taken from beneath the car wheels
did not at first know who it was. Young
Kerner had been to the picnic of st.
Paul's Catholic Church, which was held
yesterday afternoon and evening in the
GreenviIle Schuetzen Park. He was in
the company of his mother and had en-
joyed himself immensely at the picnic
with his chums. Mrs. Kerner and her
son left the park about six o'clock to so
home for their supper with the intention
of returning to the pleasure ground. The
Kerners live at No. "a Woodlawn avenue,
5G~reenville, and on arriving home George
was sent to the store to make some pur-
chass for the evening meal.
In his anxiety to get back to the park
he ran all the distance to the store along
Ocean avenue to Dwight street. At that
time a Number of special cars carrying
children from a downtown Sunday school,
who had been to Bayonne for the day,
came along. Kerner waited for one or
two of the cars to pass and then ran
across the street from behind one of the
specials. Just at that minute car No. %,
going south, in charge of Motorman Mar
tin Phelan. of No. 761 Ocean avenue. and
Conductor James Hamilton, of Lafayette.
came tearing along. This was almost in
the centre of the block. Kerner ran from
ehind the special car right in front Of
the south bound car. The motormau saw
the boy and in a second he shut off the
current ard turned the reverse lever SO
quickly that it burned out the fuse, al
lowing the car to slide. Phelan, however,
jammed down the break with all his
might, but too late. The fender struck the
lad, knocking him down and under the
wheels. A few saw the terrible accident
and they could hear the boys bones being
crushed beneath the wheels.
Phelan, the motorman, was almost
heartbroken at the thought of the acct
dent, and he was powerless to assist in
extricating the injured boy. The firemen
of No. 4 truck ran out n lacked the
car up from the tracks and took the boy
from the street into the engine house,
where he died before a physician arrived.
Undertaken Zeiger was notified, and he
took the body to the lads late home. The
boys parents are almost crazed because
of their sons DEATH. and all efforts to
console them are of no avail.
The motorman was arrested. He said
he did all in his power to avert the horri-
BILE catastrophe. Phelan is regarded as
one of the most careful men on the road
and is spoken of as being quiet, always
attending to his work with the utmost
care.
1t is the unanimous opinion Of many
who witnessed the accident that i was
the boys fault.