The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-17
INQUEST ON sHEA's DEATH
Several Witnesses to the Mans Death
Testify Before Judge Stone.

court rarely presents a llVelier appear
ance than it did this morning before the
inquest into the death of Daniel F.
Shea of Leominster was begun. Shea
was killed by a trolley car about 8
o'clock ON the night of Aug. g.
There was some criminal business to
be disposed of, and the court room was
filed to overlooking. Court officer
Abijah Brown stood at the door and
prevented the entrance of rs persons,
for whom there was no room.
The inquest was more interesting
than some inquests are. There We're
three lawyers in the case, and they
were permitted to ask questions. d.
+. Wheeler represented the railroad
commissioners. ]. p. Dyer of Leon
mister appeared for the Leominster and
Clinton Street Railway Company, and
David l. Walsh for j. F. Shea and khe
other heirs of Daniel F. Shea. ]. F.
Shea was present.
Among the witnesses were Thomas
K. Bowser, motorman of the deadly
car; the conductor of the car, Thomas
j. Holden. Frank r. DudlHy and Rob
ert A. Hall. Hall and Dudley are Fitch
burg men. They disclosed themselves
as two of the three passengers who
We're on the front seat of the car near
the motorman, and who saw the acoi-
dent
Medical Examiner George L. Tobey
told about being called to see the body
Of Shea. He told OF the terrible nature
of the wounds upon the body and the
other inquiries. There was a cut on the
right temple, a compound fracture of
the right arm, a compound fracture of
the left thigh, fracture of one of the
wrist bones, fracture of the pelvis
and fracture of the jaw
The car had dragged the body some
thing more than a hundred feet be-
yond the place on the rails pointed out
to the witness as the place where the
body was first seen. The medical exam
| liner expressed it as his opinion that
| Shea had been thrown from his bi
| cycle, and perhaps stunned. He did not
| think that this presumed fail had in
| fiicted cash, or any injury to cause
| flow of blood, because there was no
| blood upon the rail or ground where
| the body lay before the car struck it.
| The victim might have been stunned
by blow upon the stomach, in case
| he had fallen face downward.
| DR.. Tobey was unable to say whether
/ the fall from the bicycle killed Shea
/ or whether the car did.
/ Motorman Bowser was nervous OIL
| the stand, and evidently had not re-
| covered from the shock that the acct
| dent inflicted upon his nerves. He saw
| the body when the car was about 80
feet away. He put on the brake and
| reversed the power. The car dragged
| the body rs or so feet, as nearly as he
1 could judge. The body was caught in
| the fender, by q sleeve of its coat. The
| sleeve was cut free by one of the pas
| sengers. Bowser had been running as
| motorman about two weeks. Had pre-
/ xyfn ,cIxr In, No
/ He saw bicycle was on the right Of
| the track. A pedal caught in the fen
| der, and it was dragged some distance.
| 1t was not injured.
Attorney Walsh asked several ques-
| tons In an effort to show that the car
should have been stopped quicker than
| it was.
The witness said that the speed Of
| car was between 10 and la miles an
hour. The witness saw the body about 80
feet ahead, dragged it about IS or 80
| feet, and stopped his car as quickly as
he could.
Conductor Holden's testimony was
repetition In most respects of the mo-
| torman's But he did not see the body
until the accident had happened. He
| said the car was in good condition, and
| the brake all right.
Michael r. Dudley saw the body ly-
| ing partly along the left hand track.
1t looked first like a dog running
/ across the track This was at a dis
tance of 70 feet.
Attorney Dyer asked the witness how
near the car was to the body, when
| witness first recognized the fact that
! there was a body on the track. Dudley
said: About 25 or 80 feet away
| Mr. Walsh asked Dudley if he heard
| the gong.
Dudley replied, Il haven't that kind
| of a hearing!'' There was some sparr-
/ ing between the witness and the law
! yer. The end Of it was that witness
/ didn't know whether the motorman
| rang the gong or not.
| Robert A. Hall thought the car was
moving at the rate of IA miles an hour
or so, and that the motorman did all
that could be done to stop the car. He
saw the body when 1t was about 80 feet
away. He saw the bicycle; helped re-
move the body from the fender.
Superintendent George w. Burgess
told how he was called from Leominster
Park to the scene by one OF his men,
He secured permission from Dr. Tobey
to remove the body from the track, so
that travel might be resumed He COM
municated with undertakes in Clin-
ton.
Judge Stone asked Mr.. Burgess to tell
how, in the opinion of the witness, the
oSSAA1ht OSVuiIGu. DuTBeSS SdlQ
that Shea must have been thrown from
his wheel and stunned.
The tracks at the place where the
Iaccident took place were upgrown with
grass, and it would be harder to per-
Iceive a body than II the body lay In
4 the road. He thought that Motor1man
I Bowser made an excellent stop consi-
dering that the tracks were damp and
slippery. Superintendent Burgess told
the court about test stop made by
direction Of the witness at the place
lof the accident. The car used in the
test, and going at an estimated speed
Iof Ia miles an hour, was stopped within
a distance of 10 feet less than the stop
made by Motorman Bowser.
Judge Stone examined Mr.. Burgess
as to his knowledge of bicycles. Mr..
Burgess said he didn't know much
about them Judge Stone inquired how
long II would take, in the opinion Of the
witness, for a man to ride on bicycle
from the Clinton House TO the place
where the body was found?
This was brought out by reason of
the testimony of Theophile Faubert of
Leominster and John O'Hearn Of Leon
mister. They left Shea in front of the
Clinton House about 7.15. Shea was
to ride to Leominster Park and meet
them there. They said they were comb
makers, working in the same shop with
Shea; that they knew him well, and
that he was a sober man. They said
he knew how to ride wheel and that
he had returned from picnic at
IWau932aounn before thaE met him Az