The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-02-24
MET DEATH WHILE
riding HER WHEEL
Mrs. Jessie B. HOlderman Run
Down by a Motor.
Caught Between a SnOwbank and
the Car Tracks.
An Afternoon Accident in East Cap
itoI Street.-The Rider Lost Com
troll of Her Wheel.

Mrs. Jessie B. Holderman, thirtythree
years old, who lived with her husband
Marion F. HoIderman, clerk in the Post
office Department at % Eighth Street
northeast met a sudden death while rid
ing her bicycle in East Capitol Street, be-
tween Sixth and Seventh Streets. at 3:l5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
She was struck by car No. 33i, of the
Metropolitan Railway. in charge of Mo-
torman +. W. Mendenhall and Conductor
Il. ~ Bonner and thrown TO the ground,
sustaining a fracture of the skull. She
was picked up in an unconscious condition
and carried TO the home of Victor E.
Gelston, at $50 East Capitol Street. Drs.
c. +. Demarest and p. w. Roberts wers
quickly summoned, but could render no
aid. Mrs. Holderman expired about sever,
minutes after the accident occurred, With
out regaining consciousness.
The story of the accident, as told by eye
witnesses. who differ as to detail only. is
eastward on the south side of the stree;
and was run down by the car, which was
travelling in the same direction.
Mrs Holderman left her home. in Eighth
Street, about 2:45 o'clock and visited a
grocery store at the corner of Sixth
and East Capitol Streets. She had
her purchases wrapped in bundle and
strapped to the handlebars of her wheel.
which she mounted In front of the store
and proceeded along the south side OF
the street homeward bound.
East Capitol Street is covered on the
south side with snow. heaped up in some
places to considerable height The snow
had been shoveled from the sidewalk and
left in the street, instead of having been
removed. The space between the edge oi
the snow and the car tracks is about four
feet 1t was in this space that Mrs. Hoi-
derman was riding. She had reached a
point about midway between the two num-
bered streets, when the car ran her down.
1t is said Mrs. Holderman heard the ap-
proach of the ear and became nervous, let
ting her wheel waver from side TO side of
the narrow space. She evidently made an
effort to avoid the car and lost control of
the wheel in her excitement. The motor
man. 1t is said. had not time to slacken
the speed of his car. He thought the rider
had ample room in which to maneuver her
wheel and allow the car to pass.
Whether it was the fender of the car or
the iron rod which supports the canopy
over the front platform that struck Mrs.
Hoderman is not known. Witnesses differ
as to this. Misses Hattie and Annie Gels
ton, into whose home the injured woman
was carried. were looking out at the front
parlor window when the accident occurred.
Mrs. Holderman. they say, seemed nervous
and was apparently trying to avoid the
snowbanks and at the same time give the
car wide berth. They saw the car run
into her and are Of the opinion that the
iron canopy came in contact with Mrs. HOl-
dermans head. They saw nothing after that
until the car passed and revealed the pros
and out into the street and suggested
bringing Mrs. Hoiderman. whom they
knew. into their house. They could not