Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-31
Lemuel Fisher Killed by Trolley Car
Last Night.
U Sc D R DAD As A BED
Evidence at the Inquest Held This
Morning.
THE HEIGHT OF TENDERS


years old, was killed on the Brentwood
electric road about o'clock yesterday
morning near Philadelphia street. He was
asleep on the track when the work car
came along and almost decapitated him.
His skull was smashed and he was other
wise badly done up. Policeman b. r.
Rhodes was near the scene of the acct
dent, and he arrested w. B. Breen the
motorpan. An investigation showed that
Fisher had been in the city Saturday
night, and he was very much under the
influence of liquor when he started home
Near Philadelphia street he removed his
coat and shoes, evidently thinking he was
going to bed. He made his bed on the
railroad ties, with the result stated An
inquest was held this morning at the sixth
precinct station. While it was shown that
there was no fender on the car, witnesses
said the result would have been the same
had there been one. The iurv found that
the mans death was purely accidental. In
view of statements concerning the work
ings of lawful fender, the jury recon-
mended that the present law be changed,
and that the tenders On all street cars be
nearer the ground in order to make them
effective
The Injuries.
DR.. Mcdonald, acting deputy coroner tes-
tilted that he examined the body and found
a fracture of the skull and spine The
witness described numerous other injuries
and said that the mans head was hanging
by the skin. Death resulted from hemor-
rhage and shock.
c. u. Tabler, 223 I'd street southeast.
testified that he boarded the car at the top
of the 18th street hill about 1870 o'clock
and rode to Florida avenue. He returned
on the car and when the car was near
Petworth he saw the colored man on the
track. 1t was impossible to distinguish
that the object was a man until the car
was within twenty feet of him. The motor
man saw him about the same time and
turned off the current He also applied the
brake. Witness said that the man was ly-
ing fiat on the rail with his head toward
the car. There was a lighted lamp near
the scene of the accident, but the body
could not be distinguished from a shadow
Ihe mans coat and shoes We're found on
the bank, where he had probably left them
He said that the body was dragged about
nifty feet. The young man said that it was
the work car of the road that struck the
man.
Witness said the car was eouipped with
wheel tenders. but not with the usual wire
or rope netting tenders The car was
lighted, and it was because of the cars
headlight that the man was seen on the
Track as soon as he was.
The Fender.
E. c. Elliott, superintendent of the
Brightwood line, testified that it is a strict
rule of the company that no car shall leave
the barn unless it is properly equipped
He said he meant by this that it shall have
lenders, among other things. The pickup
lender Is eighteen inches from the ground,
ana VIII not touch any ordinary object
lying on the track. A person in a standing
position would be saved, but it would ha rd-
~ save a person lying on the track The
e Mlitra guard Is much lower and extends
f inat the law requires the tenders to be no
lower than eighteen inches He knew
ho nI. G ABOUT the car in question.
MI Coleman, claim adjuster for the com
pany' remarked that the 9th street car
lenders are about eighteen inches from the
ground, but on + street they are much
ioWer.about six or eight inches.
Mr. Elliott, when questioned by Dr.. Glaze
prooh' SAID he could not tell much about
the schedule of the road. There has not
been sufficient number of cars on the line
10 give regular schedule. An effort is
mace, ne said, to run the cars about ten
OF twelve minutes apart.
Ira Connolly, also employed by the COM
pany, said that he was on the car that
Killed Fisher. He was on his way toward
HTishtWood at the time of the accident
Inns particular car was taken out as an
extra Tor Workmen and he was on his way
10 hanging wire when the accident oc-
CURED AT that time of the night storage
battery Is relied upon and only slow speed
l iie IciI ldu no lender on IL that
ilsht, but was equipped with wheel
GUARD. Witness said he knew the fenaer
was not on the car. Going out as he did.
TO DO work. it was easier to handle the
work without the fender on the car. Wit
ness said he understood that fourteen inch
es IS the height prescribed by law for fen
ders Such fender would not have saved
the man lying on the track
Nllliam Herbert colored a resident of
the county, testified that he met Lem Fish
eT on BfightWCod avenue Saturday night
ne was very drunk and was with three
friends They started to catch the work
car At the top of the hill
Were the other men IS Intoxicated as he
was! witness was asked
lhey We're all pretty full" he answered.
was pretty full myself"
Witness said that Fisher disappearad
When the party reached Rock Creek road
anu ne saw no more of Fisher until after
ne was Killed When witness saw him he
was dressed He had on his coat, hat and
Shoes, as well as other garments. He said
he had frequently ridden on the work car
More Evidence.
Officer B. T. Rhodes of the eighth pre-
cinct testified that he was on Brightwood
avenue only a short distance from the scene
of the accident when Fisher was killed
He did not see Fisher before he was killed
witness noticed that there was a wheel
guard on the car, but not a fender He
tnouSht That the iron bar. part of the
wheel guard, killed Fisher, if the car kill
ed him. There was some talk of his having