Evening star., 1900-04-11
VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY
TRAINMEN NOT BLAMED FOR DEATH
OF CLARENCE MAY.
Metropolitan Railway Company Gem
sured for Maintaining Excessive
Speed-Evidence Given.

After The Stars account Of the inquest
yesterday to determine the responsibility
| for the death of little J. Clarence May, who
was run over and killed at 33d and o streets
Monday evening about 8:45 o'clock. a num-
ber of witnesses were heard. The inquest
| was held a the seventh precinct police sta
ton and was conducted by Coroner Carr
The railroad company was represented by
Mr. George P. Hoover. and a stenographer
took notes of the evidence. The father OF
the dead child did not attend.
After hearing the evidence and deliberat-
ing for some time the jury rendered the
following verdict:
That Clarence May was killed by car 304
of the Metropolitan railroad on o street
between 33d and Potomac streets, April ..
1900. We find that the motorman and con-
ductor used every effort to avert the acci-
dent and cannot attach any blame to them:
but We find that the Metropolitan railroad.
by reason of excessive speed at which they
require their cars to be run at the point
where the accident occurred. is responsible
for the death of said Clarence May.
The verdict was signed by the members
of the jury. consisting of Frank Thomas,
Harry Howes Charles A. Hess. Robert o.
Petit, j. NJ. Brawner and George N. Jory.
Evidence Submitted.
Among the witnesses called was Sergeant
F.. J. Keete, He testified that he reached
the scene after the accident occurred. The
body of the child was behind the wheels Of
the trailer. There were about dozen cars
tied up on the street. He detailed two po:
icemen to accompany the car to the East
Washington car sheds and to take the mo-
torman and conductor into custody. About
ten or fifteen minutes after the accident he
measured off the distance where the child
was struck and where the car had been
stopped, which showed total OF $50 feet.
He started where there was evidence of
manhole. though in the opinion of witness
the distance might have been ever greater
than $50 feet, measuring from front of car.
Policeman Charles Brkigt was also wit
ness and corroborated the evidence Of
Sergt. Keefe.
Arthur l.. Sherier, the motorman Of the
ear. 3oi, testified that he was going east
about 6:32. or minute later. He came
down o street at the rate of nine miles an
hour. possibly ten. but not faster. He saw
the boy and put the brakes on. The child
stopped and witness was about to release
the brakes when he saw the boy move and
few feet of him. and witness yelled at him
and put on the brakes, but could not stop
in time. IT would have been impossible to
have done so.
A Low Fender.
The fender of the motor car the witness
stated. was unusually low and often struck
the ground. When the boy was struck he
rolled into the fender and had he been an
adult the body would have remained
there. Witness reversed the car at once
with so much suddenness that the fuse
burned out. He applied the brakes. but
with two cars and load of people it was
difficult to stop as quickly as was otherwise
possible. He stopped the cur with the
brakes aud alighted. The body was be-
meath the platform of the trailer.
The witness further stated that when he
first saw the child he was not on the track,
plenty of room being given for the car to
pass without striking him, hut he stepped
upon the track when the car was within a
few feet of him.
In response to interrogations the motor
man stated that according to the time table
three minutes are allowed in which to make
the run from 36th street and Prospect ave-
nue. to 32d and streets, a distance of
about seven blocks. He was not behind
time when the accident occurred. He said
the usual rate of speed on o street ought
to he nine miles an hour, and he rarely ex-
cceded that on account of the grade.
Fred c. Ruth, the conductor of the car,
testified that upon reaching 33d street the
car slowed up, and believing that some one
was about to get on he looked from the
platform from the south side, but saw no
one. He was Issuing a transfer to pas
senger when he heard the motornan shout
and apply the brakes hard He saw a flash
and the car stopped. He did not see the
child. When the train stopped he got off
and not until then did he know of a child
being run over. The rate Of speed was
about eight miles hour
Frank Stansbury of COS E, street southeast
said that he with fourteen others were COM
ing from work at Cabin John bridge. He
saw a child, then about five feet from the
curb, running toward the track. The rate
of speed Of the car was about seven miles
an hour. according to the estimate Of the
witness, who judged according to the speed
he maintains on a bicycle.
Equipment of the Car.
George P. Hoover. on behalf Of the COM
pany, stated that the car was equipped with
the Parmenter fender. approved by the
District Commissioners, with pickup and
a wheel guard. The fender was tested when
the train reached the East Capitol car
sheds and was found to be in excellent
working order. From the track to the
wheel guard there was a space of about
four and one-half inches while from the
track to the fender was about twelve
inches. In response to an inquiry from a
juryman regarding the distance Of the
fender from the track the witness replied
that 1t complied with the law, and that was
all he knew about it.
Dr. l.. B. Glazebrook, the deputy coroner
was the last witness, and he testified to the
result of the autopsy In the forenoon. He
said the body was fearfully crushed and
sible to make a thorough examination
There was one wound which was instantly
fatal. The skull was crushed in, and the
head was almost severed from the BODY
The jury then rendered the verdict as
stated