The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
RELIEVED OF ALL BLAME
No One Responsible for Connecticut
Avenue Collision.
The Coroner's Jury Finds Fireman
keefe's Death Due to Unavoidable
accident - MotormRn Lnrmnn Ex-
Onerated - Thirty Witnesses Tes-
tiTy-A Verdict in Two Minutes.

The coroner's jury which held the in
quest into the death of Fireman Charles
A. Keefe, who was fatally injured in. the
collision between Truck b and car 704 OF
the Metropolitan Line at the corner OF
Connecticut Avenue and NJ Street north
west Thursday morning. took just two
minutes to decide that the collision was
accidental and unavoidable. In all, the
jury heard the testimony of thirty wit
nesses. The enquiry was most thorough
and searching and for FIVE hours the men
who composed the jury listened TO the
story of the collision which resulted in
the loss of one member of the Fire De-
partment and serious injuries TO two
others. Coroner hewitt conducted the eX-
animation.
In rendering its verdict the jury further
stated that it was of the opinion that if
it had been the custom for cars to stop
on the near side of the street to take on
passengers the accident would have been
averted In it's written report the Jury in
corporated a recommendation to the Com
missioners of the District that the po-
lice regulations be changed to provide for
the stopping of all cars on the near side of
the street
AS soon as the verdict was rendered
Motorman John Larman, who has been
held at the Third precinct police station
since the morning of the accident, was
released from custody.
The New Jersey Avenue police station,
--rl -i1A
with people interested in the case. The
jury, which was composed of Fred c.
Gieseking. J. ]. Appich. Charles Graft,
Frank Smith, James Compton, and Benia-
min F. Craycroft, assembled at the sta
tionhouse at 1920 o'clock and were taken
in the patrol wagon to the home Of the
dead fireman, 1885 North Capitol Street,
where they were sworn.
All of the parties interested were rep
resented by counsel, who assisted in the
examination of witnesses. Attorney Du-
vail represented the District Attorneys
Office, while d. W. Baker and George p.
Hoover appeared in behalf of the railroad
company. Attorney Michael J. Keane
looked after the interests of Motorman
John LarmaD. who was at first excluded
from the room as he was a witness. but
who directly afterward, at the request OF
his counsel. was permitted to return.
Assistant District Attorney Semmes was
present in behalf of the Government. but
took no part in the proceedings. Fire
Chief Joseph Paris and Second As
sistant Chief J. D. Kurtz were also pres
ent during a part of the proceedings. The
four uninjured firemen who were on the
truck at the time Of the accident were
the first witnesses. They were Driver
Dan Williams, Acting Foreman George Fl.
Reynolds, Assistant Hostler Patrick a
Garner, and Private Thomas Bouchec.
Zach gave his version OF the accident and
Illustrated the position of the car and the
ruck at various times by placing slips
e paper on large chart, that had been
prepared in the engineers department,
showing plat of the streets in the vicin-
" of the collision. This chart was made
use of by all of the witnesses and the
position of each one of them was record
ed On the chart. Following the iremen
he various eye-witnesses were examined
N the following order: DR.. William Tin
call, H C. Grimes, Francis Marrow. John
S. George, E L Anderson, William Green,
George Montgomery, Elwood o. Wagon
hurst. George s. Dougherty, Lloyd J. Dill.
Second Assistant Chief Engineer John d.
Kurtz. of the Fire Department; W. W.
Brown, l. T. Dodson. L Cohen, E. F.
o 'Bannon, E. w. Rolf, William Young. W.
W. Ford, William w. Walker, Frank Car.
roll, William Buchanan, Deputy Coroner
Thomas Davis, the conductor
of the or with which the collision occur
red, and last Motorman John Larman.
Dan Williams. the colored driver of the
truck. was the first witness to testify He
said that he started out in response 10
an alarm of fire, at good rate of speed
Just before reaching Connecticut Avenue
he saw man waving his hat at the street
car. He slackcned the speed of his team.
.fz-e
permit the truck to pass. When he saw
that the car was not going to stop he
refined his horses north on Connecticut
Avenue. He first saw the car when the
truck WAS only a short distance from the
track. Witness said that he had been
with the Fire Department for
twenty-five years. The crossing at Con-
necticut Avenue and VI Street, he said
was dangerous one. He was shown a
plat of the location and then proceeded to
describe in detail the situation when the
car and the truck came together The
car pressed against the men WIN we're
standing on the running board. Witness
did not hear the ringing OF the bell on
the car The rear wheels of the truck
had not turned the corner when the crash
came, he said. Witness was thrown under
the horses by the force of the collision.
The horses were under his control at the
time. He could not estimate the speed
OF the car.
George H. Reynolds. assistant foreman
of Truck b. was next sworn. He was act
ing as tillerman route to the fire
Foreman Donohoe was on the turntable TO
his right, he said and keefe and Ryan
were on the running board on the same
side Priyates Boucher and Garner were
on the opposite side of the truck.
They were going al the usual rate OF
speed until they reached about the middle
OF the block between Eighteenth and
Streets. when they slowed up
as usual. under instructions. The speed
was further reduced at Eighteenth Street,
but he did not think it was unusual. He
FIRST saw the top Of the car when the
truck reached Eighteenth. and NJ Streets.
The motorman. he said, may have made
an effort TO stop his car, but be could not
say that he had done so. He then pinned
slips OF paper on the chart to indicate the
position OF both the car and the truck at
the time Of the collision. He showed the
truck as turning into the avenue and the
front Of the car just north Of the north
curb OF VI Street. Witness said he was not
thrown from his seat
When he found that Foreman Donohoe
was injured be assumed control OF the
He first telephored for an am
bulance and then returned 10 look out for
his injured men. He described the in
iuries 20 the apparatus, and said that the
blow was a glanclng one. When he first
saw the car be knew that a collision was
inevitable.
One of the jurors asked If IL would have
been possible to turn the truck into Con-
necticut Avenue in the space between the
curb and the car track, ard he replied
that he did no: believe that II could be
DONE but that as last resort they had
eudeayored 10 do so.
Attorney Baker asked what he did with