The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-09
HOW KEBFE WAS KILLED
Many Witnesses Tell the Story of
the Fireman Death.
One Declares That the Car Was at
St"ndstiiI When the Accident Oc-
fair From Those Who We're at
Hand at the Time of the Collision.

The Sixth precinct stationhouse was
! crowded at II O'Clock this morning with
| ested 10 sitting The circumstances attend
! ing the death OF Charles A. Keefe. late a
! probationary fireman of Truck Company
| B. Keefe received fatal injuries a little
| after o'clock on Thursday morning while
/ responding 10 an alarm of fire. He died
| later in the day
By direction of the District Commits
sioners the investigation was one of the
most thorough ever conducted in this city
and every person who had the least
knowledge Of the affair was examined.
Coroner J. Ramsay hewitt conducted the
Investigation and was assisted by Deputy
Coroner /. ". Glazebrook- The United
States District Attorneys Office was also
/ represented.
Attorneys d W Baker and George P
/ Hoover were present in the interest OF
! the Metropolitan Railroad Company and
had a stenograpbic report made of the
proceedings
The jury. which was composed of Fred.
c. Giesekins J. J. Appich. Charles Graf,
Franz Smith. James Compton, and Benja-
min F Craycroft. assembled at the sta
( tioRhouse at 1880 o'clock and we're taken
in the patrol wagon to the home of the
dead fireman. 1885 North Capitol Street,
where they were sworn. A large draw
ing, showing the intersection of VI Street
and Connecticut Avenue, was brought by
the railroad people, and was frequently
referred 10 in the course of the inquest
John Larnan. the nOtOrman, was brought
Gown from the Third precinct police sta
/ ton, where he has been confined since the
accident. and was present throughout the
hearing Attorney NJ J. Keane appeared
IN his behalf.
acting Foreman George H. Reynolds. Of
Tuck 2. requested that his men be ex-
anlLed as early in the proceedings as pos
sibie so that they could return 20 duty.
This request was waived in the interest OF
several cabmen who would lose z days
psy if they were delayed any great length
Il time
At the beginning Of the proceedings the
jurors were questioned as 10 their ability
TO give a lar hearing 10 the case and as
TO their connection with any Of the par
tbs interested Frank Smith had been
special officer and Mr.. CraycrOft was con
neated with the old management Of the
Metropolitan Railroad nine years ago, but
they were considered competent.
Daniel Williams. the cClo-ed driver OF
Truck g. was the first witness called ct
er being sworn he was questioned a. .. lie
place Of residence. occupation, and OF ---
matters He said that he was driving =.
the time Of the accident He pulled in his
horses between Eighteenth and Nineteenth
Streets. and when he reached Eighteenth
Street he saw the car and tried TO stop the
horses. but X vas impossible for him TO
do lne hn T=fl2 n null fT IN /
cut Avenue. going north when ne was
struck by the car. He did no hear the
mOtO-man ring the bell He had been
driving for that company for twenty-five
years. had always considered that crossing
a dangerous one. and had instructions al
ways 10 slow up 81 that place.
He then pointed out the movements OF
the vehicles on the chart. When he first
saw the car he pulled close to the north
curb TO give the car eu opportunity ID
stop and let him pass, but when he saw
the car could not be stopped he eadeav-
ored to avoid the accident By pulling into
Connecticut Avenue. The rear wheels has
not turned the corner
When the car struck he was thrown
from his seat and was dazed when picked
up from between the horses. He never
heard the truck bell Tung so loudly as il
was that morning. There were seven men
on the truck az the time Of the accident
His horses had been pulled down TO a
trot, but he did not know how fast the
car was going.
The Motorman in Court.
Larman, the motorman who had been
excluded from the room as witness, was
here allowed 20 return at the suggestion
of his attorney, as he was under arrest.
Chief Paris and Assistant Chief Kurtz
also appeared
Williams, continuing his testimony. said
that his horses were well under control.
This was in response 10 question from
Attorney Hoover.
Acting Foreman George H Reynolds. Of
the truck company, was next sworn. He
lives at $40 L Street northwest He les
tilted that he was on he truck on The
morning Of the accident and that he WIS
acting as tuIerman. Foreman Donoh0e
was on the turntabIe 10 his right, he said,
and Keefe and Ryan were or the running
board on the same side. PriYates Boucher
and Garner were On the opposite side Of
the truck
They were going at the usual rate Of
speed until tho reached about the mid
die Of the block between Eighteenth and
Nineteenth Streets. when they slowed up
as they always do. under Instructions
The speed was further reduced at Eigh-
teenth Street but he had no idea that it
was unusual He first saw the top OF the
car when they were about abreast Of the
cigar store on the southeast corner of
e ghteenth and N Streets.
The motorman, he said. may have made
an effort TO stop his car but he 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 81 Street. He retained his seat
and was not thrown out
When he found that Foreman DOnOhoe
was injured he assumed control of the
He first telephOned for an am
bUIanCe and then returned to look out for
his injured men. He described the inju-
T;as TO the apparatus and said that the
blow was a glancing one When he first
saw the car he knew that collision was
inevitable.
One Of the jurors asked if ii would have
been possible to turn the truck into Con-
necticut Avenue in the space between the
curb and the car track and he replied that
he did not believe that II could be done.
bat that as last resort they had endeav-
Ured TO do So
Attorney Baker asked what he did with
his tiller wheel when he saw the car.
Reynolds replied that he always tried to
keep the rear CT the vehicle in line back
Of the horses.
He did turn the wheel in his endeavor
to swing into Connecticut Avenue. Ma
gruder's wagon WAS on the south curb and
obscured the view. II would have been
impossible to pass to the rear of the car
and GQT1S Elv Eo have ErrUued he try,clr