The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-16
UNDER CAR WHEELS
TIVE-YEAR-OLD CLARENCE BAKER
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
PARENTS SAW THE TRAGEDY.
MRS. BAKER NARROWLY ESCAPED
WITH TWO OTHER CHILDREN.


Arms and Dragged Her Second
Child With Her-The Eldest Boy
Knocked Down by the Car and
Dragged Thirty Fcet-Tbe Acct
dent at Bryan and West Broad
streets Within Few Feet of BaI&-
er's HOme-Mr. Baker Heard n
Woman's Scream and Turned to
witness the Tragedy-MOtOrman
Avant and Conductor Grice Under
Arrest by the Police. and Will BE
Held Until After the Inquest.
Ground to death beneath the wheels
of a trolley car was the fate of 5-year-
old Clarence Baker, at Bryan and West
Broad streets, shortly after o'clock
yesterday afternoon. Within fifteen feet
of his home the little fellow was
crushed and mangled and then dragged
nearly thirty-five feet by the car.
Mrs. Eugene NJ. Baker, the boys
mother, and his little brothers, Alley,
aged 31b, and Eugene, aged 11A years,es-
capped the same horrible death by only
a hairs breadth. Providence alone
saved them, and it was not due to the
motorman that they escaped with their
lives. Mrs. Baker had her youngest
child in her arms, and held tightly to
the had of Alley when car No. 103 of
the E. G. w. Belt came upon them.
Clarence was not a step behind
his mother and brothers, but the car
proved swifter than his little feet, and
he was struck and pushed over the
cobble stones. His skull was broken in
several places. His left leg was frac-
tured and his body was bruised and
torn. Death must have been instan-
taneous.
Mrs. Baker saw the car when it was
fairly upon her, and her helpless chill
dren. She screamed and fell.
With her babe pressed to her breast
she struck the cobble stones, and drag
ged her second son after her. This act
alone saved them from the death that
Clarence met. Both mother and infant
were bruised by the fall, but Alley es-
capped without injury.
Saw His Boy Killed.
Mr.. Baker is proprietor of drug
store at Bryan and West Broad streets,
and lives over the store. He heard the
cry of distress and glanced into the
street. The sight that met his gaze
caused his heart to stop beating, and
for a brief second he was as motion
less as death itself. His wife and two
youngest children were lying on the
pavement. His eldest son was mutt
lated beneath the car. He rushed out
but the car was going past when he
saw it, and the body of his little son
was dragged thirty or forty feet before
it was brought to standstill by Mo-
torman Avant.
Mrs. Baker and her two little ones
were helped to their feet, while the
bleeding body of Clarence was being
taken from under the car. The mother
was hysterical, and her two children
had to be taken from her. Wringing
her hands and crying. she was led into
her home. Mr.. Baker followed, with
the body of his boy in his arms. The
mangled head rested upon his shoulder
as he entered his home.
The body was placed upon a tabe and
there it remained until viewed by Cor
oner Keller. The scene vas heartrend-
ing.
Conductor ]. H. Grice and Motorman
T. l.. Avant We're securing the names
of witnesses, but were badly frighten-
ed. Policeman Rauzin, who lives with
in a block of where the accident oc-
CURED, crossed the street and placed
the two men under arrest, and they
We're sent to the police station, where
they are held subject to the orders Of
Coroner Keller.
story of the Tragedy.
Mrs. Baker and her children had
been around the belt, and Mrs. Baker
signaled the conductor to stop at Bry-
an street, and with her children she got
off on the northside of the street. The
south bound car had turned into West
Broad street from Bay, and was go
ing south at full speed, according to
witnesses secured by the police. Mr..
and Mrs. Baker made the same state
ment, as did negro boy employed in
a shop, next to the drug store, and
who saw the accident.
The boy said the car was going rap
idly and that the motorman did not
ring his gong. He saw Mrs Baker and
the children get off the northbound car,
and saw them cross the track. with the
southbound car bearing down upon
them. He saw Mrs. Baker fall and
save herself, and two youngest chill
dren. Almost at the same instant he
saw the car strike the eldest boy and
drag him more than it's length by sew
eral feet.
The statements of the conductor and
motorman, to a representative of the
Morning News, in no manner agree
with this version of the accident. The
men occupied the same cell, and told
the same story. Motorman Avant said
that his conductor had rung him down
for Bryan street and that he had
brought his car to a standstll He had
just started, he said. when Mrs. Baker
and children started across the track
He sounded his gong, but that the
Baker lad stopped in the center of the
track. Avant said that the car struck
the boy with but little force and was
stopped within four feet.
Conductor and MOtormnn Agree.
Conductor Grice's story is practically
the same. He was on the front plat
form collecting a fare The rest of his
story agreed with that told by the mo-
torman, the drag of only four feet in
cluded, Avant is a new man and has
only been recently put in charge of a
car. He took the place of one of the
strikers but 1t is claimed by the rail-