The Sunday globe., 1901-05-12
A Remarkable Finding.

large department store on lndl coIuSI'
Barnes own story is the point we de-
sire to direct the coroner's attention to.
Barnes testified, in substance.
THAT he saw the lady in front of him
in the street acting IN confused man
ner. He did all in his power to avoid a
collision, but finally, just as he turned
his wheel to avoid striking her, the
woman ran right in front Of it and the
bicycle struck her and she FELL
Whatever corroboration there is of
this account matters not. Assuming it
to be true in every detail, we desire to
ask Coroner hewitt why Barnes was
not held to the grand jury
He admits he saw the lady, even be-
fore he turned the corner of the street,
and that she was acting i'm a confused
manner; that is, she was trying to
dodge or avoid the Oncoming rider,
and finally, when the negro and his
wheel were close on her, she made a
last attempt to get out Of his road, but,
turning his wheel at the same moment,
he struck her.
We have had personal experience in
Just such case, and if the rider had
not stopped his wheel and dismounted
we would have dismounted him with a
bullet.
Why did Coroner hewitt neglect to
ask this bicyclist, inasmuch as he saw
the lady before turning the corner,
"acting in a confused manner" why
he did not stop his wheel and dis
mount?
And. not having stopped his wheel,
but riding right straight on his victim,
he is held blameless and human life
is blotted out because this mounted
negro had more right to the street than
the aged lady, who, on foot, was trying
to avoid him!
The precedent has been established
by the coroner's verdict that a bicyclist
need neither dismount nor check the
speed of his wheel for pedestrians, and
if they act in "a confused manner
attempt to avoid him-he may acci-
dentaly turn mis- wheel TO correspond
with their movement and ride them
down without being even guilty of
involuntary manslaughter."
Have, then, pedestrians no protection,
who are aged, deaf or near-sighted, and
must they take their lives in their
hands when travelling the streets Of
Washington? Can bicyclist see his
victim trying to dodge him before he
turns the corner--a junction of two Of
the busiest streets Of Washington,
where a large department store attracts
crowds Of people; and is the speed of
his wheel so great that he can neither
check it nor dismount, and is he there
fore entirely guiltless or "bameless"
when, by reason Of this speed and this
neglect to dismount, he takes a human
life
1t seems 50, according to Coroner
Nevett's findings, hence We are to con-
clude that in future pedestrians must
take the risk Of their lives when on the
streets, even in broad daylight, for some
negro scorcher may suddenly turn a
corner without ringing bell, checking
thespeed of his machine or dismount-
ing and run down his confused vic
tim
Suppose we ask Coroner Nevett, "a
pedestrian rushing along on foot had
run into Mrs. Launt and thrown and
killed her, would such pedestrian be
held "blameiess?" And if not, how
comes it that being mounted on a wheel
he may do the same thing with impu.
nifty?
I What is there sacred or privileged
in a mounted bicyclist to take life on
the streets Of Washington ? Does the
possession Of bicycle and the accom-.
plishment Of being able to ride one
around the corner Of two busy streets
at such a pace that the rider can not
avoid collision, or being able declines
to do so, confer a privilege to take hui
man life, injure or main the unhappy
pedestrian and the rider be held guilt
less in law for his crime?
The impact or force with which
Barnes must have struck the two hun
dred pound woman to knock her down,
accurately tells the speed at which he
was driving his wheel around one of the
most crowded corners Of the city. That
he should be held blamelcss by the cor
oner carries us back to the decisions Of the
Paris tribunals in the latter years, pre-
ceeding the French Revolution Of 1892.
Pedestrians were being frequently run
down by the carriages of the nobility;
women and children, as well a. aged
men, were being daily trodden under
the feet Of the horses Of these aristocrats
and history admonishes us that it was
acts Of this character which finally
reused the people to madness and re-
venge.
In our day the automobilist and the
bicyclist appear to usurp the dearly
paid for arrogance Of the French nobil-
| ty, despite the fact that the Paris tnbu-
nals--a la Coroner Nevett-held the
murderers "blamelessn when they
mangled with their horses hoofs the