Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-09
Coroner's Inquiry Regarding the
Death of Charles A. Keefe.
TESTIMONY : HEARD BY THE JURY
Witnesses Detail Circumstances
Attending the Fatal Collision.
SPEED OF TRUCK AND CAR


| the sixth precinct station in the case Of
Fireman Charles A. Keefe of truck B, who
was killed white responding to an alarm of
fire Thursday morning the truck having
been struck by car No. 704 on the Metro
| politan street railway at Connecticut ave-
| nue. and M street northwest. Because of
| the Importance OF the affair and the inter-
est taken in the Investigation by District
officials, there was large crowd In at
tendance when the jury met at Lieut..
Moore's police station, on New Jersey ave-
| nue. near the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
depot. The station had been thoroughly
cleaned from top to bottom, and Lieut..
Moore had made ample provision for the
accommodation Of the witnesses and a
| number of spectators.
Super intendent Schoenberger Of the
morgue who assisted Coroner hewitt in Sc
Letting a jury, was careful to choose men
| who were not identified with the interests
of either the railroad or the fire depart
ment. Six representative citizens, who are
thoroughly interested in the affairs of the
District, were selected to weigh the testi-
mony and render a verdict in accordance
with the facts presented
The jury was composed of Frederick C..
Geseking, J.. ]. Appich, Charles Graft.
Frank Smith, Benjamin F. Craycroft and
James Compton. Mr.. Gieseking Is real
| estate dealer, while Mr.. Graft and Mr.. APP
pich are retired merchants, who were in
! business on Sd street northwest and Penn
sylvania avenue, respectively, for many
years. Mr.. Craycroft is in the grocery bus
mess on street northwest near the Balti-
| more and Ohio depot; Mr.. Smith Is in the
cigar business at 4th and G streets north
| west, and Mr.. Compton is a broker. with
| an office at 531 7th street northwest.
The members of the jury met at the po-
lice station at 1920 o'clock, and went to the
| house of the dead fireman, No. 1884 North
CanffO1 Straat thew over
the body; 1t was after IL O'Clock when
they returned to- the station Each man
said he was in no manner interested in
either the police or fire department., nor
was he connected with the railway COM
pany. Tie sitting room in the station
where the hearing was held was crowded
when the jury assembled to hear the testi-
mony. Attorneys d. w. Baker and George
P. Hoover were present on behalf of the
railway company, while the motorman,
John Larman,s who was present was rep
resented by Attorney Michael J. Keane.
Attorney Duvan was at the inquest on be-
half of the District and Chief Paris and
Assistant Chief Kurtz were also in at
tendance a.. =
Assistant District Attorney semmes ar
rived after many; of the witnesses had been
examined 7 and looked after the govern
| ments end of the case.
The First Witness.
Daniel Williams, the coored driver who
was on the truck when the accident occur
red, was the first witness examined. He
lives al 1919 oath istreet northwest. Witness
told the jury that he was at his post of duty
Thursday morning when the accident oc-
Cured. He started out at a pretty good
speed, he said, but when between the streets
he broke the speed. Before reaching Con-
| necticut ayenue he saw man waving to
the car. He had,lessened the speed OF his
| horses, considerably, and held Up, expecting
the car would stop and give him time to
stop stop and Il crssssd into the he truck. He
said he had been in the service Of the fire
department twenty-five years Witness
realized that the Connecticut avenue cross
ing was dangerous one, and he had al
ways been careful in going over 1t.
Williams was shown a plat OF the streets
where the accident occurred, and he de-
scribed just how the car struck the truck
and broke the singletree. He then told
how the car pressed against the men who
were on the running board and injured
them. Witness said he did not hear the
ringing of the bell on the car. When ne
saw that the car had not stopped he pulled
his horses toward the north on Connecticut
avenue. The driver said he first saw the
car when the truck was only short dis
Had the back wheels Of the truck turned
the corner when the accident occurred?"
the witness was asked.
mo, SIR was his answer.
Il can't exactly tell" said Williams. II
was thrown under the horses, and when
they pulled me out asked II anybody else
was hurt. The foreman told me that he
| thought his back had been broken"
Witness was asked how fast his horses
were going. and he answered:
''They were in swift trot."
| Foreman Donohue, he said, was ringing
his bell all the way from the house to the
scene of the accident.
what about your horses?" asked Mr..
Duvall 'tWere they under control?''
eyes, SIR the witness answered
He explained that he always looks both
ways at the Connecticut avenue crossing
| for street cars.
Witness could not tell how fast the car
was going The rear end of the car had
passed the middle of the street when the
accident occurred.
Assistant Foreman's Testimony.
| George Fl. Reynolds, assistant foreman
| of Truck Company, was the next wit
ness. He lives at 2149 l. street northwest.
| The morning of the accident witness was
acting as tillerman. and was necessarily on
| the rear end OF the vehicle. Witness de-
| scribed the positions the men occupied on
| the truck. Foreman Donohue was beside
the driver and Keefe and Ryan were on the
| running board. The box from where the
| alarm was sounded is at 18th and M streets.
| Just before the truck reached Connecticut
avenue, witness said, he noticed q change
| in the speed. The horses are always pulled
| I'D at this crossing on account of the rail-
| road tracks being there. Witness had no
| reason to think there was any more dan
ger than usual Thursday morning.
Positions OF Car and Truck.
| Witness showed the jury by pinning
| pieces Of paper on the plat the positions of
| the car ana truck at the time Of the COLI
| sion. $50
Were ySu thfaS9wn from the apparatus?'
| the witness was asked
| mo, sirc' he answered. II was thrown
| in the ladders, but It would be very hard
to throw a. man from the tillerman's seat
to the ground. 81,
was the truck entirely over the track
| inst after the co&lision?'
mo, sirb but there was not much OF the
| truck on the tracks.
Witness said he took charge of the ap-
paratus after thescollision occurred for the
| reason that the foreman was injured When
| witness fiut say the car he realized that
| the collision was inevitable. He described
| the damage done 80 the truck The truck Is
| 6fty-three feet long,. said Witness and II
| ticut avenHe in 90 short a space. 1t would
| nave beeuh impossible he said to run the
| truck behind the car and thus prevent the
| collision. The truck on its way to q fire, he