Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-25
MAISIE ClSSEl'S DEATH
5ssxs$s
coRoSEn,s Juh1 1s1sDs THAT IT
WAS ACCIDENTAL.
Mr.. Smith E.oner1tea From blame
DimcuIty I'm Keeping Children
on Lumber Piles.

| Coroner hewitt held an inquest at the
| fifth precinct station at noon today In the
case of Maisie s. CisseI. the little girl who
was killed by the of lumber at Thos.
W. Smiths place Of business near the foot
| of 4th street southeast asIesday night The
examination of the body omade by Deputy
| Coroner Glazebrook showed that death re-
suited from fracture of the neck. Her
| right foot was crushed. right arm frac-
tured and she received numerous cuts and
| bruises about her body. The jury heard
| the statements of several witnesses and
returned a verdict Of accidental death The
| jurors added: I'VE exonerate the owner
Thomas w. Smith, from blame"
| George Jordan. colored. employed as
| Waterman at the lumber yard, testified that
the accident occurred about s O'Clock Tues
| day night. He saw the three children when
| they passed the yard on their way to the
dock. He saw no more OF them until after
he heard the noise made by the falling Of
the lumber. Then he went to make an in
vestigation, and found them under a heavy
piece Of timber. Witness said he had seen
children there before, and he had frequent
| ly driven them away.
Mr.. Smiths Instructions.
| At the time he was employed Mr.. Smith
| told him he must not allow children to play
on the lumber piles. Witness said he saw
| the little girls playing with their dolls a
CURED. He did not see them on the lumber
pile.
Charles Mills Informed the jury that he
was near Mechanic and 4th streets when
he heard the lumber fall. Then he heard
one of the girls crying. Witness went to
the scene of the accident and assisted in
rescuing the victims.
Robert Luft testified that he saw at
least two dozen children, white and colored,
playing on the lumber about $50 o'clock.
When he returned later the children were
gone and the Waterman was at the gate
The accident occurred while he was talk
ing to the Waterman. and he assisted In
the work OF removing the lumber. Witness
said he had frequently seen the Waterman
drive children from the lumber pile
T. b. Colvin gave similar testimony. He
| the ambulance arrived Witness lives near
the lumber yard and has whipped his chill
dren several times for running over the
lumber against his orders to keep away
was on an open lot. and the only way 10
keep children off 1t is to have a Waterman
there all the time He said he had fire.
a9ently referred to the lumber piles as a
children playing on the lumber.
Sergt. Raucher stated that the lumber
on which the child was killed was on 18th
street. The street is not improved and
the sidewalk ought to be. Witness said
he had driven children from the lumber
yard. he thought on two occasions
Also Drove Children AWAY.
Policeman Delaney gave similar testf-
niony. He had driven children from the
lumber yard a number of times and had
warned them of the danger Of playing
there. Witness told Of how the children
were cared for until the arrival Of the
ambulance.
Mr.. Thos. W. Smith said he owned the
lumber in question. Part Of 1t, he said, is
on public property. Witness had never re-
cefved any complaint about the occupancy
of the street. The timber in question was
heavy and force was necessary in order to
move It. A piece of wood, evidently used
as lever. was found near the scene Of
the accident. The lumber was piled fifty
four inches high, and he said he regarded
1t as having been safely piled.
Juror George r. Jackson said he thought
to the contrary. He was there about twenty
minutes before the accident occurred dig
g1ng worms for bait. and he noticed what
he thought was the dangerous condition Of
the lumber.
Henry Monroe. c. Goldsborough, Lewis
Beach and Robert Williams also gave tes-
timony They heard the noise made by the
falling of the lumber and rendered what
assistance they could.
Still in n Critical Condition
Lizzie Davis. the little girl who was so
seriously injured at the time the Cisse1 girl
was killed. is still in Providence Hospital
in critical condition. There has been no
apparent change in her condition since yes
ter6ay