Evening star., 1901-05-13
Verdict Of Jury in the Case Of
Charles Thomas.
PARTICULARS OF AFFAIR UNKNOWN
Testimony Giving the Injured
Mans Statement.
SAID HE WAS STRUCK BY CAR

| Coroner hewitt held an inquest at the
sixth precinct station this morning in the
case of Charles Thomas, the colored watch
man who died from the effects Of injuries
received Friday night while watching a new
building and building material near 10Th
and u streets, as published in Saturdays
star Thomas was cripple, in the employ
of Burgess & Richardson contractors. No
one witnessed the accident but Thomas
stated when he was picked up that he had
been struck by a car Attorney r. Ross
Perry appeared at the inquest for the Capt.
tai Traction road. while the family of the
dead man was represented by Attorney
John w. Patterson. Photographs of the car
and the scene of the accident were offered
tor the purpose of assisting the jury in
reaching a conclusion.
A number of witnesses were examined
and the jury returned a verdict finding the
mans death was the result of an accident,
the nature of which the jury could not de-
termine.
First Witness Called.
Gen. l.. l.. LomaX, 1915 G street north
west, was the first witness examined by the
coroner. He was at his home about o'clock
Friday night, when he heard some evidence
of trouble on the street. When he went out
he saw two coored men dragging Thomas
| from the car track. Previous to the acci-
dent witness heard a noise such as would
be made by the unloading of brick Witness
had seen Thomas about the building a num-
Der of times and regarded him as a sober
ana industrious man. He was always at
tentive to his duty. There was a pile of
bricks on the street between the curb and
car tracks. Witness saw three lamps on the
building material.
The street where the accident occurred
witness said, was not well lighted. 1t was
witness opinion that the building material
was within six or eight inches of the car
track.
In answer to Mr.. Perry's questions wit
ness SAID that THOMAS was a cripple, but he
Gld not know he was subject to epilepsy.
Witness attention was attracted to the
street by hearing Thomas say: Some one
come here This was repeated three times
Afterward he heard the injured man ask to
he removed to the sand pile and Thomas
said car had struck him. He saw no car
on the street about the time of the accident.
Heard Call for Help.
George Bradley, one of the colored men
who assisted the injured man, explained
what he knew of the accident He was on
the steps in front Of 1911 G street north
west in conversation with a friend when
he heard the injured man say: Somebody
please come and help me-" A car passed
the scene of the accident about a minute
before he heard the call for assistance
Witness found the victim of the accident
lying across the south rail of the track.
Thomas said he had been struck bv a car
Just before the accident happened witness
heard noise made by falling bricks Thorn
as had been whistling and singing and
throwing bricks from points near the track
before the car came along.
Noses Payne. the other colored man who
assisted the injured man. gave similar tes
tlmony. He saw the car pass along the
street, but paid no particular attention to
Motormnn's Evidence.
MOtOrman Wiliar,, Thor, ,,,,,a
charse Of the car supposed to have injured
Thomas, was next examined. He knew
nothing of his car having struck the vic
TIM Witness said his car was due Mt
pennsylvania avenue and 18th street at
S:4l O'Clock Friday night Witness first
heard of the accident in Southeast WASH
lHst0n. The motorman said he had no
tlc:d IN a general way some building ma
terlal on q street, but could not saw how
near 1t was to the track. Witness said
that II his car had struck the ran he
would have known it. The dav fter tho
accident occurred the cars Were exauina5
ana several blood spots We're found ON tba
wheel guard of the trailer Witness sid
he was certain his car did not strike hin,
Policeman Potter testified thai b. ~
~: investigation of the case and fo,,nd 80
blood spots on the car The appearanca nf
the wheel guard indicated that the blood
mao Spurted from a wound and struck tho
noafd. There was nothing about the con-
ditlon OF the wheel guard or car TO indi-
cate that man had been struck hv an,
part of the vehicle ~ any
Conductor Ferdinand c. McDermot who
h;.d charge of the train in question. gave
similar testimony. He heard none Of 1ho
passengers say a man had been s1rnn1 h,
his car. MN oS
Deputy Coroner's Statement
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified ,b.+
he examined the body of Thomas at tho
morgue. He found one leg shorter than
the other and arm was also lame
Witness found several cuts and bruises
about the head, and his neck was broken
The cuts might easily have been made h,.
striking against the corners of bricks Tho
injuries were not such as would have been
received by the man falling against the
nat surface Of car. Thomas death was
the i'm to