The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-04
PRESIDENT NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH
In COLLISION BETWEEN HIS CARRIAGE
40 ELECTRIC CAR IN PITTSFlELD, MASS
Secret Ser gent Craig Instantly Killed and the Driver Of Mr. ROOse
VfS V$.ce Seriously nedIhe Chief Executive Slightly Hurt
sSfeay COrtelyOu Receives Slight Wound, and Governor
Crane Escapes Practically Without Scratch.
Hundreds Witness Accident

| on both sides of the track and he was
| exercising every care to avoid an acci-
dent. In his opinion, sthe car was not
running over eight miles an hour; he re-
ceived no warning to stop and did not
see the mounted men or Governor Crane
waving their hands. According to Mad
denis story. there was plenty Of room for
| the Presidents carriage to have passed
on the west side Of the trolley track and
| he would have had plenty Of time after
| he passed the Presidents carriage before
| the turn was made to the east side of
| the road. He said the leading horses
were turned short across the track. He
could not tell just how the car struck the
carriage, but he saysshe reversed the
power and went for the brake just as
| quickly as possible when he saw the
| horses turn on the track. He said 1t was
dusty. and with difficulty he saw what
was going on He denies that any or
ders were given to reach the Country
| Club before the Presidents party arrived
there.
The story OF James Kelly, the conduc-
| tor, is much the same as that Of Motor
man Madden as far as the schedule and
running arrangements were concerned
| He said he was collecting fares on the
west side of the car at the time OF the
accident. and was at the forward end of
| the running board at the moment OF the
| collision. He said no warning was given:
A PASSENGERS STORY.
Mrs French Pierson and her two chill
6ren were passengers on the car. Accord
| ing to the story Of Mrs. Pierson, an eff
| fort had been made by the passengers on
| the car to have the motorman leave the
| Campbell House just as the Presidents
carriage passed by. This he refused to
| do, saying he was running ON schedule
| time and, therefore. he would not leave
| earlier than that unless ordered to do SO
| by officers of the road. Mrs. Pferson
| saws she was DESTROYS Of alighting at
| Crofut Street, but did not for two reasons,
| the first being that the car was going at
| such a fast rate OF speed that she saw
| she could not signal the conductor in time
| to stop, and, secondly, that the passen-
gers on the car seemed anxious to reach
| the Country Club before the President
| She then decided to continue on to the
| Country Club and return on the same
car AS the car approached the Presi-
dents carriage, she says she saw the
mounted men say something TO Drive.
Pratt. hut in the noise of the car ana
the ringing Of the gong, she was unapie
| to hear the words spoken.
James w. Hull, one Of Pittsheld's most
prominent citizens and director OF the
| road who was on the car at the time OF
the accident. was seen tonight with reI-
|
den was under special instructions from
him to run through to the Country Club
without stopping. Hr. Hull said:
DENIES THE STORY.
1.-THE report is unaualifedly false
cannot express ap opinion as TO the re-
| sponsbility of the accident was
passenger on the car but hardly realized
| what was happening until 1t was over.
The regular route of this car Is from the
Stanley Works on one side Of the city TO
the Country Club on the other. The tracks
run directly through the city and pass
the City Park where the President made
his address The car had just come In
from the club but its schedule being in
terrupted by the crowds, 1t was stopped
at the park and turned back to the club
| 1t was understood that the President
| would stop there on the way to Lenox
and perhaps say few words and many
persons including a considerable number
| of club members were bound there l in
tended to go myself and when the car
| stopped at the park / asked the motor
man when he would start He said he was
| trying to get back on his schedule and
| would move as soon as his time fas right.
| THE car waited about ten minutes l
| had an end seat about half way back
| in the car / did not know the President s
| carriage was ahead of us. Suddenly my
| attention was attracted by people rising
| up in the front part of the car and l
looked up just in 3ime to see the leading
horses of the Presidents carriage come
onto the track ahead of us.
| My first thought was that the car
could be stopped in time to avoid a
collision but in the next second 1 real
| lied that this was impossible. Then the
crash came, followed by much tumult.
Almost Immediately l saw the President
1 ROT he md ri nj
declare he was uninjured and anxiously
| asked for the rest. then looked for Gov
| ernor Crane and soon after found him
| unhurt 1t seemed to me that the car
| was about to stop when 1t struck fne car
riage. 1t certainly came to a stop within
| fifteen or twenty feet but too late"
BACK AT OYSTER BAY.
Oyster Bay, Sept. 3.-President Roose-
welt returned at $50 tonight after his ex-
perience this morning. His right cheek
is swollen there is black bruise under
| his right eye and his mouth Is slightly
swollen. Otherwise he shows no effects
| Of the accident.
He will go south the latter part of the
week according to the original schedule
and will be accompanied by Secretary
Cortelyou. who while considerably shaken
up, expects that his injuries will not in
capacitate him from duty. Mr.. Cortel-
you's nose is badly bruised there is a
lump on the back of his head and bruises
behind his left ear and on his body.
The President says he may have to
make his first public appearance with
black eye and a swollen face, but the
accident has not interrupted his work for
ten minutes and it will not interrupt his
southern trip. The President is pledged
to attend the annual conference of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen at
, Chattanooga, Tenn, Monday and he
would not on any account disappoint the
Brotherhood. 1t is a well known fact
, that the President holds railroad men in
very high regard and he anticipates great
pleasure in meeting the Brotherhood of
Firemen next week.
/ The President was busily engaged to.
) night in signing commissions and dis
posing of wrok that had accumulated
: during his absence Mr.. Roosevelt was
/ sincerely attached to Craig. the secret
, service man who lost his life today, be-
cause Of Craig's personality and because
the attachment the children felt for him
and he is sincerely grieved at Craig's
death. Apart from that event the Presi-
dent is not affected by his experience.
FLAMES THE MoToRMAN.
The Presiden. feels that the conduct Of