The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-26
CRUSHED TO DEATH
NEGRO BICYCLE RIDER UNDER A
TROLLEY CAR.
CHAS. WILLIAMS THE VICTIM.
KILLED INSTANTLY AT JONES AND
BARNARD STREETS.

BARNARD STREETS.
Was ON the Wrong side of the
Street and Riding RapidIy-LOst
His Head when He Saw the Car
and Ran Directly Under It-Badly
MangIed and Car Had to BE
Raised to Get Him Out-Wheel
Was Completely Demolished, Int
DerniIed Car-MOtoI street
Had Shut on Current to Take on
PasscRger-WiIliams Killed with
in Two Blocks of His Home and
the Second Victim of Car No. IL.
Charles Williams, colored, of No. 322
Jones street, west, employed at the
Southern Cotton Oil Mills, was run
over and killed at Jones and Barnard
streets last night and trolley car No.
II claimed it's second victim. The ne
gro was riding a bicycle on his way
home from work. and lost his life
within two blocks of his house.
The car was going south at a mod
crate rate of speed. Williams was rid
ing on the southside of Jones street.
He had drawn his weeks wages and
was hurrying home with it to his wife
when the car crossed the street and
ratified him. Williams saw the car and
started to ride into the sand south of
the crossing. He turned his wheel to
the left, but suddenly changed his
mind, and, apparently with the idea of
dashing in front of the car, rode di-
rectly under it.
The dashboard knocked him down
and with his bicycle he fell in the mid
die of the track. The collision was I'M
expected, and the car went crashing
over wheel and rider. grinding them
together. With the track blocked by
man and wheel, the front part of the
car left the rails and ran into the soft
sand. Williams had not uttered a
word, and the several passengers in
the car thought that nothing more Sc
rious than a derailment had occurred.
Two of those in the car were women,
and they were in no manner fright
ened, believing that the car had only
jumped the track.
The car was in charge of Conductor
r. T. Kennedy and Motorman G.. r.
Street. and Constable w. F. Constan-
tine of Justice Jones court, who was
passenger on the car, placed both
men under arrest as soon as he learned
that the negro had been killed. Not
until he had gotten off the car did
the officer know what had happened,
although the accident was witnessed
by Deputy Sheriff Charles Fennen,
who was also on the car. Neither the
bicycle or the negro were to be seen
when the car came to the sudden stop.
They had been damned midway and
the car had to be raised before they
could be gotten out. The conductor
and motorman were sent to the sta
ton house, physicians were summoned,
the wrecking crew was ordered and
Coroner Keller was notified.
Williams head was crushed and bad
ly mangled and his right leg was
broken at the knee. The physicians
who viewed his body stated that death
must have been instantaneous. The
bicycle used by the negro to ride to
and from his work, was completely de-
molished. A large crowd gathered
and several hundred negroes viewed
the remains without being able to
identify the victim. 1t was not until
undertaking. establishment on Ogle-
thorpe avenue that it was learned that
the man was Williams.
The statements of those who wit
messed the accident, and the position
of the derailed car, made it clear that
Williams was alone to blame, and that
the motorman was unable to prevent
1T. Mr.. r. w. Wescott, who was about
to board the car at Jones street wit
messed the accident and made state
ment that agreed in detail with the
story told by Motorman Street. Mr.
Westcott saw the negro riding at a
rapid rate towards Jefferson street,
but supposed that he would slow up
until the car passed. He was ON the
wrong side of the street, and seemed
to lose his head when within a. few
feet of the car The motorman had
turned off his current and was pre-
pairing to stop for Mr.. Westcott when
Williams turned his bicycle to the left
and then suddenly turned it to the
right again and on the track, directly
under the car.
Motorman Street made a similar
statement, and while he deeply regret
ted the accident be declared that it
was not within his power to have pre-
vented it. He had shut the current off
before he got to Jones street, but Will
liams rode on the track within only a
few inches of the car. Sheriff Fennell
saw the man on the bicycle just before
Tic Sdi lcll the TRACK ana stated that
Williams was on the extreme left of
the street at that time. A negro named
Jones, living at Isle of Hope, was on
the front platform with the motorman
and witnessed the accident. He disap-
peared during the excitement and be-
fore the arrival of the officers, although
he stated to several people that Street
could not have avoided the accident,
no matter what he had done.
oil
those who had witnessed the accident.
and announced that he will hold an in
quest, probably tonight. The conduc-
tor was ordered released at once, and
later the motorman was released on
bail for $1,000. The car that killed
Williams is the same one that jumped
the track at CASTOR and Barnard street
about a year ago and killed Motorman
Lopez. The killing OF the negro will
liams is the first serious accident that
has occurred since the Savannah Elec-
trio Company assumed charge of the
street car system, and could have been
avoided only by Williams.
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