The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-16
FINDING IN CRAIG INQUEST
PLACES RESPONSIBILTTY UPON
 CONDUCTOR AND MOTORMAN.

Craig Was President ROOseve!t's Body
 guard-UnIavyfuI Acts Contributed to
 Death of Craig-Car Going at Nearly
 Thirty Miles Per Hour-TrOIIey Com-
 pany Slightly Scored-TriaI or Men
 Set for November 1.
 Pittsfield. Mass, Oct. 15-The finding in the inquest following the accident in which President Rooseve1t's body guard, William Craig, was killed here last September, filed to-day says that the unlawful acts of James T. Kelly, con- ductor, and Euclid Madden. motorman," of the electric car which ran into the presidents carriage contributed" to the death of MT. Craig. The finding was by Special Justice Charles L. Hubbard. The report is an exhaustive review of the circumstances attending the colli- sion by the car and the carriage in which President Roosevelt, Governor Crane, and Private Secretary George B. Cortelyou were riding. which resulted in the instant death of Secret Service Agent Craig and serious injuries to the president and Secretary Cortelyou. It contains about 5000 words. The in- quest began September 9 and was con- cluded September IS.
 The accident occurred on South street September 3. Special Justice Hubbard finds that the horses attached to the presidents carriage were going at the rate of six miles an hour and the car at from fifteen to twenty-five miles on hour. He also finds that there was a misunderstanding on the part of the street car companies of the city as to what thoroughfares were to be closed to traffic during the presidents visit. No evidence, the report says, was found to show that the car was not running at regular schedule or that the officials of the road had given any orders for it to be run otherwise than under nor- mai conditions.
 The report says: "As neither the con- ductor nor the motorman testified at the inquest the special justice was un- able to find what, if any, influence the wishes of the passengersfi that the car be run faster than it ordinarily did, had upon their conduct.
 "The evidence of the majority of the people standing by the side of the road was that it was running much faster than usual, but passengers on the car thought it was not as the cars always run fast at the point where the acci- dent occurred.
 l "The motorman rang the gong contin- ually until the collision. The justice was unable to find whether or not the i power was on when the car struck the carriage. When the car was 150 feet behind the carriage Governor Crane arose and motioned to stop. Two of the mounted guards did the same thing at the same time. As the governor mo- toned the driver turned the horses on the track. The speed of the car slack ened in a slight degree as the brakes were applied.
 "There is no evidence that the cur rent was reversed. The car was brought to a standstill forty-five feet beyond the point of collision. It was geared to a speed of 14% miles an hour on level with full load.
 "Craigs body was found eight or ten feet in the rear of the car when it came to a stop. Driver Pratt lay uncon- scious fifteen feet from the car. Craig never knew what happened
 In conclusion the special justice finds that the car was allowed to attain dangerous speed, the fender was not properly locked in position, but that if il
 had been it would not in all probability have prevented the death of Craig ant that the unlawful act of Motormar Madden and Conductor Kelley contrib
 uted to the death of Craig.
 Kelley and Madden were arrested or
 the day of the accident on the charge
 of manslaughter and they are now un
 der bail for trial November 1.