The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-09-05
NEW lRE TROLLEY CASE
Gate Tender at Crossing Called At
tention 70 Slippery Tracks.
ENGINEER ON WITNESS STAND

Testified That Snow lnterfered With
Running Of Engine md Trolley Cars
We're stopped Too Close to Rail.
road Tracks.
Newark. y. j.. Sept 9.-The trial
of the eleven officials of the North
Jersey Street Railway Company,
charged with mauslaushter ON the
ground of criminal negligence on their
part. which. according 60 The conien'
lion of the state. was responsible for
thc death of Encstine Miller. one OF
the victims of the Clifton avenue troll
lev horror on February 49, was re-
sumod with the cross-cNamination Oh
Charles KAY. the lctfcr carrier who
saw the accident while delivering let
tsrs Former Governor George T.
Wer,s of counsel for the defense. r..
snmed his questions going over the
ground covered in the direct exam.
nation.
An of the defendants listened
throughout the testimony with close
attention. and most of them sat back
i'm their chairs and looked uncomfOrt
able
When Mr. werts had finished with
KAY Christopher Couldron. the gate
tender ri the Clifton avenue crossing
was called. Tho witness estimated
ina, hc raised and lowered the gates
aboat 900 times in - hours Trolley
cars crossed frequently he said. some
times ou frem'nutc Roadway and
sometimes on - minutes.
Coudron's attention was drawn 20
The auou on tne tracks no the time Of
The ACCIDENT nC said. II saw the
ans sfirpu- rs thcy cane down. and
called one of Che conductors atton-
ton 10 &c. That was about six min
ufes 10 O'Clock The snow seemed
10 be about am inch deep all over the
street There had been a heavy snow
storm and then liShter one
Prosecutor Riker asked why he had
spoken 90 the conductor. "Becaus
The cars threatened 10 so through the
gates was the reply.
Oscar Barcline. the engineer Of the
ncrnardsyille express. was the last
witness at the morning session. Bar
clGe testified that be saw the trolley
/ car coming down the incline and real
/ ICED from the actions of the children
nj the time that IL would not stop
/ tie put on his emergency brakes when
about a hundred feet of the crossing
/ Tie heard the crash and remembered
nothing more Barcdffo testified that
the snow interfored with the running
! of his engine lie also said that the
trolley mo-ormon were in the habit
Of stopping their cars so close 20 the
railroad tracks that it made the engi-
neer's hair fairly stand ON end
Cr0ss-eXamiutd. the witness admit
[ ted that Boo had brought suit for S75.-
600 against tho North Jersey Trolley
/ Company hut denied that he was tcs-
Trying ln order 70 aid him in that suit.
Alexander P. Jacobus. a brush
maker. testified that he stood about
/ 80 feet away from the crossing when
/ the accident occurred. lie saw the
car loaded with children coming down
the incline from Orange street At the
same timo ne saw the railroad gates
going down Ile saw the car continue
| toward the gates and then heard the
signal ben ringing The mOtOrman
was working at the brake and ap-
peared 20 Dee unable 10 stop the car.
The front wheels were locked and
were sliding on the tracks. The car
was going Of a rate of three or four
miles an hour. lie saw the car crash
through the gates. and u moment
afferward the collision occurred. He
thought the train was going % to 80
miles an hour
William II. Bowerman. a high school
pupil said he was standing in the
car about two feet from the front
door, holding on to the strap. He
thought the motorman applied the
brake about the middle OF the block.
He aid not remember whether the car
came 20 a stop in the middle Of the
block or not. The car and platform
were crowded. lie could see the no
torman working the brake.