Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-04
WHY He PAYS NO FARE
CONDUCTORS REFUSE TO TAKE
MONEY FROM HIM.
Gratitude Of a Corporation to a Man
Who Would Not See It
Treated Unjustly.


| pie Of seats ahead Of us7' asked a passen-
ger of his companion, as they were riding
down 14th street few mornings ago.
Watch the conductor as he comes along
for the fares. He will not even look to-
ward this man. as If he expected a ticket
or fare. For time he insisted on paying
his fares but as the conductors always re-
fused the young man concluded that more
attention was attracted than II he re-
NAMED quiet"
"A stockholder?
mo, only young business fellow, who
had the courage of his convictions. and
happen to know the story. Several years
ago was riding on one of the avenue cars
when those of us who were smoking outside
saw an elderly gentleman attempt to cross
the track, and evidently miscalculating the
distance and the speed Of the car, he was
struck by the fender. thrown violently to
the ground and so badly injured that he
died that night. The usual arrests fol-
lowed. but no convictions were made, as the
conductor proved that he was in the rear
car and did not see the man, and the mo-
torman proved fairly well that he had
rung his bell and had used every endeavor
to stop the
"A couple of months later 1 saw by the
papers that the sons of the old man had
brought suit against the railroad for very
large amount on the grounds that his death
was due entirely to gross careleSSneSS on
the part of the employees of the company.
Their lawyer had in some way obtained
number of witnesses who testified that not
only must the conductor have seen the old
man start to cross. but that the motorman
did not at first attempt to check the speed
of the car, and that when he did it was too
late Without doubt large proportion of
the amount asked for would have been
awarded by the jury, but just before the
attorney for the road had concluded his
gument young man, who had been a
close attendant during the entire trial.
loaned and wi
him. The lawyer stopped short in his
speech and said to the judge:
Your honor. have just received some
very important information bearing on the
case and desire that Mr.. G. be called as q
witness and sworn for the defense.
This witness was the young man ahead
of US. who stated very clearly and dis
tinctly that he had hoped the case would
have been decided fairly on it's merits with
out his testimony That. of course, his
sympathy was with the family of the de-
ceased. but that corporations also had their
rights. and he could not remain quiet and
permit an unjust verdict and COM
pany compelled to pay an amount which it
did not owe.
"He stated that he had arrived at Wash
ington the evening before the incident on
late train and had taken room at the Ma
tional. Being very tired. he had retired at
once. He was awakened an hour two
later by voices in an adjoining roOm evil
IDENTIFY those of an old and a young man.
He could not hear the conversation very
plainly. and did not try to- but as he was
again doing off he heard the old man say:
well. am tired of it all. tired to death.
Tomorrow l reckon I'll skip over the big
divide and let you fight 1T out. You are
young yet and will perhaps be more lucky
than l have BEEN
The younger one had evidently heard
that sort OF talk before. for he laughed and
said:
Keep up your pluck. Uncle Ben. just
little longer. When come back from the
country TIL nj nd 7
know he'll pull through.
THE witness said that he had fallen into
a sound sleep and did not awake until
morning: that the overheard conversation
had made but little impression upon him,
and he would have hardly recalled 1t, ex-
cept that he found himself at the same
| table at breakfast with an old and young
man whose voices he instantly recognized.
The old man seemed quite respondent and
the younger one was trying constantly to
cheer him up.
"Strolling up Pennsylvania avenue an
hour or two after breakfast. the witness
| was passed by the old gentleman, who was
nervously muttering to himself, I'll do it;
I'll do it Not especially interested in the
old mans eccentricities. he could yet hardly
refrain from watching his movements.
When less than half a block ahead he saw
him dart toward the car track and jump d.
rect!y In the path of an approaching car
coming at a high rate of speed he realized
to what the mutterings and talk of the old
man had referred.
He saw the driver with quick motion
turn on the current lever and throw his
weight on the break in a tremendous eff
fort to stop his car, but it was useless.
Although the car came to such a sudden
stop that most of the occupants were
thrown from their seats the old mans
body was dragged under the car and badly
mangled, and witness was not surprised to
read the notice Of his death in the even
ing paper.
After cross-examination had failed to
fao h,,< ~
veloped more fully the fact that the old
man had really contemplated suicide, the
court had adjourned for the day. On the
following morning the younger man, the
witness. He stated that he had left his
uncle after breakfast and driven out
twenty miles into the country. He had
heard nothing of the tragedy until his
return, after several days, and had been
terribly broken up by the news. His uncle
had claim against the government dat
Ing back to the civil war times and the
repeated delays and disappointments had
made the old gentleman very irritable and
respondent of late He had often threat
ened to cut the job as he called it, but
his nephew had paid but little attention
to his remarks, as the old gentleman was
In fairly comfortable circumstances and
not dependent on the reuslts of the al
lowance of this claim.
1.-THE jury, without leaving their seats,
Drought In a verdict in favor of the rail-
road company
"A few days later the attorney for the
road called on this young witness. and,
thanking him in the name of the directors
handed him a certified check for 81 coo.
The young man quietly tore the check in
TWO and threw the fragments in the waste
basket and remarked that he neither wish
ed to nor would receive a penny for what
they were pleased to call his services; that
what he had done was simply an act of
Justice When he saw that even a cor
porat1on was about to be compelled to
pay sum of money unjusty, he was I'M
willing, though his connection with the
affair remained unknown to be a silent
party to it.
However he rides over the CITY free
of expense, and will so long as the present
managers are in power, for all the con-
ductors of both lines have been given
positive instructions to refuse any fare or
ticket"