Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-17
CAUSED BY ACCIDENT
VERDICT IN CASE OF 4AD KILLED
BY ELECTRIC cAR.
Testimony Before Coroner to Efec,
That Unfortunate Boy Attempted Z.
to Board Movinf gar.

The coroners jury in the inquest held at
! the sixth precinct station 3E1fso clock this
| morning to inquire into the Death of Shaaff
| Johns the twelve-year-old-@ boy who was
i killed by street car at the corner of Con-
| necticut avenue and l. street northwest
yesterday morning, rendered a verdict that
| the lads death was due to accident. The
| inquiry was conducted by Coroner hewitt
and the jury was composed of the follow
ing persons:- Messrs. Rudolph Eichhorn,
Walter c.. Butler Charles H. Wilson, G. T..
B. Cooper, James w. Johnson and T. s.
Donaldson. .-sS
number Of witnesses were examined by
Coroner hewitt, among whom were the con-
ductor and motorman in charge of the
street car and several passengers and 9TH
ers who were near the scene of the acct
dent. - .:...s- H---...s :
The first witness called was Conductor
E. D. Richter. who stated that he was run
ming south on car No. 157, which reached
the corner of Connecticut avenue and l.
street about 1910 o'clock yesterday morn
ing Witness stated that the car stopped
on the north side of L street and took on
| several passengers. The car had proceeded
but short distance, he said, when he no.
ticed the jolting of the trailer. in which he
was standing at the time A passenger
pulled the bell rope three times, giving the
danger signal This was the first intima-
fed that he did not see any one standing on
the south corner of l. street.
Story Of the Motorman.
Motorman VIM. P. Wise told the jury
| that the first intima ton he had Of the acct
| dent was when he heard the danger signal
| He put on the brakes and stopped the car
| within a few feet after hearing the bell.
| Witness stated that he did not see any one
| standing on the south side of L street. nor
| did he see any one approaching the car at
| that point as though intending to board it.
| He said that the body of the boy was lying
| under the pilot board in the rear part of
| the trailer near the west side Of the track.
Mr. Maurice D. Lee of 1921 New Hamp-
shire avenue. who gave the danger signal,
| testified that he was standing on the open
| side of the rear platform Of the motor car,
and he saw young Johns approach the car
| from the south side OF l. street. The car
was in motion and had reached the middle
OF L street. The unfortunate lad attempt
ed to get in the front Of the trailer, and
caught the post of the car, but slipped
| and fell underneath the trailer He
made no cutlery while falling. Witness
stated that he pulled the bell rope three
| times and then got off the car The boy
was lying under the rear axle of the car
and was apparently dead when extricated.
| Robert Gayle, a messenger boy, told the
| jury that he saw young Johns crossing the
tracks at the corner of Connecticut avenue
and L street, going toward the southeast
| corner Of the street. The car, he stated,
! was on the north side of L street at that
| time. He did not witness the boys attempt
| to get on the car, nor did he see him fall.
Bennett L. Porter, c. NJ. Robinson and
| George T. Cochran also testified before the
jury. They saw the boy after he had fallen
| under the car. gel iTaT-
Result Of Autopsy.
| DR.. Glazebrook, who examined the body
at the locomobile establishment on Connec-
| ticut avenue, stated that he found the neck
| broken and the ribs of the chest badly
crushed. The left side Of the head and face
| was also crushed The right shoulder was
broken at the shoulder joint, and there was
a cut over the right hip, besides fracture
| of the skull behind the right ear. DR.. Glaze
| brook said he thought the wheels had not
| passed over the body, that 1t had been
| crushed between the axle guard and the
| pavement or by some part of the car.
The jury was out but a few moments and
| returned the verdict previously mentioned.
| The body of the boy is still at Speares
undertaking establishment. Definite ar
| engagements for the funeral have not as yet
| been made. but the funeral will probably
| be held tomorrow afternoon from Christ
| Church in Southeast Washington. The pail
bearers will likely be selected from among
| the choir boys of that church, where Shaaff
was crucifer previous to his death.