Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-16
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT
Twelve Year-0ld Boy Killed
by Street Car.
SON OF A MINISTER
BODY OF SHAAFF JOHNS MAN.
GLED UNDER WHEELS.
Connecticut Avenue and L Street
Scene of the Unfortunate Occur
ance-Statementso of Witnesses.

suited in the almost instant death Of Shaaff
Johns the twelve-year-old son of Rev. DR..
and Mrs. Arthur s. Johns of 60 G street
southeast, occurred about 1850 o'clock this
| morning on the line of the Washington
Traction Railway Company at the corner OF
Connecticut avenue and L street northwest
From the accounts of eye-witnesses to the
affair, which vary slightly as to Details the
| boy was attempting to board southbound
street car while it was in motion and fell
| beneath the front wheels of the trailer.
When he was extricated it was found that
he had sustained fracture of the skull and
the bones of his neck and chest had been
terribly crushed. He lived but few mo-
| ments after being removed from beneath
| the wheels.
The father of the boy, Rev. DR.. Johns, is
| rector of Christ Church, in Southeast
Washington. 1t was stated that Shaaff
had gone on an errand for Miss Bessie
Baldwin, who was visiting with Mrs. Johns.
| to her sister, who resides at 1923 l. street
northwest He was returning from his err
| rand and had with him bundle of cloth
| ing which Miss Baldwin had asked her sis
| ter to send to her. Car No. 49, in charge
of Conductor E. D. Richter, with William
T. Wise as motorman, was running south
along Connecticut avenue. The car stopped
on the north side of l. street. Several per-
sons who were near the scene of the acci-
dent stated that the boy was standing on
| the northwest corner of the street and did
not attempt to board the car until after
| 1t had started. Others stated that Shaaff
ran east along l. street and endeavored TO
| jump onto the front platform of the trailer
| from the west side. Whatever the details,
| he slipped beneath the front wheels, which
passed over his body.
Witnessed by Passenger.
A passenger on the front platform Of
the trailer noticed the boy fall and pulled
ha he11 ba inn. ia fpl
set the brakes and stopped the car about
thirty feet from the south side Of the
crossing. Underneath the rear wheels of
the trailer, mangled and torn, lay the
almost hfeless fern of the unfortunate
boy. 1t some time before he could
be extricated, and the car had to be lit
erally lifted off the boy. His mangled
| form was carried into a locomobile es-
| tablishment on Connecticut avenue, and
| the ambulance from the Emergency Hos
pital was summoned. When the physi-
| clans arrived they stated that the boy was
dead, having expired before they reached
him.
AS the boy was a stranger in that neigh
borhood considerable delay was experienced
in identifying him. A letter addressed to
Miss Bessie Baldwin, kindness of Shaa6,"
was found in one of the pockets of his coat,
and, with the aid of a directory, the ad-
dress of the lady to whom the letter was
sent was found. Upon inquiry at the Lenox.
the address given in the directory, it was
found that Miss Bessie Baldwin was Wis
iting with Mrs. Johns, and that ShaaH
had just left the place with note and
bundle of clothing for Miss Baldwin.
The Mother Notified.
Mr.. H. J. Meader, a grocer near the resi-
dence of DR.. Johns, was telephoned OF the
accident, and went to the minister's resi-
dence Dr. Johns was absent at the time,
but Mr.. Meader gently broke the news to
Mrs. Johns, and, together with Rev. DR..
Meyer, assistant rector of Christ Church.
accompanied her to the scene of the sad
accident. The bereaved mother stood the
trial bravely, restraining her emotions with
womanly courage. Messengers sent to va
| rious parts of the city were unable to find
DR.. Johns, and with the assistance of DR..
Meyer, the mother arranged for the re-
moval of the body. 1t was taken to Speares
| undertaking establishment and prepared for
burial, after which 1t was conveyed to the
home. The coroner's inquest will he held
tomorrow morning at IL o'clock.
Shaaf Johns Was the youngest son of DR..
and Mrs. Johns. He attended public school,
and was crucifer in Christ Church. and
among his many friends was regarded as Il
| manly young fellow, with many splendid
traits of character. His death is crush
ing blow to his parents and relatives.
Mr.. L. Fahnestock, jr.. whose place OF
| business is at 1124 Connecticut avenue,
stated to a reporter for The Star that he
front wheels of the trailer. He stated that
he thought the lad tried to board the car
while it was in motion and lost his hold on
the side grip
Another witness of the accident, Mr. B.
L. Porter, who is employed in the loco
mobile establishment, said it seemed to
him as though the boy had attempted to
board the car from the west side, but slip
ped and fell under the wheels G. NJ. Rob-
inson of 1925 4th street northwest said he
saw young Johns standing on the northwest
corner of Connecticut avenue and l. just
before the accident short time later, he
said, he saw him under the wheels of the
car He assisted in extricating the body
from under the wheels
Statement Of Company Officials.
The railway company officials gave out .
statement of the accident to reporter for
The Star to the effect that neither the
motorman nor conductor saw the boy until
after the unfortunate occurrence that the
boy ran down from 18th street and at
tempted to board the trailer from the west
side after it had reached the south side of
the crossing.
After the accident Policeman Reilly ac-
companied the car to the barn and returned
to the third precinct station with Motor
man Wise and Conductor Richter. The
company's agents became responsible for
the appearance of its employees and the two
men were released to appear at the inquest
tomorrow.
Dr. Glazebrook deputy coroner reached
the scene of the accident about twenty
minutes after it occurred and DR. hewitt
arrived little later. They examined the
body and then placed 1t in the hands OF
the undertaken at the request of the mother
of the boy.
To Represent State Department.