The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27
BOY CRUSHED
BY STREET CAR
ARTHUR THOMPSON MAY DIE.
IN TRYING TO SAVE BASEBALL HE
FELL UNDER CAR.

Physicians Do Not Hold Out Much
Hope for His RecOvery-Car Crush
ed His Hips-COnductOr and Motor
man Are Not Blamed for Accident
Neither Knew What Happened
Until After Thompson Was Hurt.
Accident Was witnessed by Boys
Uncle.
While attempting to keep a street cor
from running over his baseball yester-
day afternoon, Arthur Thompson, the
12-year-old son of Mr.. and Mrs. Earn
est Thompson. of No. 2S Abercorn
street. was probably fatally injured.
The boy fell under the car on st.
Julian street, near Abercorn. The car
passed over his body, crushing his
hips, and it is said scarcely any hope
is entertained for his recovery.
The accident happened between
Abercorn and Harbersham streets, and
was witnessed by the lads uncle, Mr..
j. A. Showalter. who was standing in
the door of the residence at No. 222
st. Julian street. The car which ran
to the rear of two parcel cars. D. D.
Bland was the conductor and ]. N.
Lewis. the motorman.
According to Mr.. Showalter the con-
ductor and motorman did not see the
boy, and were not aware of the acci-
dent until after the cars had gone fully
a block. The conductor was attracted
by the boys cries. Mr.. Showalter car
ried his nephew to his home less than
a half block distance.
When the conductor discovered that
the car had passed over the boy he
stopped the cars and, with the motor
man, returned and rendered all the as
sistance possible. Conductor Bland tel
ephoned for DR.. A. B. Simmons, the
companys surgeon. Drs. w. E. and
G. NJ. Norton were also called in by
the family and arrived at Mr.. Thomp-
sons residence a few minutes after
the accident occurred.
ChiId's Mother Frustrated.
The child's mother was almost pros
trated when he was carried into the
house. The injuries were such that
the physicians could render little re-
was notified and reached home soon
after the accident.
Mr.. Showalter was the only eye
witness to the accident. Just as the
car was passing my home noticed Ar
thur run toward the cars trying to
stop a baseball which was rolling in
the same direction that the cars were
going" said Mr.. Showalter. When
the last car was about to pass him he
tried to stop and slipped and fell be-
tween the second and third cars.
"The car passed over his body and
it was several minutes before 1 could
move. He cried out for help and 1
rushed out and picked him up and
carried him to his fathers home on
the corner. The conductor was at
tracted by his cries and returned to
the scene. The conductor and motor
man both gave their names and de-
clared that they did not see the boy
and were not aware that he was any
where near the car"
Accident Was Unavoidable.
According to the conductor, the cars
were moving at slow speed, and the
child must have run from the sidewalk
toward the cars after the front car
had passed. This would have prevent
ed the motorman from seeing him, and
the conductor was in the front part of
the rear car at the time the accident
occurred. The family of the injured
boy do not hold the conductor or the
motorman responsible for the unfortu-
nate accident.
DR.. w. E. Norton. one of the attend
ing physicians, does not offer much
hope for the boys recovery. He said
that the internal injuries were such
that it would be impossible to tell
whether the child would recover.
Even should the child recover he
will be a cripple for life. While the
little fellows sufferings has been great
he has borne up well and blames him
self for the accident.