Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-08
KILLED BY AN AUTO
Fatal Accident of Which Child
Was Victim.
CORONER'S VERDICT
ENUMERATION OF THE MAN IN
CHARGE OF THE MACHINE.
Evidence Heard Which Showed That
the Unfortunate Affair Was I'm
avoidable-The Witnesses.

daughter of George W. Springman Of 634 NJ
street southeast. was knocked down and
killed by an automobile managed by Gilbert
J. Osterman while playing in the streets
near the corner of 18th and G streets south
east last evening about 8: 80 o'clock. Oster-
man and his brother. Fred Osterman. who
were in the automobile, were arrested but
were released this afternoon by order of the
coroner after an inquest as to the accident
at the morgue.
The body of the dead child was turned
over to her father. and arrangements for
the funeral are being made.
The little girl lived with q married sister
at 1920 G street southeast and last evening
was playing with three girls of her own age
at the corner of 18th and G streets. The
children were running back and forth across
the street
Mr.. Osterman. who Is a contractor. had
been visiting his old home in AnacoStia and
was returning to the home of his brother,
with whom he resides. when the accident
occurred. According to his statement of
the affair he was proceeding north along
18th street at a reasonable speed. He
slowed down to pass over the excavations
left after the removal of the car tracks
that formerly ran east from 18th street,
and when his machine reached the other
Side he was moving at the rate of about
eight miles an hour. He saw the children
run across the street before he reached the
point where pey We're playing. but none
was In the street as he reached the north
side OF q street crossing.
Child Runs Into Street
He had not gone very far. however, when
he saw a child run out from the east side
of the street and he turned his machine to-
ward the curb to prevent striking her
When the child reached the center of the
street she hesitated and turned back. Be-
fore Mr.. Osterman could stop his machine
1t had struck the child He stopped imme-
diately and his brother ran back to where
he saw the child lying on the pavement
Together they carried her to a nearby drug
store and physician summoned
When the physician arrived the child was
dead. Policeman Totten met Osterman at
the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and
18th street and after learning of the ac-
cident took charge of the case.
The body of the girl was removed to the
morgue and the Ostermans were placed
under arrest
At the coroner's Inquest this morning a
thorough examination of the case was had.
The eye-witnesses to the assldent were all
examined and several persons who had
seen the automobile were questioned to
ascertain Its speed. There seemed to be
divergence Of opinion as to how fast the
machine was travelling The Ostermans
both stated 1t was not moving faster than
eight or ten miles an hour, and another
witness, VINO had been engaged in the
automobile business, stated that 1t would
be dangerous to the occupants Of a ma
chine to run 1t at greater speed over such
rough pavement. He gave 1t as his opinion
that 1t was moving at rate between eight
and twelve miles an hour.
Alleged Excessive Speed.
Several other witnesses stated that the
machine was moving at an excessive rate
of speed before the accident, but none gave
a satisfactory estimate. All agreed that
the driver had done mis- utmost to avoid an
accident and that he had stopped his car as
soon as he could after the accident
Most of them agreed that II the child had
continued on her way across the street the
accident would not have occurred and that
to avoid 1t was impossible after the child
had turned as she ran directly into the
machine.
Among the witnesses examined were
| Policeman Totten. Dr. Webb, who had
| been summoned Immediately after the ac-
| cident; the Osterman brothers, George F.
| NJ. Moore. Harry NJ. Mcfarland and John
Moran, eye witnesses; Annie Bolton. Lucy
Bolton and Mary Brown, children who were
| playing with the dead girl at the time of
| the accident: Augustus Reinhardt, who was
| also playing with the party; w. II. Ham
mond, an automobile driver and machinIst
| who saw the accident. and William Hale,
| who had seen the machine just before the
| accident.
| AS a result of the testimony adduced the
| jury found that the child came to her death
| through accident. and by order of the coro-
| ner the Ostermans were released from GUS
| tody.