Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-12
DRIVER aEXONERATED
VERDICT REaARDING DEATH OF
WILLIAM T. MATHEWS. =
coroner's Jury aHears Testimony of
Witnesses To- Aosident, Which
Occurred Deaember "a.

A jury Of six men assembled at the
morgue this morninEisviewed the body of
Mr.. William Il. Mathews, the portrait
painter. and heard TIN statements of wit
nesses concerning the. accident that hap
pened to him about s. O. clock on the after
noon of December "a. having been
knocked down and run over by garbage
wagon at 10th and E streets, as heretofore
stated In The Star. The jurors reached the
conclusion that the affair was accidental
and the driver of the team, William Minor,
was exonerated
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook performed an
autopsy before the taking of testimony
was begun and found that Mr.. Mathews
had double chronic Brights disease. He
also found a tubercular condition Of both
lungs. The right lung was congested and
the body emaciated. Witness found no evil
dence or injury except to the right leg,
which had been fractured. The death, the
doctor stated, was due to shock and mani
ton.
William Minor the driver, was placed on
the witness stand by his counsel, Attorneys
Patterson, Hughes and Gray. He stated
that he was driving south on 10th street
at the time of the accident, and did not see
Mr.. Mathews until his team was near him.
Then he made an effort to avoid the pedes-
trian and the harness broke.
Vernon Denham and Charles w: Grosneil
team moving south on. 10th street and
thought the driver had fallen from the wag-
on when the vehicle stopped. He went
from his store to the scene of the accident
and assisted in taking the injured man
to Victor Franks sal Don on the northwest
corner of 10th and e streets.
The Questions Asked.
Attorneys Potbury and Cohen, acting
for friends of the deceased, had the wit
could
recall the condition of the streets the day
of the accident. He did not examine the
harness Witness Grosnell said he yelled
at the pedestrian when he saw the danger
he was in and just then the wagon struck
Mr.. Mathews and knocked him down. The
horses. he said, were trotting down 10th
street when he first saw them. MI Ma
thews told witness that he was not much
hurt and asked that be send for carriage
for him.
Policeman Hixon, who witnessed the ac-
cident and arrested the driver, told the jury
that he thought the horses were gong at
the rate of eight or ten miles an nour. Inc
driver told him that the harness had oeen
damaged and witness found that such was
the case. The policeman explained that the
driver was on the right side Of the street,
and then told of the arrest of the driver ana
of sending Mr.. Mathews to the hospital.
Witness Couldn't See.
did the driver make any effort to stop
his team?" the officer was asked.
1T was getting dark" he responded, "and
1 couldn't see e
The driver, he said, was perfectly sober.
The injured man was conscious, but wit
ness did not question him. He said the
streets were in bad condition.
DIR. Sharp told of the condition of the
patient from time to time while he was in
the hospital. He had a compound frac-
ture of the right leg and was suffering from
shock when he reached the hospital. He
told the jury that Mr.. Mathews was very
deaf.
Upon cenclusiorls of the hearing Mr.. Ma
thews' body was removed ito. the undertake
ing establishment of John ,.R. Lowe, 612
18th street northwest, and. prepared for
burial Services over9the remains will be
conducted at the tIndeetakers ats O'Clock
tomorrow morning 1t isrprebable that the
Rev. Alexander KentaRiil offciate, W..
" The body will be taken tosCant0n Ohio,
for interment -4A..1Izs I y
Elk Grove-As creamy delicious Butter