Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-22
CAR KILLS MUTE;
OTHER ESCAPES
DEAF WOMEN WALK TO DEATH,
IGNORING GONG
Motorman colIapses at GhastIy Sight.
Surgeon, Passing In Auto, Gives
Ald-Pltlful Accident at
Long Beach
Special to Th Herald.

LONG BEACH, Jan. 21.-NTiss Mary
Griswold was instantly killed and Mrs
F. G. Smith. a companion, seriously in
jured by car on the West Third street
line of the Pacific Electric railroad at
3:45 this afternoon. Both women were
deaf mutes and resided at 537 West
Third street, having come here from
Chicago about year ago.
The car was No. A. east-bound, in
charge of Conductor P. G.. Hunter and
Motorman w. II. Narrower.
According to the story told by Har-
over who is exonerated by witnesses of
the accident, he was travelling east at a
rapid rate when suddenly two women
stepped into Third street from Cedar.
They were on the wrong side of the
crossing, but as they stood for a mo-
ment beside the track he supposed they
wanted to board the car and came to a
full stop about twelve feet from where
they stood. He rang the gong twice
but as neither moved Narrower decided
that they were merely waiting for him
to pass, and releasing the brakes he
opened the controller. The car started
forward and at the same instant the
two women stepped on the track.
Motorman Rings Gong
Bystanders state that Narrower rang
his gong twice and gave a despairing
shout to the women to look out, but
they did not heed, and with brakes set
and current reversed the car crashed
into them.
Mrs. Smith was struck and thrown to
one side, while Miss Griswold was
knocked directly in the path of the
wheels.
The car is a four wheeled "dinky''
and the front wheels passed over her
prostrate body, the rear wheels stop
ping directly on her.
DR.. j. NJ. Holden, who was passing
in his auto, hurried to the scene and
saw at once that Miss Griswold was
dead.
Mrs. Smith, who was unconscious,
was carried to the home of ]. G. Drake
on the opposite corner, where she was
revived by Drs. Wood and Holden, who
found that she had been severely
bruised but not fatally injured.
1t was not until Mrs. Smith recovered
consciousness that they learned of her
affiiction She drew from a hand
satchel which she carried pencil and
pad and wrote an inquiry as to how
Miss Griswold was.
Mrs. Smith was not informed of the
fatality at once, and IN response to a
written query wrote n description of
what occurred. She wrote that she and
Miss Griswold had been out for walk
and had stopped for n moment in the
street. undecided as to whether they
should go on to the beach or return
home. They finally decided to spend IL
few moments beside the waves and
started on across the track and then
came the accident.
Body Is Crushed
For nearly half an hour the body of
Miss Griswold lay in the street under
the wheels of the car while a crowd of
aWed and silenced spectators gathered.
No one seemed to know exactly what
to do, but finally the work car arrived
with the necessary apparatus and the
car was raised and the mutilated body
removed to Walker & Browns morgue.
Harover and Hunter, the crew, at
once reported the accident to head
quarters and were relieved of duty,
pending an Investigation. Both men
were entirely unnerVed, and Narrower,
who is an old trusted motorman, col
iapsed and wept.
That the accident was directly due
to the infirmity of the two victims is
vouched for by several witnesses, who
state that Harover did all in his power
to avoid it and brought his car to a
standstil just six feet from the point
where he applied the brakes.
Mrs. Belcher. who resides half q
block from where the accident occurred
states that she heard the gong dis
tinctly, though the windows of heI
house We're all closed.
1t is just year since Miss Griswold
came to Long Beach from Chicago, ac-
companied by her mother. followed q
few months later by Mrs. Smith, an olo
friend Of the family.
Both the women were 40 years of age
"Hotel del Coronado" the society center