The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-16

Yesterday mornings session OF the In
quest on the Moores Corners horror OF
June was resumed by Coroner Babcock
tn the Seventh District court room AT
Notwithstanding the seriousness OF the
accident there has been a diminishing
number OF spectators from the first morn
Three witnesses -had=been- summon
edfor today's hearing, Andrew Rafferty,
OF Thornton, motorman on the second
car; John Rafferty,, an employe OF the
British Hosiery company. and Martin
Rafferty,. an brothers.
The street railroad company has been
the only outside party represented con-
tinuously at the inquest thus far, and
its representative, William G. Bliss ESQ.
has shown a sincere desire on the part
OF the company TO arrive at the exact
conditions and the cause of the ac-
cident.
The first witness called was Andrew j.
Rafferty,, the motorman on the rear car.
and his testimony was substantially as
follows;
MY age Is ~ years and my residence
ut No. 2 Bently place, Thornton; occu-
patton, motorman. l was one OF those
motormen who was sent to Crescent Park
on special cars on the night OF June 2
and was on the car In the rear OF the
wrecked one. On the return trip there
were rs or 50 passengers and started from
Crescent Park with this number. Later
more passengers were taken on between
Boyden Heights and Riverside but took
no passengers at any other point: stopped
-FOUR minutes 20 take on these passen-
gers by estimation They did not belong
20 che party and there was some argu-
ment about taking them on.
I'VE left Crescent Park about 12:Oo
q. m, by estimation: the forward car
left Crescent Park about the came time.
II did not keep in view OF the forward
car all the way up and the last sight OF
the forward car was when / made the
stop; the forward car made no stops ex-
cept at the signal light.
''I do not know whether the forward
car took ON any passengers except those
who belonged TO the party. The conductor
on my car was Thomas Broudrey.
I'VE arrived at the scene OF the acci-
dent at 1925 a. m. bat this time Is estirna-
ted: should say that II would be about IS
minutes run from Crescent Park TO
Moore's corners; when the car was going
AT ordinary speed; my car proceeded az
ordinary speed and reckon Is or 20 miles
an hour. as ordinary speed but IL re-
pends on different localities. / don't run
as fast I'm the city as In the suburbs and
mean that the car was running at ordi-
nary speed for that particular route.
should Judge arrived at Moore's Corners
providing the first car was going at the
same rate OF speed as my car which.
however do not know
when arrived at the accident some
OF the passengers had got out OF the
overturned cars; the fact that the passen-
gers I'm the overturned cur had not all
got out when ! arrived would assist me
IN making UP the estimate OF the time.
THE night was foggy and damp. and
A.. az aFaA
slippery; II the car was going down grade
at the rate OF is or 20 miles per hour. II
could be stopped. II the rail was dry, In
100 feet, II the rails were moist and slip
perry the car could be stopped within zoe
feet The fog was dense and was about
OF the same character all the way from
Crescent Park to Moorc-s Corners
81 did not observe any arc lights between
Crescent Park and Moore's Corners, but
saw one at the corners; when arrived
there the light was burning so that IL
shone across the street. Ny car stopped
about 125 yards from the corners:
stopped because a girl told the passengers
that the forward car was overturned at
Moore's Corners
From where my car stopped ! could
see the light at Moore's Corners burning
and I could see the overturned car.
1T was doubtful II a man who did not
know there was a corner there could have
told II from the light. / knew there was
q corner there; l stopped there about a
minute and a half, / then went to East
-Proxidenca- To md doctors and 10 get the
wrecker. which was at the Traverse street
barn In Providence; had 20 pass the place
where the car had been overturned
In passing over this place don't know
as the car met with any obstruction: II
there had been a stone two inches and
half In diameter and three quarters OF
an inch In thickness on the rail and the
car had gone over IL should have felt
the jar. but the wheel would probably
have showed the stone ahead or aside.
II don't think the car would have
moved the stone out OF place. and after
passing II rolled it back again Il was
about eight minutes from the time the
car stopped until II went over the route
20 East Providence. The electric light
st the corners burned very dimly II was
the fourth time that l ran over this
route, but don't know OF any post 500 feet
from the corners, the bottom Of which
was painted red and white above that
don't know what such n post would
signify II i saw II: l don't know that
there are any poles painted IN a peculiar
manner on any route with which I am
familiar. and II had seen such a pole
II would not have meant anything TO
me.
u am acquainted with Mr. reuchner
the motorman on the wrecked car. and
he told me that he ran over this route
the week before: have known him for
about three years. since he has been in
the company's services. He has not been
In the service OF the Rhode Island com