Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-06
BEFORE THE GRAND JURY
ELEVATOR OPERATOR HELD RE-
sPoNsIBLE FOR DEATH.
Beatrice McNally Killed BY Accident
in an Apartment House Elevator
The Coroner's Verdict.

charge against Ernest Boyden, colored,
elevator boy at the Richmond Hotel corner
18th and H streets northwest, will be fnves-
| tigated by the grand jury, it being alleged
| that he caused the death Of Beatrice Nc
Nally, a cbamberma,d at the hotel. The I'M
fortunate woman was so badly crushed by
| the elevator operated by Boyden that she
died in q few minutes 70 lowing the acci-
| dent. The coroner's jury investigating the
accident decided that the death was due
to Boydens carelessness, and he was held
to await the action of the grand jury.
According to the story brought out at
the inquest. Miss Mentally. with Kate NC
Grath Lillian Walker and Hattie Murdoch
were in the basement floor of the hotel
shortly after II o'clock yesterday. ana
wishing to go to one OF the upper noors
of the BUILDING boarded the fre-gnt COM
partment OF the elevator, located unoer the
passenger compartment of the car.
The three others were safely In the car
and Miss McNally was about to step IN
when the car started and caught her across
the chest between the car hoor ana the
ceiling of the floor above the basement:
The elevator boy became panicstricken
it was stated. but Samuel Keats, head peii-
boy of the hotel ran to the elevator ana
lowered it so as to release the body OF
the Emergency Hospital and Miss McNally
was hurried there, but she died before the
hospital was reached. Those who wit
messed the accident were in an exceedingly
| nervous condition and medical attention
was given them.
BY direction of Coroner hewitt the body
was removed to the morsue. and Boyden
was placed under arrest by Sergt. j. r.
Evans and Policeman Martin Riley of the
third precinct.
vrSt.z
building. on the river front. at IL o'clock
this morning. by DR.. Ramsay hewitt, city
coroner. Messrs. John A. Barthel. James
NJ Pridgeon, John Bray sham James Hum
were sworn in as the jury to investigate
the accident.
In His Own Behalf.
Ernest Boyden, the operator in charge Of
the elevator on which Miss McNally was
killed. was first called. He had, he said,
been in charge of the elevator at the Hotel
Richmond for about a month. and during
that period it had been out Of order several
times. He was running the elevator yes
teday and four chambermaids, who had
been in the basement. as he supposed, got
in the freight compartment. under the pas
senger car, of the elevator, to go to one of
the upper floors. The women were accus-
toned to give signal to the person in
charge of the elevator before he started
the car. and the witness claimed that one
of them said go ahead.
Witness could not say that he heard the
iron door shut, which closes the shaft in
the basement. When witness heard, as he
thought, one Of the girls say go ahead"
he started the car.
Miss Mentally was caught between the
car and floor above. Witness stated that he
was very nervous and could not tell exactly
what he did, except that he tried to get the
n Ia ~ oyr1-
ployes lowered the car.
DR.. D. G. Sutton of the Emergency Hos
pital staff, the next witness told of having
received call to the Richmond about noon
yesterday. He found Miss McNally in the
basement. She was placed in the ambu-
lance and hurried to the hospital, but died
before reaching there.
Catherine McGrath of 1923 North Capitol
| street was next called Miss McGrath was
with Miss McNally when she attempted
to get into the car. She was the second one
to get In. 49,
heard no signal to start the car, and it
was started before the door was closed
Miss McNally was caught between the car
| and the floor so quickly that she had no
time to cry out
Hattie Murdoch of 3117 N strees north
west. one of the chambermaids who was
on the car when Miss McNally was killed.
was next called. Witness stated pos lively
that she heard no signal to start the car,
out stated SIZE was SO excited Dy the acc1-
dent that she could recall but little about 1t
Lillian 6. Walker. residing at the R'ch-
mond Hotel, and employed as a chamber
maid, stated positive that no signal was
given to start the elevator upward, and
that If there had been one she would have
heard It, She was one of the party with
Miss McNallv at the time she was killed.
Bell Boys Testimony.
Samuel Keets. head bellboy at the Rich
led 10 i, ba
mess room of the hotel getting something
to eat when he heard an cutlery at the
elevator. He ran to the elevator and saw
Miss McNally's body hanging in the e:e-
vator. He lowered the elevator to the base
n ent and released the body. Witness stated
that the elevator had not been out Of order.
While witness was running 1t last year a
man was caught and was quite badly hurt.
The elevator started with jump of a foot
or SO before good control Of the car could
be obtained.
William I. Evans. Inspector of elevatoe,
for the District of Columbia examined the
Richmond Hotel elevator April 10. Some
repairs were ordered 10 be made, but the
faults were not of such nature as to Inn
pair the efficiency OF the elevator. In the
opinion of the witness the accident to Miss
Mentally was not caused by any mechanical
defect In the elevator.
DR.. Glazebrook. deputy coroner. the last
witness called. testified to having made an
morgue. She was badly crushed about the
chest, and her death was due to the IN
juries she had received in being caught
between the elevator and the floor.
1t required but a few minutes for the
jury to find verdict. 1t was decided that
Beatrice Mentally came to her death
through the carelessness OF Ernest B. Boy
den. and We hold Ernest B. Boyden for the
action of the grand jury
After the inquest Boyden was committed
to jail, but it Is stated an application will
be made to have him released on bail until
the next grand jury term~of the District
court.
The body of Miss McNally was this after
noon taken from the morgue to her home,
at 43O P street northwest, where she re-
sided with her mother and sister. Miss
Mentally was a member of the Immaculate
Conception Church. and the funeral serv-
ices will be held, ii is understood, at the
church tomorrow morning.
CoNFESSES TO THEFT.