Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-27
BABY FATALLY
INJURED BY CAR
LITTLE ONE RUNS AFTER HIS
FATHER
Struck by Electric and Carried Cars
Length Before Motorman Is Able
to Stop and Extricate
Child

Sammy Castro, two years old, was
probably fatally injured yesterday
afternoon shortly after o'clock by be-
ing run down by car $50 of the Pacific
Electrics East Ninth street line.
Sammy saw his father across the
street and rushed to meet him, but the
car bore down upon him and ground
him into the dust. When the car was
backed and the infant removed 1t was
found that the small head was cut on
each side for three inches, the eyes
and face bruised and blackened and
the slender legs covered with blood
and dirt.
Bystanders rushed to the spot, but
nothing could be done. officer Pursell
came up and sent for the patrol and
the child was taken to the receiving
hospital, where Doctors Garret and
Bonynge revived the unconscious In
FAINT and sewed up his mutilated head
as best they could. Later he was sent
to the county hospital.
At the receiving hospital the feeble
yet piercing cries of the child rang
through the corridors and even the
hardened men in the jail cells bowed
their heads at the suffering Of the small
bit of humanity. The doctors hands
moved gently as they sewed up the
vicious cuts and the matron wanted to
cry.
Conflicting accounts are told Of the
accident. The motorman, e. Seybold,
627 Ruth street, says his car was go
ing about eight miles an hour, the
usual speed on that street. Suddenly,
near the corner Of Chapning and Ninth
streets, he says he saw a child rush
from a crowd on the sidewalk and try
to cross the track. At this time the
child was about twenty feet from the
car He did his best to stop, but was
not able to do so.
Conductor V. Kidd of the car says
he knew nothing about the accident
until the car stopped suddenly.
The father of the boy, Lewis Castro,
was very much excited when seen. He
said, "The car. was going as fast us
they can go. My little boy saw me
across the street and started to me.
1 did not know it was him until after
ward. The car dragged him half a
block before it stopped. These cars
go this way all the time. They don't
carry fifty people in week. The car
men start at one end of the line
which runs from Tennessee to Santa
Fe avenue, and run as fast as they
,an to the other end. They sit down
with their heels in the air and smoke.
They don't need to go so fast and now
.ney nave killed lIly IllliS IVY
DR.. j. N. Lacey of 1414 Mateo street
vas riding on the car and saw the
entire accident. He gives the follow
ng story: IT was riding on the front
IF the car. 1t was going at fair
speed, not so fast as the Long Beach
cars, but still pretty fast. When we
we're about thirty yards from a crowd
IF children standing on the sidewalk
three Of them broke from the crowd
and started across the street. The car
struck one before he had crossed the
track I should say the car went about
one length after it struck the boy.
"The car was equipped with one of
he old-style tenders formerly used in
he city on all the cars. 1t passed
over the boy, who was
pushed along the ground by the bars
the affair"
When asked if he thought the child
would have been injured If the car had
,een equipped with low-hung tenders
such as the city ordinance prescribes
lie said, II would say that the boy
would not have been more than bruised
{ the car had a good fender on 1t. I
would like to add that the motorman
lid all he could to stop the car, but
t was one of the old kind with hand
brake and it was hard job. The man
lid the best he could with the machine
le had to work with"
Motorman Seybold was locked up on
suspicion pending an investigation of
he affair, but later was released.