The San Francisco call., 1907-02-08
Child Is Crippled by
Careless MOtOrrnan
Gladys Scott the
Victim of Fast
Trolley Car

woman's frivolous words. the equal
motorman and penchant for speed
down steep hills. born of a carelessness
that has recently been nursed by cer-
tain of the employees of the United
Railroads, caused a little girl to be
crippled for life yesterday morning.
Gladys Scott, child of hardworking
carpenter. who recently came TO the
city from San Jose. was struck down at
the corner of Thirty ninth and Point
Lobos avenues by car No. 563 The pain
that the little one will suffer during
her confinement in the hospital and
the crippled right foot that will make
her lame for the rest of her life, were
warnings to parents of children who
attend the Bogart school, in Thirteenth
avenue, that they must look sharp that
their youngsters are not crushed under
the wheels of streets cars run by men
who seem to give small heed to public
comfort or safety, and who sometimes
ride with death at the controller and
sometimes court the reaper in the quiet
sanctusn of the inner business Office.
Gladys Scott lives at 400 Thirty ninth
avenue. She left her home at s.
o'clock, and in the bright morning sun
light ran with the eager spirit of an
Syear-old girl to the crossing at Thir-
ty-ninth avenue, where she awaited the
coming of the car that usually took her
to the door of her school She picked
her way through the muddy street to-
ward the right hand side of the road
way, and just then the Clement avenue
car came over the brow of the hill
According to witnesses who were on
and of the car, the motorman was
flirting with a woman, with whom he
had been making eyes and passing re-
marks. He did not have his eyes on
the tracks, or if he did he was careless
Of the responsibility that rested with
him in giving attention to the brakes
The car shot ahead with terrific speed,
and although the schoolgirl was in
plain sight of the motorman he either
did not see her or he thought he had
plenty of time to stop before he reached
the crossing.
Gladys became confused and started
to run across the tracks. The car
whisked by her, strucA her down and
ran over her foot. crushing it so badly
that amputation of several of the toes
was found necessary when the child
was removed to the hospital The car
ran fifty feet ahead of the stopping,
place, so great was its momentum
On the car were Harry Maxr of $500
Point Lobos avenue and R. Fitzgerald
u 7oo rOIts-lOuTln avenue, VINO par
ticularly noticed the cause of the acci-
dent Other witnesses were Mrs. Alice
McQuafd aud a Mrs. Trowbridge whose
little son, Marvin Trowbridge attends
the same school that Gladys attended.
These persons said that the car was
running at an unusual speed and that
had the motorman been attending to
his duty he would have Stacked UP
when he saw the little girl crossing the
track The men on the car said that
the motorman was talking to a woman
and that he did not ring the bell until
he was right on top of the victim of
his fast-running coach.
Mrs. Scott, mother of Gladys, was
prostrated with grief when she learned
that her daughter had been seriously
hurt Mrs. Scott declared that the cars
were in the habit of coming down the
grade at Thirty-fifth avenue at dam
gerous speed and that mothers were in
the habit of seeing their small chill
dren safely on board the cars at school
time, as they are afraid to trust the
little ones to the railroads policy of
making schedule time.