Evening star., 1909-04-21
.CENSUREO BY JURY
Riverman Blamed for Hirinq
Boat to Children.
LICENSE LAW Is URGED
Result Of Inquest Into the Drown.
ing of Lacey Boy.
BoATMAN ASKED NO QUESTIONS
The Practice Of Renting to Children
Of Tender Years Severely Con-
demned in Verdict.


death Sunday, April 1s, 1909, In the Po-
tomac river at the foot or 18th street
southwest. from asphgxia and drowning;
said drowning was caused by the capsiz-
Ing OF a small rowboat at the above
named place.
1--WE. the coroner's jury. find that Elmer
w. Lacey came to his death by accidental
drowning. and censure the boatman, Will
liam jackson, most severely for his gross
carelessness in renting a boat to children
OF such tender years. and condemn the
apparently common practice of renting
boats to children Unfortunately, and
recommend that the proper steps be taken
by the District Commissioners to prevent
as far as possible. a recurrence of similar
accidents by the licensing and regulating
the hiring of boats in the District of Co.
lumbia"
This verdict was rendered this morning
by a coronef's jury composed OF John D.
Crawford, Hugh A. Kane Henry Faur
F. J. McQuade. I. A. Mckee and Samuel
Darragh
The District was represented at the in
quest by Assistant United States Attorney
Perry. while the interests Of the Lacey
family were looked after by Attorney
Levi H. David
The Coroner's Inquest.
Before the taking of testimony was be-
gun Coroner hewitt took occasion to adj
wise the jury that full and careful inves-
tigation Of the accident was desired. The
careful investigation Of this affair, he told
the jurors. might be the means of pre-
venting similar occurrences In the future
Each year. DR.. hewitt said, number Of
persons are drowned under circumstances
similar to those In the case under investi-
cation. and this investigation, made at
the opening OF the boating season, will
probably be productive of good results.
Detective Isaiah Cox, who made the in
vestigation for the police department. was
the first witness. He presented a copy Of
his report of the accident. which was
read by Deputy Coroner alazebrook His
report gave a detailed statement of the
accident. and stated that the boat was
hired from the boathouse at the foot of
9th street, owned by Edward Nicholson.
William Freeman and James Martin, and
in charge OF William E. jackson.
Detective Cox presented several photo
graphs picturing the scene of the aeci-
dent and explained to the jury how the
gates are worked.
Father Didn't Know.
John Elmer Lacey. father of the
drowned boy, was sworn, and said he
had not the slightest idea that his boys
were going boating Sunday. Neither
of them. he said. knew about the han
ding OF boat nor could either Of them
swim. He had had them on the Chevy
Chase Lake upon one occasion, and they
were unable to manage the boat there.
Witness said he last saw the boys Sun
day at the dinner table
DO you know anything about the
management Of a rowboat?" Homer
Lacey, twin brother of deceased. was
asked.
He responded that he and his brother
knew how to pull the oars. having been
In boat on Chevy Chase lake. Homer
said he did not have his fathers permits
sion to go boating. and realized he was
diso,eying him by going.
y did not have time to get his permis-
sion" the boy explained. MY brother
was going. and thought he might not be
strong enough to pull the oars. I knew
Dewey Neill could not row."
Tells Of Hiring Boat.
Witness Identified William jackson as
the man from whom his brother hired the
boat. paying him 25 cents. His brother
asked IL that would pay for the boat for
two hours. and he said it would. Jackson.
he said. asked no question, just telling
them to take boat No. 4.
Witness said he and his brother used
the oars. and just after passing through
the flood gates the boat struck the piles,
turned twice and sank. His brother and
Dewey were in the water. Witness said
Dewey Neil had him by the throat part
the time they were in the water. witness
Neill was seated in the end of the boat
which struck first. His brother became
frightened. Witness and his brother were
on the same seat. He told his brother
and Neil how to get upon the abutment
and save themselves. Neil climbed up
and witness was told he fell back when
his (witness) brother grabbed him.
Did the man from whom you hired the
boat ask you any question as to whether
you knew how to ROW." asked juror.
He just took the o5 cents and gave
you the boat?"
That's ALL
Warned to Be Careful.
Homer said a man in another boat
asked them If they could swim. They
told him they could not, and he warned
them to be careful. There was no cur
rent near the shore, said witness, but
there was outside. At the time the boat
filled and went down, he said. the piles
were some distance out of the water.
Witness said he was washed against one
of the piles He thought the accident
was caused by the suction at the flood
gates, the trouble having started when
the boat bumped against the gates.
"Who. pulled you out of the water?'
Coroner hewitt asked.
Two colored men," he answered, land
they handed me over to a white man.
Before I was pulled in Dewey Neill was
talking, but they say he was unconscious
when he was pulled out. l was told that
my brother had been saved by men in an
other boat"
Witness said the police detained Neill
and himself in the railroad station nearby
an hour before he was taken home and
nothing was done for them. They were
not given a change of clothing, but did
remove their coats. The accident, he
thought, occurred about 3:15 O'Clock and
1t was about 4:3O when he reached home.
James A. Neill, zoos 9th street. testified
that his boy. Dewey Neill. was not in
condition to explain the accident when he
without his permission. The boy had
money. he said, but it was not given to
him for the purpose of hiring boat.
Dewey Neill, ten years of age, told the
jury he did not know anything about
rowing boat. Elmer Lacey. he said.
for two hours, but asked him no ques-
tions. He said when he made an effort
to get out he was pulled back by Elmer
who grabbed hold of him. Dewey identi-
fed William Jackson as the man who
hired them the boat. No further ques-
tions were asked him.
Tells Of the Rescue.
Thomas H. Harrison. colored. testified
that when he first saw the bows in the