Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-27
TO FIX BLAME
FOR COLLISION
INQUEST WILL Determine RE-
SP0NSIBILITY
SEARCHING INQUIRY INTO DEATH
OF KETTLER TO BE MADE
Railway Officials Say Motormen Have
Orders to Operate Cars Half a
Mile Apart-Many Sugges-
tIons Made

At an Inquest to be held either today
or tomorrow over the body of Fred
Kettler, who was killed when a Mon
royia car crashed into the rear end OF
a Pasadena short line car near the In
dian village on the Pacific Electric line
Sunday night, a searching inYestlga-
ton will be made and all witnesses
possible will be summoned to TESTIFY
in order that the blame for the accl-
dent may be properly placed.
The consensus of opinion OF the per-
sons who were on the wrecked cars IS
that had due precaution been taken by
the car crews the accident would nave
been averted. Those interested in the
matter declare that had the line been
equipped with a block system such q
wreck could not have happened, and
had the forward car sent a man back
to flag the car following all would have
been well.
Others say that the motorman on the
Monrovia car failed to exercise the
proper precaution and rounded the
curve at high rate of speed and al
most was on the Pasadena car before
he realized the danger and threw on
the brakes.
Both cars were bound for Los An
geles. When the Pasadena short line
car was rounding the curve at Indian
village the trolley slipped from the
wire and the car came to halt. AS 1t
was dark at the time, it being about
1920 o'clock, the conductor was unable
to replace the trolley to the line quick
ly and was cropping about in the dark
ness when the MonrOvia car running
at high rate of speed, bore down on
them.
Space Rule Violated
The motorman on the Monrovia car
apparently did not see the stalled car
until within a short distance of it. He
then applied the brakes, but the i'm
petus was so great that he could not
stop the car in time and it crashed into
the rear end of the Pasadena car.
According to the officials of the rail-
road company there is a rule in effect
that cars shall not run nearer than
half mile of each other. They would
not discuss the accident, and it is sup
posed the Pasadena car had lost
enough time by its trolley pole slipping
to justify the nearness of the Monro-
via car or else the motorman of the
latter car violated the rules and ran
too close to the forward car.
Both cars were crowded with pas
sengers on their way to Los Angeles
to places of worship or amusement and
that more than one person was not
killed is due to the fact that the motor
man on the Monrovia car attempted to
check the speed OF MS car ana was NO.
going at a rapid rate of speed when
the impact came.
Little is known concerning the man
ner in which Kettler was killed. He
was alone, so far as is known, and the
exact manner in which he was caught
between the cars is not known.
Most Seriously Hurt
Among those injured, Mrs. Frank
Mack, wife of Patrolman Mack of 1851
East VERNON avenue, is probably the
most seriously hurt. She was in the
front part of the Monrovia car and
suffered a bruised shoulder, cut on
the left hand, conclusion of the brain,
internal injuries and bruises on the
chest and right hip.
Some of the injured were taken TO n
hospital at Pasadena and the others to
the Croker street hospital. At the lat
ter place an attempt was made to sup
press all information concerning the
condition of the injured, but it is I'M
derstood none are in critical condi-
ton.
The revised partial list of those in
jured is:
]. W. Smith, 9O1 East Forty-third