Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-13
Electric Road Blamed in
Death Of Jos. Meader,
Jury Says Car Was Travelling
Al Excessive Rate Of Speed.
aolIsr Race at the Coliseum
Iiuuor Seizure in Chelsea.

1,actrc car travelling at an excessive
,a,e Of speed was the substance of the
,,ordct brought in by the coroners
w., ,ftei. hearing the evidence at the
;uouest held in Union hall, Purgatory,
d Tuesday e.,
The finding of the jury was as fol-
,ovs. That said Joseph II. Meader came
3 70 his death Oct. 5, 1909, by being
struck at the Dennis Hill station OF
4 ~, lewiston. Augusta & Waterville
II c,reet Railway by an electric car
owned bx said railroad due at Wood
burv's Siding at p NJ. said car being
gov No 22S. ard being driven at an
J evcess;ye rate of speed by said station.
rho verdict was signed by Or. r. w
coss H. NJ. Starbird. A. J. Tozier, f.
n Gilman and J. X. Gilman, jurors
Coroner Frank Andrews of Gardiner
was in charge of the inquest. O. r.
4 clason of this city appeared for the
relatives of Mr. Meader. Charles a. An
drews. of Heath & Andrews of Angus
"a appeared for the Electric Road, and
County Attorney Guy A. Hildreth was
also present and asked questions. At
s 10 O'Clock when the hearing began the
ball was crowded with citizens Of
| Litrhfcld. together with the witnesses
and others interested.
The witnesses were w. Z. Wood,
m"torman of the car whicils struck
Meadcr, w H. Butterfield, &conductor
of the car, G. W. Boyle. superintendent
Of the Lewiston division. DR.. Alton
Sawyer and Or. A. w. Strout, both of
Gardiner. Mrs. NJ. E,stelle Barrett Of
Litchfield, Miss Della James, the flance
of Meador Arthur Newell and Frank
H. Adams, also of Li.chfeld. Several
other witnesses were in attendance but
were not called.
The testimony of Motorman Wood
was contradictory at times and on one
or two points he was plainly deficient.
He said it was dark at the time of the
accident. hut with the searchlight he
could sec plainly for about 100 feet;
that he was about 50 feet from the
station and had begun to slacken speed
when he saw the people but did not
stop the car until he had gone by abou,
10 feet. He did not know at that time
that he mad struck anyone. He esti-
mated his speed at about 10 to Is miles
an hour. When asked how long he car
was Mr.. Wood replied 100 feet and die
not wish to make any change in thai
statement.
Conductor w. II. Butterfield testi-
ned IN the main the same as did WooG
regarding The rate of speed of the car
. ard the distance it went by the station
. The first ne saw of the people on the
. platform was when the rear of the car
on which he was standing was abreast
. "i the platform and then he gave the
/ signal to stop. He picked Meader ,lp
placed him on the car and then tclc-
phon"d into Gardiner for physician.
lie said that he detected an odor or
. hluor on the man. He denied trying t.,
. destroy any stains of blood on the polp
and said that he did not notice any.
Dr. Sawyer and DIR. Strout both tns-
/. tlhed to their treatment of the iniurao
man. Both said that he was unron-
. Sclous from the time they took him In
t. charge until he died. They described
. the wound as being q long, depressed
fracture on the very top of the skull.
. N'ither considered that it could have.
. oern made by striking the pole.
MISS Della James who was with
Meadcr at the time of tho accidenr
. 'eSuilod chat she had hold of his arm
a. Tue time and that she did not soc
n'hl struck, as it all occurred 50 sud
"'''i!' she said she felt yanll at her
. "''' ana then sound like an explo.
. SON Miss James stated that the car
was gong at a fast rate of speed ana
.he could not see that it slowed up any
/ =" approaching the station. She though,
''a' Meader was struck when he took
s'ep forward to signal the car.
Mrs. NJ. Estclle Barret, who lives
V"se by the station. said that she saw
Tue car coming and that it was tray-
,"hs last. much faster than it usual
y uld She did not see the accident
w heard noise something like an
,Hp'oslon. Her testimony as to the
ISSUANCE the car went beyond the sta
Wv" was directly in opposition to tina,
~ Tue motorman and conductor of the
49, SIZE stating that it went about 2OC
'ee' beyond the station.
arthur Newell. who was on the Mat
''" at the time of the accident stated
"'a' he was unable to say wbethe,
~ sisnallcd the car or who did
i,e was unable to remember much
""'ut the affair or the position of tn.
r.'ple on the platform. Supt. Dowie
. an" FRANK N. Adams both gave testi.
"''iy along the same lines. both tcsti.
,s'is I" seeing blood on the pole and
'" Inc ground at the foot of the pole.
"egard'ng the sound like an cxnlo.
Xon WINCH the two women claim +,
~ heard 1t is the opinion of seyera
II '"a' the sound was caused by tn,
wien Meader was struck. TIL,
n iinohy OF TIE physicians that tn,
Il und was on the very top of the hear
"uld seem to Indicate. said one ma,
WIZ" heard the testimony. that the ma,
vas struck a blow which throw hin.
up' causing his head to strike the far,
,"n'' signs which are placed on tn,
. poie near the station.
IL IS the opinion here tonigbt tb,,
me case Is not over and that not onl,
VIII a case be brought by the relative.
y. the deceased to recover but tha,
I o'i'er developments NAV come or,
/ within few Gays
~ Henry Winslow of Rando,nb left
tuesday, for Boothbay to attend tbr
funeral of relative. -
Fred Merrill ~ Nav ,,.