The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-27
CHAUFFEUR HELD
FOR MANSLAUGHTER
County Attorney Issues Com
plant Against Johnson,
Following Inquest.
EXCEEDING SPEED LIMIT
CAR WAS GOING OVER 20 MILES
AN HOUR.

Rasmus Johnson, chauffeur for Burt
& Carlquist, who ran down and killed
Mrs Pauline Olson Hansen, wife OF
Fred V. Hansen at Fifth East and
Seventh South streets while JOY riding
shortly after 1870 O'Clock IuesOay
night, was charged with 1nVoIun airy
Iaanslaughter by the county attorney
yesterday afternoon.
Immediately after a jury acting under
Coroner Stanley A. Hanks had rendered
a verdict in which Johnson was held re-
spOnsibIe for the death o. Mrs. Hansen
preparations were made to draw up a
complaint against the chauffeur. Inc
police were instructed that the charge
against Johnson would be involuntary
manslaughter and bail was fixed at
81. LEGO. This amount was Immediately
furnished and Johnson was released
After thoroughly investigating the
death of Mrs. Hansen, the coroner
jury, consisting Of Joseph H Tracy q.
Albert Adler and A. Y. thompson rem
dered the following verdict;
IAN inquest having been held on May
25 and 26 upon the body OF Pauline y.
Hansen, here lying dead, we the said
jurors, being duly sworn, do say upon
our oath that the said Pauline o. Han
sen met her death on Tuesday night be-
tween II and Il o'clock as the result of
a blow from an automo bile driven Dy
Rasmus Johnson at speed contrary TO
the ordinances of Salt Lake and the
statute of the State Of Utah, namely
exceeding 10 miles an hour. We the
jurors set our hands and seal to this
verdict on May 26, 1910"
Jury Hears Testimony.
Resuming session at 9 o'clock yester-
day morning in the office of Justice of
the Peace Stanley a. Hanks, the coro-
neT'S jury heard testimony from Ralph
G. Armstrong, the druggist, who was In
the car with Johnson at the time OF the
accident. lie testified that none of the
IL 1 l~-Trn ~
He stated that he knew nothing OF the
mechanism of an automobile, but felt
sure that Johnson had applied the
brakes, but the car did not stop until
after it hit Mrs. Hansen.
Austin Stayner, S24 Tempest avenue
who was riding in a back seat of the au-
tOmObile, furnished testimony similar to
that of Armstrong He stated that IN
his opinion the machine was not going
particularly fast IN his testimony
Wednesday afternoon Johnson admitted
that he was driving the automobile be-
tween p and % miles an hour He tes-
tilted that he had seen no one standing
OF the street crossing, prior to the accf-
dent and did not know of the impending
tragedy until he heard the shrek of
Mrs Hansen
Harry BOwdish, 1349 South Teuth
East street and Walter CrOmptOn, $50
Princeton avenue, who were the other
two persons in the car, testified that
they saw a woman in black leave the
street car. She ran into the middle of
Fifth East street. They both agreed
that she came in front of the autOmO-
Bile so Unexpectedly that it was impOs-
sible for johnson to anticipate her
movements. They said that he applied
the brakes, but it was too late and Mrs.
Hansen was hurled to her death.
EyeWitnesses Testify.
The testimony of Bowdish and Comp
ton closed the examination of witnesses
and then the jurors went over every de-
tail of the testimony with Coroner
Hanks. They were but few moments
arriving at a verdict
Rasmus Johnson. ST., father of the
young chauffeur, stated yesterday af-
ternOOn that his son had never touched
liquor and had always been a good boy.
He explained that his son had driven
automobiles for two years and had been
intrusted with many valua BILE cars.
c. A. Carlquist of the firm of Burt &
Carlquist, says that he had hunted a
long time for a chauffeur who did not
use liquor in any form and finally locat-
ed Johnson, in whom he placed utmost
trust. He said that his chauffeur had
been ScrupulOusly careful not to ex-
coed the speed limit.
No one feels worse over this affair
than young Johnson" said Mr. Carl
quist yesterday. He has been deeply
concerned over the unfortunate occur
renee. He has aged fully 10 years since
the accident of Tuesday night.