Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-24

sets avenue into Wisconsin avenue and
had gone only few yards south wher
Gen. Bell told me to turn into new
road on the opposite side, Of the trolley
tracks.
Il was on the west SIDE of the trolley
tracks. There is no roadway on the op-
posite side of the tracks
When Gen. Bell told me to turn into
the new road we were about thirty feet
the trolley track, and / did not look
back"
How fast were you running" ic-
quired Coroner hewitt
About twelve or fourteen miles al
hour" Ward replied.
did you look to see that the way
was clear"
Il could not very well do so, but l
glanced around and did not see the
trolley car. l turned just as the gen
an angle of about thirty degrees"
Had You ever crossed into that new
roadway beforee"
NO, but it was a we'll defined road
way. The roadbed is practically level
with the car tracks at that point"
car approachingo" asked one of the
members OF the jury.
He was seated inside the tonneau.
and he would have had to get up ard
look out the rear window, Ward an
swered.
Judge Advocate General Davis had
no questions to ask. but Attorney Hoo
yer sought to more clearly establish
the care which Ward exercised in turn
ing over the trolley line.
did you look back at all?" asked Mr.
Hoover.
I'VE had just crossed the tracks at
Massachusetts avenue. and l then saw
no car coming. At the point where
was told to cross l could not have
looked up the tracks because / was on
was between me and the tracks. and as
l turned the auto body came more ana
more across my field of vision. / could
not have looked directly up the tracks
unless / had left the wheel of my auto
and shifted to the opposite seat
Photographs Put in Evidence.
Photographs taken by the Washington
Railway and Electric Company and by
the police department were used by the
coroner and the jury in clearly establish
ing the condition of the roadway at the
point of the accident. The pictures showed
the wrecked automobile and the trolley
pole against which it was thrown by the
Ward declared he heard no whistle or
other signal of warning from the trolley
car. nor did he hear any sound of the
car on the rails The automobile, he said.
was "a very quiet car and it usually
was possible to hear the noise of ap-
trolley cars above the sound
Of the engine. Ward said he has been
operating the automobile for over a year.
Motorman Steinbaugh's Testimony.
William Steinbaugh, motorman of the
and Rockville car which
collided with Gen. Bells auto. testified
that as he was coming down Wisconsin
avenue a short distance south of the st.
Alban stop he saw an auto ahead Stein
baugh added that when he observed the
auto was going In the same direction as
the car he allowed his car to drift along.
When near Garfield street the auto sud-
denly turned squarely across the tracks.
had never before seen a car
rage or auto cross the tracks at the
point of accident, as there was only
temporary clay road or bypath on the
other side.
Steinbaugh's last stop. he explained,
was at Woodley lane. The place where
the accident occurred is about enc num-
dred yards south of the intersection of
and Wisconsin avenues.
1t is slightly down grade.
How far was Gen. Bells auto. from
the car when the attempt was made to
cross the tracks?" Coroner hewitt asked.
About ten or twelve feet" replied
the witness.
Were you behind time?'' Dr. hewitt
asked
mo. sir.
How fast were you goingg'
Between twelve and fourteen miles an
hour"
Blew His Whistle.
The motorman also declared he blew
his whistle just after passing st. Alban.
Before the car struck the auto he applied
his airbrakes. Witness said the brakes
were applied when he observed that the
auto was about to attempt to cross the
tracks. He did not hear the chauffeur
blow his horn. The rear of the car was
just at the wrecked auto when the car
stopped. Steinbaugh said he sprang from
the ear after the crash and assisted in
getting Mrs. Slocum from under the
wreckage.
According to the motorman, the accident
at 9:14 o'clock, and in response
to an inquiry by a juryman he said there
was no road there or the right OF way.
Capt. of Police Schneider said the next
crossing south was at the entrance to the
Industrial School
The car, according to Motorman Stein
baugh, was going slightly faster than the
auto. The machine was seven or eight
The first he saw of the auto 1t was run
ming in the same direction as the car. 1t
was not possible. he explained, to stop the