The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-04
Aged Veteran Struck Down on
West Sixth Street.
is DRAGGED so FEET
Blood, Bone Splinters and Flesh
Mark Fatal Spot.
jenkins and Keith Expected to
Take Action Today.

William Longaker. an old soldier
and member of the Lincoln post, liv-
ing at 1913 Redden avenue was killed
at 10 o'clock this morning by street
car near the corner of Sixth and Van
Buren street The old veteran had
stepped down from the seat of farm
wagon and taken but a step when an
inbound car of the Asylum-South To-
peka line coming at a. high speed down
the hill struck him. In his pockets
were his pension papers. He had
started for the court house to get his
voucher for drawing his pension to-
day.
The body of the old man was hor-
ribly mangled the right leg was sew
cred at the trunk by the wheels which
tore open the abdomen and dragged
. the body so feet or more along the
track
"'I closed my eyes when the car hit
him." said Earl Karr. a horseshoer in
the Heron shop, in front of which
the accident occurred. Il saw him
step down from the wagon. The
wagon was going east on the right side
of the street. The street car came
down the hill from the west at a ter
rife speed. The man didn't have time
II
I closed my eyes for second. He
was under the fender when I opened
them The fender was too ---- high
to save him and he went under to the
trucks. I couldn't look and turned my
head"
The fender of the car was locked
when examined. The headlight glass
was broken. The broken headlight
would indicate that the body had first
been thrown onto the fender. as would
liz 60 dow
ing position, but those who saw it say
the fender jumped over the victim
That would also lock the fender in
position
William Moran of 1131 Kansas ave-
nue.. an employe in a grocery near the
corner where the accident occurred,
saw it from the door. 1.-The car was
coming awfully fast down that hill and
the motorman couldn't stop. I don't
think he ever rang his bell. but I don't
believe he was to blame 1 did not
see any wagon. The first I saw was
the old man on the track. I don't be-
lieVe he saw the car
Didn't Hear Bell Ring.
The motorman of the car was T. C.
Knowlton, No. 1O7. No one heard him
ring his bell. Cars usually come at a
high rate of speed down that hill and
start the climb to Kansas avenue. This
is the first of the long looked for acct
dents on that street because of the
high speed of the cars. Knowlton was
the man sought out by fate. That his
speed was high is evidenced enough
by the fact that. the victim was
dragged 80 feet and his car went 12O
more before he could stop it. Pale
and trembling he stood in the crowd
that quickly thronged around the dead
man lying on the pavement He would
speak to no one and only hung his
head He had almost lost control of
himself, yet when the crowd had gone
and the ambulance taken the old man
to the undertaking rooms he again
mounted his car and Ioosened the
brake to run on in.
c. S. RansdalI is the conductor of
the death dealing car. He was on the
rear platform and did not see the man
In front He felt the jolt and saw the
work-that's all.
Tried to Speak
Two or three times the man tried
to speak. He opened his mouth anS
gasped, but could not utter a sound.
Then he gasped again for breath and
died said Jerry S. Fox of the Santa
Fe shops, who saw him directly after
the accident.
The victim was taken to the Shella-
barger undertaking rooms at the cor
ner of Fifth and Jackson streets. His
nephew, Amos Longaker. at 1901 Ros-
Wen avenue, was notified. William
Longaker was a well-to-do farmer liv-
- AA0dA 4hloolOH 16HleT until last fall.
when he moved to Euclid Park, a sub
urb - Topeka near Washhurn college.
Coroner Keith viewed the body and
the scene of accident this morning and
Will call an inquest for tomorrow
morning.
Statement of KnowIton.
Following is the statement of G.. G.
knowIton, motorman of car 149 of
the Asylum line, which ran down and
instantly killed William Longaker. on
sixth street this morning:
4 reached the top of the Sixth
street hill and put on my brakes. Re-
leasing them slightly, 1 started down
grade. When L was nearing the bot
tom of the hill 1 noticed a farm wag-
on coming along the south side of the
street about fifteen feet from the car
tracks. Suddenly when the car reach
cd point, almost even with the wag-
on man jumped off the vehicle and
started to cross the track. On reach
ing the middle of the right of way.
on winch my car was moving, he stood
sun. l put on the brakes as best I
could and attempted to get at the bell.
ne next instant the car hit him and
ne rolled over and went under to
Wheels. 1 was not moving at a rapid
rate OF speed. but was going slowly.
IN coming down the Sixth street hill
l always have the brakes on and DOW
er off,