The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-08-26
TESTIMONY TAKEN
BY RAILROAD
COMMISSION
Details OF Accident Resulting In
Henry C. Knapp's Death
NO DESClSION RENDERED
Difficulty arises in Discovering at
What Rate Automobile Was Travel
ling at Time of Accident.

The Railroad Commission, Chair
man in the chair, convened at 11.3O
a. m. yesterday at the Putnam House
for the purpose of taking testimony
to determine the responsibility for
the collision ct the Soldiers Home
crossing between a Berkshire Trolley
car and an automobile driven by w, ID.
Newton of this village on the evening
of May Goth. w. J. Meagher represent
ed the state while Attorney r. Il.
Healy looked after the interest of the
railroad
Motorman Kipp, who was in charge
of the car was the first witness
sworn. He testified that he had been
in the employ of the railroad com
pany for nine years and bore a good
reputation for carefulness and vigi-
lance. He was scheduled to leave
Bennington at $3.50 but he was late
in starting. Notwithstanding the
weather conditions he was able to
have an unobstructed view of the
tracks for more than two hundred
feet 1t developed that he saw the
machine coming, rang his alarm bell,
and applied the hand brake when
within twenty-five feet OF the cross
ing. At the moment OF the collision
he was dazed and It was necessary
for the conductor to come forward
for the purpose of stopping the car
President Redmond brought out the
fact that there was neither emer
gency brake nor whistle on the cal
at the time.
The motorman was followed by
Conductor Miller who testified thai
the car was running twenty minutes
late. He Appropriated the speed o
the car at not more than seven miles
an hour, while the auto was travel
ling at the rate OF thirty miles. HI
distinctly remembered that the mo
torman rang his bell and applied th'
brakes. He corroborated the test
mony Of Kipp in that he took charg
OF the starting lever and brought tn
car TO a stop one hundred and fift
feet from the crossing. He then re
| turned to the scene of the wreck an
found all the occupants OF the auto
mobile in an unconscious condition
He rendered what assistance h
could.
| Col. Thomas Harmon OF the SO
diers Home swore that IN
scene OF the collision wa
about FIVE hundred yards froI
the Home. He had been notifie
of the accident by stranger and In
mediately put his team at the di
posal OF the authorities for the pu
pose Of summoning help. He de
cribed conditions as he found then
The automobile had been dragged
considerable distance by the Ct
along the ties and finally lodge
against trolley pole. He substa
tiated his tory by testlfying that /
picked up part OF spoke betwee
the rails. midway OF the crossin
Edward M. Whitney. son.in.law
Col. Harmon testified to Sc
ing glass on both sides
the road. He doubted wheth
the automobile carried chains {
the rear wheels. President RedmoI
tried to bring out at this point VIII,
her the witness ever had dlilcl
" In hearing the signal bell OF Il
cars. IN this he was not successfI
George Houghton Of North BE
nington was good witness. I
testified that he was returning dlsa
pointed from Williamstown where
had gone with some friends to see
ball game. IL was raining very har
one could with difficulty see from q
windows. Suddenly there was
crash, and then q second one.
tried to open the door nc the fro
end OF the car to assist the mot,
man, but found Il locked. Kipp W
lying In corner Of the platform CO.
| pletely dazod. The car must ha
travelled fifteen rods before bel
| brought to n stop. lie returned
| the wreck and found all the oct
| pants OF the auto" unconscious sa
| Miss Knapp who pleadlngly ask
| him TO save her brother" He hea
| no bell signal. Felt no decrease
| the rate OF speed OF the car. Sup,
| ntendent Green for the railroad trl
| very hard TO have Mr.. Houghton d
| credit the driving ability OF Mr.. Ne
| ton. lie succeeded In getting {
| witness TO say he had heard that \
| Newton had once before tried TO pa
| trolley car of the track withC
| success.
Ill Selectman Crawford followed a
| testified that he arrived on
| ground about 1880 p. m. lie fou
| the automobile nj least fifty Il
| north OF the highway on the VI
side OF the track His evidence wor
| Indicate that the machine was strt
while crossing the center OF
track. From an inspection of
debris Il was not possible for him
determine whether the curtains
the auto" were drawn or open.
H Chief of Police Brazil swore {
when he arrived at the wreck
found one OF the occupants Of the
chine stretched on the ground v
a cushion under his head. The "au
was lying against the trolley p
The dirt between the tracks
deeply gouged showing that the
chine had been very forcibly str
and carried along by the car
ties for a considerable dista
showed plainly the ahrasluns cat
ID by the machine being forced al
- lie found no tracks OF chain qua