Norwich bulletin., 1910-06-02
CORoNER's HEARING
In Case of Fatal Automobile Accident
on MQHday Afternoon.

coroner A. G. Bill of DanielsCE came
here Wednesday morning to conduct an
official Investigation into the death of
Charfes ladda, the II year old boy,
WHO was killed by being struck Me-
I9orial day afternoon in front of the
town building by an automobile driven
by Roland B. Jordan. There was quite
a large number of witnesses examined
an the morning and more were heard
in the afternoon. The investigation
was held in the patrolmens room IN
the police station.
The first witnesses were the five
boys who were in the automobile at
the time of the accident. They were
Guy Richmond William Burns and
Harold Frost, who were on the rear
seat, and John Leonard, Jr.. and Ro-
land B. Jordan, the driver of the car
VINO were on the front seat. All of the
Doys told q strai ghtforVzard story along
the same lines which they told after
the accident to the newspaper faen.
They all agreed that the automobile
was running at a slow rate of speed
and that the horn of the car had neen
blown a number Of times sr3tween
Bridge street and the point %here the
accident happened, and one of fhe hovs
when he saw the chiIdreSs FUN ont into
the street IN front q the car whist1ed
me brakes wee Set on the car and it
We're strf4cE
Ii 2-rpeaps that there were four or
N front of the automobile, apparently
chasing the trolley car. which had
stopped and just started up again. and
that the automobile struck three of
them but the third boy, whose name is
not known yet, was not injured in any
way,
After the five boys in the car had
testified, Daniel S. Clark, who was
walking up Main street AT the time.
told what he saw. Mr.. C1arks story
was very clear and he apparently saw
more than anyone else and to the best
advantage, but owing ito the coroner
not allowing the evidence to be pub
lished we cannot state what his testi-
mony was.
Corroborated Previous Testimony
Charles E. Baker of Mansfield who
stood on the corner of High and Main
streets, told his story regarding the
accident, which did not agree in every
particular, and being a man rs years of
age 1t was Quite evident that he was
somewhat confused about some things
as he said the trolley car was going
down Main street instead of up. AS
to the speed of the automobile and the
sounding of the horn on 1t, he agreed
with the other witnesses.
Charles Miller, WHO'S employed on
the trolley line, was a passenger on
the trolley car. and he told a clear.
and what he saw.
At this point a recess was taken
until afternoon for dinner. As has al
ready been published there is no evil
dence TO show but what the car had
been run at a slow rate of speed from
the time the boys left Colchester,
where they had been attending the
Wtiiimantfc High school baseball game,
all the way to Wi1in1antic as they
were over an hour making the trip to
this city, and when they saw the
trolley ear they slowed up still more.
and from whit can be gathered Up to
the present time they were not run
ming more than five or six miles an
hour when they passed the trolley car
which had just started up, and when
they saw the boys run out from the
sidewalk towards the trolley car and
the driver set his brakes and stopped
as quickly as possible.
Gave Evidence Frankly.
When the coroner cautioned Roland
B. Jordan that in case the evidence
should show that there was any Grim
ipal neglect on his part that any evil
dence he might give might be. used
against him, Mr.. Jordan said tltAt he
desired to tell all he knew about the
accident, and when called upon by the
coroner told frankly about all he saw
and did
In the afternoon a number of wit
masses We're examined, but the coroner
adjourned the hearing at 2.15 O'Clock.
as he had to return home on the 8
o'clock train. He stated that he
would return here Friday morning and
resume the taking of testimony at 10
o clock. He told Captain Richmond
that the Ladda boys father and Abner
CIPHER. father of William Cypher, who
was injured, desire to have some wit
nesses summoned and he told the cap
tain to summon a reasonable number.
The evidence Wednesday afternoon
was along the same lines as that taken
in the morning.