The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-02-16

rending to see how the fair young form
which had but very brief time before
had been filled with animation was
bruised and mangled almost beyond
recognition. 1t was several minutes
before the body of Miss Willimite was
recovered, but neither her remains
nor that of Miss Mather had been so
sadly marred.
Coroner Peter Feagan impaneled
jury. After viewing the bodies the
same forenoon the jury adjourned un-
til two O'Clock this afternoon to meet
at the coroners office in the court
house.
The examination of witnesses will
be conducted by District Attorney w.
p. Collins. He looked over the scene
of the accident and has gotten the
names of a dozen or more witnesses.
The accident was witnessed by Richard
Mas and Charles Kerwein, who were
standing on the south approach of the
bridge.
1t is difficult to say much about the
affair as to responsibility. Grave in
Justice might be done by any kind of
an opinion regarding the matter.
The facts will be carefully gone into
and sifted by the authorities, and until
that is done people must be patient.
An examination of the car to ascertain
why the motorman was unable to stop
it, the question whether proper care
was exercised by those concerned and
the condition of the track are vital in
establishing responsibility.
Miss Anna Mather was well known
over most of the county having given
music lessons at Sheboygan, Sheboy-
gan Falls and Plymouth and out from
these places into the country.
Her home was in the village of She
boygan Falls, in or near which place
she has lived the most of her life. She
and her bachelor brother Frank lived
together.
She is survived by her brother
Frank, her brother Claiming Mather
of Chicago and two sisters, Mrs Sarah
Gibbs and Miss Elizabeth Mather, also
of Chicago. Her parents died many
years ago,
Miss Tannie Van Ouwerkerk' S death
is a blow from which her relatives and
friends can never recover. The blow
falls hardest on her sister, Mrs. Rich
ard Thomas, who has been both sister
and mother to her, having had the
care of her since their mothers death
when she was baby.
Miss Olga Willimite was the daugh-
ter of MIR. and Mrs August Willimite.
She had been employed at the Vollrath
Co. plant, where her father is now en-
ployed, but she had given up her place
there. She was on her way to visit
her sister, Mrs. l.. Hole, on the South
side when death knocked so rudely and
terminated her young life.
Herparents and four sisters survive" "
The jury heard the last of the testi
mony and retired at $3.50 O'Clock Tues
day afternoon. In the closing hours
of the hearing President Gonzenbach
was severely grilled by the district at
torney, on the lack of precautionary
rules and measures in the service, and
said in his defense, that no com
plants of undue speed had come to the
offices of the company. If the public
had protested, he said, it was only to
the men in charge of the car. Testi-
mony was brought out that the car de-
scended the hill at speed of about
fifteen miles an hour. The verdict
was reached at $40 =. M.
The jury said:
."We find that the motorman George
Theme was guilty of negligence and
contributed to the accident by allowing
his car to descend Eighth street hill
at too high a rate of speed, and in not
observing the open draw of the bridge
in time to stop his car.
'We also find that the position of the
circuit breaker contributed to the
cause of the accident. We further
find that there is no rule of the She
boygan Railway & Electric company
requiring all cars to stop within a GER
tain number of feet of drawbridge,
as they are required to do at railway
crossing, contributed to cause this ac
dent.
"We recommend to the city council of
the city of Sheboygan that an ordi
nance be passed requiring all cars to
stop at point at least 100 feet from
the draw on approaching the draw
bridge"
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