Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-13
DEATHSAN ACCIDENT
Coroner's Jury Gives Verdict
in Rosslyn Case.
CAR POORLY EQUIPPED
Recommends It Be Abandoned Until
Rebuilt.
CREW OF CAR ON STAND
Testify Speed Was Slow, But Are
Unable to Explain Pushing
Auto 105 Feet.
CAR POORLY EQUIPPED
CREW OF CAR ON STAND

The coroner's jury sitting today at
Alexandra county courthouse, investi-
eating the deaths Of Harry Mitchell and
Fred Kitchen, when their automobile was
run down near Rosslyn Sunday night by
a car of the Old Dominion Railway Com
pany, found that the deaths were due to
accident unavoidable on part Of the dead
men or on part of the railway employees
operating the car. The jury recommended
that the use OF the car involved in the
accident be discontinued until it is
equipped with modern safety appliances.
An inquest over the body of Trumpeter
Fred Kitchen of Troop c. 18th Cavalry.
who. with Harry W. Mitchell. was killed
Sunday night when a car Of the Great
Falls and Old Dominion railroad wrecked
Mr.. Mitchelrs automobile near Rosslyn,
was held today before Coroner 8. T. Ash
ton Of Alexandria county, in the Alexan-
dria county courthouse at Clarendon.
Wilton j. Lambert and ID. s. Mackall were
the attorneys representing the railway at
the inquest. Capt. Warren Dean. 18th
Cavalry, represented the interests of the
dead soldier. The inquest was held at the
instance of the Fort Myer authorities.
The first witness was George w.
Crue. motorman of car No. 10 OF the
Old Dominion line, which figured in
the collision. He testified he left
Cherrydale at $50 Sunday night. run
ming slowly all the way to prevent the
trolley from running off the wire. He
declared the car did not attain a speed
of more than Az miles an hour all the
way from the freight station at Ros-
Ign. near where the accident occurred.
He stated that his car carried an oil
lamp. but was not equipped with a
searchlight, and had no air brake or
whistle. In the absence of a whistle,
he says. he tangled his bell on ap-
preaching the crossing where the ac-
cident happened. all the way from the
bridge No /, on the way from Cherry
dale, to the moment of the accident.
Conductor Applied Brakes.
Approaching the cross road the view OF
motormen Is shut off by the freight sta
ton. Any one turning the corner Of the
freight station, he asserted, could be seen
along the road as far as bridge No. /.
He testified when he was within eight or
ten feet Of the crossing the automobile
appeared In front of him. He reversed
the power, but could not avoid the i'm
pact He testified he himself was thrown
out of the car window on to the tracks.
He called the conductor to stop the car.
The conductor applied the brakes Asked
to explain why applying the reverse lever
did not stop the car. and why the auto
mobile was pushed 1O5 feet by 1t before 1t
came to halt, he was unable to give any
positive reason, but said the rails were
very slippery and oily at that point.
He admitted he had been on duty nearly
twelve hours at the time, but declared
he was not fatigued. He said that the
rules Of the road do not permit q speed
of more than six miles an hour at that
point.
Admits Regulations to Blame.
Capt Dean, questioning the witness,
got him to admit that If there had been
a regulation requiring cars to stop at
that crossing and it had been obeyed it
would have prevented this and similar
accidents at that point.
Conductor w. T. Mccormick. the next
witness, testified the car was going only
four or four and one-half miles an hour
and that he was standing on the rear
platform at the time of the accident He
didn't know what had happened, he said
until he heard the mortorman call "stoI
the car He said he applied the brakes
and the car stopped instantly. He could
not explain why the automobile was
pushed by the car so long distance be-
fore the car was stopped.
When Mccormick stepped off the rear
man he stumbled across the body OF
Kitchen beside the track some distance
from the automobile. He saw no body
under the automobile until the car had
been pulled back The car was pulled
hack by one of the big cars of the road.
as the front platform was aflre and the
controller was not available to move the
car with its own power.