Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-24

Prosecutor Joseph E. Stricken con-
Quoted the examination of witnesses.
William A. Spencer appeared in the
interests of the Perth Amboy Trans
%portation Company, owner of he
bus; Thomas Brown was present in
behalf of Michael Thornton, father
of Daniel and Margaret Thornton,
the former being killed instantly In
the accident and the latter sustaining
injuries from which she is now suf-
fering in the city hospital. Hon.
William Gebhardt was there in be-
half of Miss Jennie Faus, who was
injured in the collision, and Charles
E. Miller, of Jersey City, attorney
for the railroad, was present with
Hon. Theodore R. Brown, Of Toms
River. j. Maybury, of the Public
Utilities Commission, was also pres
ent.
The following verdict vas render
ed by the jury:
I'VE, the jury, find the Central
Railroad of New Jersey responsible
for the accident on December 14th,
1912, and deaths and injuries at the
West avenue crossing, SeWaren, n.
j." It bore the signatures of the
following jurors: Math Hansen, fore
man: Joseph Massopust, Abraham
Beckhoff, Joseph G.. Burns, Jay b.
FRANKIE, and William Nash, of Roose-
welt.
Elmer Glover, of Elizabeth, was
the first witness called to the stand.
He appeared with a wide bandage en-
circling his head around the fore
head. He appeared to be more or
less dazed or weak and could not re-
call the date of the accident. He said
he thought the bus a struck about
4:3O P. M. He could not remember
the number of his passengers, but
thought there were fourteen. He
said before crossing the tracks, about
ffty-two feet from the crossing, he
came to a full stop and got out OF
the machine to thoroughly view the
approaches to the crossing. He stat
ed he could see as far north as the
gewaren freight station. The engine
in his car was a thirty-horsepower
gasoline White. He said that the
noise the engine made would not
have drowned the sound Of the alarm
at the crossing if it had been ringing.
He stated he neither heard that bell
or the whistle and bell on the engine
which struck his car.
Aaron Hyde, of 80 Amboy street,
Brooklyn, appeared with the top OF
his head almost entirely covered by
bandages. He had just come from
the hospital yesterday morning. He
heard no alarm Of any kind, either
bell or whistle.
Walter X. Whitaker, a grocer at
Woodbridge and West avenues, Sc
warren, said he was in his store when
the collision occurred, his grocery
being about 1000 feet from the
scene. He stated that he heard no
whistle or bell from the engine prior
to the crash, but heard five blasts af-
ter the train had passed the cross
Ing.
William eKifer, a painter, of West
avenue, Sewaren, was an eye witness
of the wreck. He c~orroborated
Glover in saying the chauffeur of the
car got out before attempting to
pass over the crossing.
William e. Harris, of Woodbridge,
mas near the crossing, but did not
see the accident. He said he heard
no bell or whistle.
Mrs. william Keifer was called,
but stated she did not see the COLI
sion.
Harold X. Whitaker. nephew Of
Walter X. Whitaker, who preceded
him on the stand, stated he was
standing In the back yard Of his
home, about twenty-five feet away
from the tracks, when the Express
passed. He declared NO whistle was
blown for the crossing.
Elizabeth Kotin, of Sewaren, was
In her back yard, and did not hear
any whistle or bell.
. Mrs. Cary zeyen, of AIS West ave-
nue., who was in her kitchen, was
not certain whether the bell and
whistle sounded. The alarm bell at
the crossing, she stated. had been
out of order on two occasions in the