The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-10
ACQUIT OFFICER FOR
p BLOCKING ROAD
Driver Met His Death by the
Overturning of the Machine
Under Very Dangerous Con-
ditions," Declares the Jury.
But Two Witnesses Heard.
CORONER'S VERDICT.

CORONER'S VERDICT.
I'VE, the jurors sworn to inquire
how and by what means William
Martin came TO his death, uDOn
their oath do say that he came to
his death on the Goth day of Sep
tembcr from injuries received on
the night of the 25th day of Sep
TENDER by the Overturning of an
auto-truck driven by him under
very dangerous conditions; and
they are of the opinion that the
placing of elaborate distractions
in the way of the autO-truck by
Constable Davis was seriously
indiscreet act"
r 4 G H NJ o N d, VA.-Special.-
Though the testimony taken at
the cOrOncr's inquest I'm the City
Hall Saturday to ascertain the
circumstances surrounding the
death of William Henry Martin,
the chauffeur, of 2315 Venable
Street, who died Thursday night
as the result of injuries received
when an automobile truck, driven
by him, turned turtle on the VIII
Harrisburg Road, near Seven Pines,
late Wednesday night, tended to
caused by the collision with the
obstruction which had been placed
across the road by County Officer
Thomas n. Davis, il was shown
that the officer had bIOckaded
the road i'm plain violation of the
law, and it is not improbable that
proceedings will shortly be insti-
tuted looking to his removal from
office.
The testimony showed that the
OFFICER had built a dangerous bar
Ticade, and had placed no lights
upon IL. Should any light auto
mobile have run into il all its oc-
cupantS might-and probably
would-have been killed or in
jured for life.
In defense of his act, the officer
declared that he did not think
the autO-trucl< would be driven
through the blockade. and he de-
clared that the collision with the
blockade would not have occurred
III the chauffeur of the truck had
not attempted to evade arrest.
AUTO CLUB TO MEET.
An informal meeting of the
executive committee of the Rich
mond Automobile Club will be
held tomorrow afternoon to dis
cuss the matter. Monday the
committee will meet i'm formal
session, and a subcommittee will
probably be appointed to confer
with Frank Sutton, the Common
Wealth'S Attorney of Henrico
county, regarding charges which
club members say will be brought
against Constable Davis.
Members of the club cite as n
precedent case recently tested
Mt Mount Crawford, on the Valley
Of NiW-Ofrnfn II.
a town sergeant named Largo
tled horse i'm the middle of the
pike In the path of a number of
cars participating i'm an cndur-
ancc run. Charges were at once
preferred against the constable.
ana he was removed from office.
ONLY TWO HEARD.
only two witnesses were exam
lncd at the inquest, but the sos
sion was long and tedious. illus
tratfng again the archaic meth
OILS that Coroner Taylor has been
forced 10 adopt because he has
no regular stcnOgraphcr. The
coroner asked the questions. He
ana the witness then discussed the
answers. The coroner then die
sd'eu the answers TO a juror who
mad agreed to act as amanuensis
and the juror IaboriousIy wrote
them down.
Two men were i'm the car with
Martln when the accident &C.
CURED. One of the men. q q
Moore, who was badly injured
was unable to appear at the i'm,
quest. The other, Joseph Otey.
OF 2Sl5 Nenable Street, was the
first witness called.
He said that Martin had
right TO drive the truck and had
asked him TO accompany him.
Martin, according TO Otey. had
taken two drinks. but was NOT
drunk nor under the influences of
nGuor in any sense of the word
lie SAID, in answer TO questions.
that the truck was running be,
tween eighteen and twenty-three
miles an hour. He said that ne
did not see the obstruction. and
dld not know whether the others
saw IL. He said that he was Sit
ing in the truck in such position
that he could not have seen IL
regardless of its prominence.
WHAT DAVIS SAID.
The truck had almost STONED
before il struck the barrier, or
1lcer Davis said, when he took
the stand. Then the driver. see
ing him, threw on full speed. Of
f1cer Davis declared, and dashed
through the barrier.
The accident which caused the
truck to turn turtle did not oc-
cur until the machine had pro-
ceeded two and a half miles fur
Their towards Richmond. One of
the front aXIeS then Snapped
while rounding a curve and the
truck was thrown into the ditch.
IL was declared by Officer
Davis that i'm running through
the obstruction the truck did not
strike the buggy, which had been
pulled out into the road. 1t
merely ran over the shafts and
over box placed at the end of
the shafts to extend the obstruc-
ton farther across the road.
OFFICER Davis admitted that he
did not know how fast the truck
was running when he built the
barrier. The truck had already
passed Seven Pines, he said, and
seemed TO be running not less
than twenty-five miles an hour.
The speed limit i'm HenricO coun-
ty is twenty miles an hour.
The officer. acting upon the
presumption that as the car had
violated the law going one way
1t would VII the law on its