The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-09-12
INNOCENT tot
victim OF TROLLY
Statements of Eyewitnesses Seem
ingly Indicate That Car Crew
Was Helpless to Prevent Pitt
full Tragedy on Seventh,
Near CLAW.

o-hAf NNlunON ISL ann nor
eyes bright with anticipation two
Ncar-old Pauline Gregory, the
beautiful little daughter of MIR.
and Mrs. W. y. Gregory. of fOS
North seventh Street. toddIcd
happily out OF her front gate
shortly after 8 O'Clock Saturday
morning intent upon buying a sticl
OF red and white candy I'm the con
tSctiOncrY store across the street.
Paulinc'S mother did not know
that the little girl had left the
house. and her Older sister, Mary.
who il nine years old. Thought
she was merely playing on the
The tot climbed IaboriousIy
down the granite curbstonc and
tOddlcd into the street
From Broad Street a Clay Street
car was approaching. The tracks
were clear. No one had any
thought of danger, but as the car
drew near little Pauline ran di-
rcctly in front of IL.
People on the sidewalk shouted.
Paulinc'S sister cried out i'm ter
FOr. The car wheels rOarcd rs
the current was reversed. \ tiny
Shrick came up from under the
heavy trucks. and a thin stream
OF blood triCl<lcd down the rail.
MotOrman &. l.. Owens. of 925
Perry Street, was Mortified. lIc,
hacked the car. and assisted by
conductor II. T.. Herring, who
lives at SIG North Scvcnth-iust
square from the Gregory home
lifted the baby from the ground.
COD was good To the little girl.
Tor She was unconscious. Other
wise her suffering would have
Dccn terrible. The skull. as doc
crushed. The face was horribly
cut and the little body was fear
iully bruised where she had been
dragged beneath the heavy frame
which protects the wheels.
The wheels did not pass over
the child. Her body was merely
caught under the frame and rolled
and dragged perhaps twenty feet
before the car could be Stoppcd.
MOTHER NEARLY CRAZED,
\ number of children saw the
accident, and large crowd
quickly gathered. Some one
rushed into the Gregory home
and told Mrs. Gregory. The
mother was nearly crazcd with
grief. Two neighbOrS were COM
PEELED TO hold her by force to
prevent her from rushing madly
INTO the street, even after the in
jured child had been carried 10 n
hospital.
few seconds after the acci-
dent occurred some one with rare
presence of mind tcIcphoned for
the city ambulance. Before il ar
rlNed. however, a wagon belong
ing TO the Royal Laundry was
pressed into service. the child
made as comfortable as possible
ana rushed TO the Virginia Hos
pitaI.
Doctors and nurses have been
working herOically since the ar
rival OF the little ward, and have
some hope that her life NAV be
saved. They make no promises.
however. declaring that Il,e in
Jurles are dangerous i'm the cx-
trcmc.
As soon as the child was taken
away friends of Mrs. Gregory
summoned doctor 10 administer
10 her, fearing that she would
lose her mind. Her wild. heart
broken cries had aroused the
whole ncighbOrhoOd
Those I'm the Gregory home de-
clared that they did not know
that little Pauline had left the
house, and il appears that her
sister Mary was the ONLY mem
Der of the family who knew that
she was out of the house.
SHOOTED-TOO LATE.
Mary shouted to her baby sis
ter when she saw the car ap-
preaching, and would undoubtcd-
~ have saved her if she had had
few seconds more time. Ii
seems that she had her back
turned. and did not know that
the car was approaching until il
was almost upon the little one.
MIR. Gregory. who il n drug
%iSt, but who il not now work
ing. was not at home when the
accident occurred. lie was noti-
fled ut once and hurried back.
lie was nearly Frustrated when
he realized the dread import of
the message which he had re-
ceiVed.
According TO usual custom. the
motorman was placed under ar
rest, formal charge of assault
being entered against him. He
could not leave the car standing
i'm seventh Street. so Police Off
Ger William Bradley accompanied
him with the car to the barns on
the SOuthSide.
Motorman Owens and Officer
Bradley then reported at police
headquarters. SUPERINTENDENT
Brice. of the Clay Street division,
and General Claim Agent milford
had both been notified and were
waiting for them in Chief of PO-
lice Werner's office.
The mOtOrman was baIled. rep
resentatives of the Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company furnish
Ing the required $1,000 bond.
y preliminary hearing will be
granted TO MOtOrmRn Owens be-
1Ore Justice Crutchfield within the
next two or three DAYS In the
meantime Coroner Taylor will
hold an inqeust if the child fails
10 recover. In the event of the
inquest, the preliminary hearing
VIII not take place until after the
coroner has reported his verdict.
Enough OF the score or so of
men, women and children who
saw the accident but few were
able TO give a clear, coherent ac-
count OF IL, no one SENS to blame
the m0torman for the chiId'S iniu-
rieS. They seem to agree i'm saw
ing That the child ran directly i'm
front of the car and that the mo-
tOrman did everything i'm his
power to prevent the accident.
THE CHILD DRAGGED.
Fhere appears 10 be doubt in the
minds OF some 10 how far the
enid was dragged under the car,
1nd upon this point much depends.
The police have been Informed by
ht least one witness, they say, that
the child was dragged nearly half
Il square. Others declare that the
FAR stopped within twenty feet,
RAD an examination of the rafI
would seem 40 indicate that the
latter statement Is correct; that
the cnr stopped almost at once.
CuriOusIy morbid crowds of chill
tren gathered at the scene. They
were several times diSnerseH