The Washington herald., 1912-10-03
SUBURBAN CAR
CRUsHEs WOMAN
Miss Mamie Haffner, Inmate Of the
Lutheran Home, Dies
in Hospital.
FORMERLY LIVED IN
MARTINSBURG, W. VA.
Dazed by Light, Aged Woman Stood
on Track Powerless
to Move.

Struck by a suburban car and hurled
thirty feet, Miss Mamie Haffner. sew
enty-three years old. member of a once
prominent family of West Virginia, and
for the last three years an inmate of the
National Lutheran Home for the Aged.
at Winthrop Heights, was last night
crushed and SO badly hurt that she died
a short time later.
Feeble from senility and probably
dazed. Miss Hafrner passed In front OF a
westDound car at a standstill at Seven
teenth Street and Rhode Island Avenue
Northeast and stepped on tracks in front
Of a heavy city-bound car moving at high
speed. Dazed by her peril. the aged
woman seemed frozen to the spot. She
stood without a motion while the car
bore down on her with grinding brakes
and loud changing gong.
She faced the car as It struck her and
was hurled in midair. striking the ground
ten yards from where she was hit The
car was stopped and a hurry run was
made 10 the city. At Fifteenth and G
Streets Northwest, Miss Hafrner was
transferred to an ambulance and hurried
tV Emergency Hospital. DR.. Benjamin
Newhouse. after a cursory examination,
declared she was beyond human aid.
Miss Haffner was suffering from a
fracture of the skull and a laceration
Of the scalp twelve inches long. Her
collar bone was broken and II is believed
at least six ribs were crushed. Her arms
and legs were broken and her face was
SO badly crushed as to be unrecognizable.
The accident occurred a few minutes
after o'clock.
Trouble In Identification.
Difficulty was experienced in Identify
ing Miss Haffner. In a handbag picked
up near the scene Of the accident was
found a card bearing the name OF Mrs
Elmer II. Catlin, OF 2Ol7 G Street North
west. With Detective Guy Burlingame.
Mrs. Catlin went TO the hospital She
could not recognize the body OF Miss
Haffner. but identified it by the clothing
worn by the aged woman. Rev. DR.. John
Weidley, president of the National Lu-
theran Home. also called at the hospital
and confirmed the Identification.
Coroner hewitt ordered an inquest to
be held this morning, and the body was
removed TO the undertaking establish
ment of J. r. Wright. Funeral services
will be held at the Lutheran Home and
the body will be shipped TO Martinsburg.
W. Va, the former home OF the Haffner
family, for burial.
Miss Haffner is survived by a sister,
Miss Amanda Haffner, seventy-eight
brother. Harry Haffner. OF 95 X Street
Northwest.
Miss Haffner left the home yesterday
morning and went TO the home of Mrs
Catlin. She left late in the afternoon,
taking a quantity Of cloth with which
she intended to make some children's
dresses for Mrs. Catlin. Before leaving
Miss Haffner was given copy OF the
Christian Endeavor World, a magazine.
by Mrs Catlin Mrs Catlin had written
her name on the magazine, and she rec
ognized It vixen she saw 1t among the
articles found near the scene OF the ac-
cident.
Notorman Arthur Warner thirty-five
years old, OF Il New York Avenue
Northeast, and Conductor Frederick G.
Offenbacher. thirty-two years old, Of
go VI Street Northwest. who were in
charge OF the car which struck Miss
Haffner. We're arrested by police OF the
Ninth precinct. and later released by or
der OF the coroner.