Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02
BLAMED FOR DEATHS
Simpson and Toepfer Arrested
for River Crash.
NEGLIGENCE Is CHARGED
Drowning of Two Women Resulted.
Coroner's Jury Holds.
LARGE CROWD AT HEARING
Wife of Owner of Lofts Almost
Falls When Police Take
Husband.
LARGE CROWD AT HEARING

launch Lofts. and Charles Toepfer of Aal
II street northwest. who was steering the
launch when it collided with the excur-
sion steamer Angler last Sunday evening,
resulting in the drowning Of Mrs. Bessie
Williams Halter and Mrs. Sarah Thomp-
son Nelson. a coroners jury late yester-
day afternoon bound them over Tor the
action OF the grand jury.
The jury. which heard evidence only
over the body of Mrs. Nelson. declared
in its verdict that she came to her death
by drowning as result of collision
between the launch and the steamer and
that it was the result of negligence on
the part of the two men.
Both Are Arrested.
Following the verdict Lieut.. Carl Fla
Their of the fourth precinct and ] Electives
Hewlett and Pratt arrested Simpson and
Toepfer. Assistant United states Attor-
ney Hawken, who represented the govern
ment at the inquest. after a conference
with Justice Stafford fixed simpson 5
bond at $1,000, and that OF Toepfer at
$500. B. l.. Simpson. father of the own
er of the launch, gave bond for his son,
while George c. VonesS furnished the
bond for Toepfer.
James Montgomery. a dealer in boat en-
gines who was called ar expert by
Attorney Charles Diggs, representing MI.
simpson testified that his boats had never
been inspected by a government inspector
during the time he had operated on the
Potomac river. Mr. Montgomery declared
he had used boats on the Chesapeake
bay Atlantic ocean and other bodies of
water and at other ports and that an in
spection had been made Of his boats else
where, but that none had ever been made
here.
Said Beer Was Consumed.
Testimony was given that two dozen
bottles of beer were on board the
launch, and Claude Burlingame of eli
Massachusetts avenue northwest. a
sailmaker. who was one of the pas
sengers, said that all of the beer was
consumed.
Burlingame said that he was in the
cabin practically all the way up the
OF the party, with the exception of
Simpson and Toepfer, lying in the
ca bin
Told to Steer Straight.
The witness explained that he did
not think Toepfer. who was steering.
knew much about it, and told Simpson
to make him steer better He testi-
fed that the owner Of the launch there
upon told the helmsman to steer
straight"
The witness said further. he heard some
one call lookout" He was in the cabin
at the time and ran to the deck. Just as
he reached there. he declared. the bow OF
the steamer was about to crash against
the Lofts. Il jumped into the water,
which was the only thing l could do,
he said. Il swan about and called to
persons on the steamer that the two
women We're on the inside of the cabin.
l was forced to the stern of the steamer,
where a rope was thrown to me and /
was hauled on board"
Testimony of Kaufman.
Jerome Kaufman of go Fl street north
west, who was also a passenger on the
launch. testified to the trip up the
river from Marshall Hall. He said he
was in the cabin, and did not see any
one else inside. He declared that he only
( had two bottles of beer.
An even larger attendance was at the
session yesterday afternoon than Fri
day afternoon. and again many We're
forced to remain on the outside of the
little morgue building during the hearing
of evidence. Mrs. Simpson, wife of the
launch owner. attended both hearings
of the building when her husband was
placed under arrest The fact that her
husband was being held by the police. fol-
lowing the verdict, came as a blow to her
and she would have fallen to the street
had not friends assisted her. She was
led from the scene before her husband
was taken away by the police.