The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
IS
VERDICT OF JURY
Arthur Utterback, Motorman, Il
Blamed for Accident in Which
Csspar Was Killed.
MANY WITNESSES
APPEAR AND TESTIFY
Coroner, However, Does Not Hold
Employe for Criminal
Proceedings.

Arthur Utterback, a Capital Traction
motorman, were responsible for the COLI
sion of street cars which killed one ant
hurt several men, at Ninth and u Street,
Northwest. about 6 o'clock Friday after,
noon, 1t was held yesterday afternoon by
a Coroner's jury investigating the circum.
stances of the death Of the victim, John
Caspar. of 1908 Seventh Street Northwest
The Coroner's jury did not order Ut
terback held for criminal proceedings
and its only recommendations were re-
spectfully to refer to the District Elec-
trict Railway Commission "for its RENE
dial action. the necessity for regulations
to prevent the occurrence Of such acci-
dents in the future"
Utterback. who was 80 agitated when
he took the witness stand, that he strad-
died a chair In his efforts to attain a
corrert posture of facing both Coroner
and jury. in giving testimony, said he
had worked as q motorman nine days.
after receiving instructions at the Capital
Traction Company's offices and barns.
and on the road with experienced men.
Motorman Testihes.
Telling OF the circumstances of the
accident, he testified that he had stopped
his car at Ninth and U Streets and let
of some passengers. Then, he narrated,
he rang his gong twice, and hearing one
bell from the motorman Of the WASH
ington Railway and Electric car, sig
nal giving him the right OF way, he
started his car
Utterback sad the two cars started
about the same time. and that he had
his car under control and did all he
could by using the brake and by revers-
ing to stop the car. When interrogated
closely about his testimony on the ques-
ton of which car started first, he said:
Gross my heart and body and drop
deadr' at which asseveration there was
little laughter.
Utterback declared nobody would have
been hurt II the running board had not
been occupied.
Leonard Steurmann. motorman OF the
Ninth Street car. testified that he had
signaled his own conductor and the
Capital Traction car motorman by ring
ing his gong twice
signals to Go Ahead.
steurmann said his conductor sig.
nailed him to go ahead, and that the
Capital Traction motorman signaled him
the right of way by ringing his gong
once. Then, Steurmann narrated ne
started his car forward.
THE rules require the Capital Traction
Company car to STOP Steurmann said
II did not wait to see If 1t stopped.
Steurmann said the front part CT his
car had crossed the two east and west
tracks when 1t was strack In the rear
part of the car.
Steurmann had had seven days actual
experience as a motorman after going
a course of instructions and
passing an examination, he said.
William Gayhart, his conductor, sub
stantiated the testimony Of his motor
man. In the same way, Conductor Will
lam p. Hall, of the Capital Traction
car, had corroborated most of the tes-
timony Of his motorman, Utterback.
DIR. Max Rosenthal, of 100 N Street
said he was on the running
board next to Caspar when the collision
He had avoided being crush
ed, he said, by stepping quickly for
ward. He said he was thrown to the
street.
when / looked up there was a sew
cred leg almost In my face" said DIR.
Rosenthal. With an improvised tourni-
quet, he stated. he tried to stop the flow
of blood from Caspar's leg.
Sergt. Thaddeus Bean, of the Eighth
precinct, was one of those who saw
the collision. Seeing a man hurt. he
said. he did not wait to look again, but
-ealizing that others would render what
,ver first aid" was possible. he m
% the precinct station and called an an
,ulance.
Witnesses Examined.
He returned to the scene of the acci-
lent and with Capt. r. E. Doyle. of the |
Eighth precinct, took care of the crowds |
shich gathered. Capt Doyle had been |
n charge OF officers handling the crowds |
4 the baseball park near by, Sergt. |
'ean stated, and reached the corner of |
Sinth and u Streets short time after
he accident.
Other eyewitnesses examined were
ohm T. Walker. of 1870 Thirteenth Street
Northwest; Thomas G. Young, of 242i
fourteenth Street Northwest; Levin P.
Handy, of 1877 U Street Northwest. and
theodore Jones, Of 1916 Third Street
Northwest.
They testified that the Ninth Street
ar had started around the curve when
he Capital Traction car started ahead
nd collided with it.
Neither Herman Williams. of 1903
'inth Street Northwest. nor John S.
serryman. Of 926 l. Street Northwest.
Tho were injured in the accident, was
4 court. Attorney James F. Kelly was
{ the inquest as Williams representa-
ve
George Hoover and Fred Mersheimer
Iere counsel for the Washington Rail-
'ay Company. and George T. Dunlop