The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-08
RED DEVIL" RUNS
DOWN PEDESTRIAN
JOHN r.. FTTTx PROBABLY FATALLY
INJURED ny AUTOMOBILE OF
CHIEF WISE.
WITNESSES STATE MACHINE WAS
RUNNING Ak FuLL SPEED.
BUT OCCUPANTS DENY
THIS.

Caught unawares by the flying red
devil of Assistant Fire Chief O. F.
Wise. who was being driven by Chauf-
feUr Leslie Cornell to answer an alarm
of fire to box II. Twelfth and Clay
streets. John +. FittZ, sixty-five years
old. Of IT'S East Marshall street, was
run down at 1880 o'clock last night
almost directly in front of Tragle's
drugstore on Broad street, and, per-
haps. fatally injured.
Several policemen and crowds Of
people moving up and down the street
and coming out Of the theaters wit
messed the accident. and were hor~
rifed when they saw the aged man
flung high in the air and then fall
heavily on his face Detective Ser
geant Wiltshire, who had just come
out of the Bljou-- saw the accident
and rushed across the street. Several
men were before him, and Mr. Fittz
was carried into the drug store, where
he was laid on the floor near the
prescription desk,
Wife Identities Watch.
Mr.. Fittz was unconscious. and
blood was streaming from his face
Both legs were broken. several ribs
were fractured. and 1t was feared that
there We're serious internal injuries
No one knew the victim until he was
detective took the unconscious man 3
watch and chain as a further means
of Identification. and hurried 10 the
Fittz home Mrs. FirtZ was upstairs,
but AT the urgent summons of the de
tective she came down, DO YOU
recognize this watch and chain, asked
Sergeant Wiltshire. Mrs. FittZ clasped
her hands together. and exclaimed
YES They belong to my nus
band. Oh. tell me what has hap
pened" The detective told her gently
that her husband had been injured by
an automobile and that ne nad been
taken to the City hospital. where he
was receiving every care and atten-
ton. But Mrs. Fittz broke down
completely, and would not be comfort
ed She was alone in the house. and
ask someone to go to see ner ana 10
stav with her until she became calmer.
Immediately that 1t was seen that
Mr.. Fittz was seriously injured and
was probably dying the cIty ampu-
lance was summoned. and DR.. Taylor
Hawkins, who responded. rushed the
unconscious man to the City hospi-
tai. where he was placed at once in
the operating room. DIR. Williams,
the inferno, and Drs. Willis and Boyce
attended MIR. Fittz, and found him to
be in a very serious condition. Mrs.
Fittz went to the hospisai. and re-
manned at her husbands bedside for
some time.
At Highest Speed.
Chief Wise came from No. engine
house, on Brook avenue. and sped
down. Broad street, blowing his siren
all the way Policeman Bernstein,
traffic officer stationed at Eighth and
Broad streets, said last night that the
machine was being driven at its high
est speed when i passed him. He
stepped into the Mniddie of the east
bound car tracks to watch the car $
course, and. saw Mr.. Fittz walk out
from behind a small shack used as a
tool house and a pile of obstruction
In the street just east OF Murphy $
hotel. AS he saw the machine speed
ing down the street and the man walk
out he realized in the moment that
there would be an accident Mr.. Fittz
had gotten TO the second rail of the
car tracks, and Chauffeur Cornell was
running the. car directly on the tracks
when the collision occurred Mr. Fittz
seemed to hesitate a moment, and the
car came full upon him. He was struck
by the left fender, and was thrown
at least five feet In the air. so high,
said the traffic officer. that he could
see his coatails Tapping In the air.
He wfiirlcd In his descent. and fell
Continued on Second Page.)