Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-05
Driver OF AUTO IS
EXONERATED BY Jury
Inquest Held in Case Of Mrs. Jennie
Gray-Kyle, Who Was Killed Mon
day on State Street
PRINCIPAL WITNESS is
BOY WHO WAS DRIVING RIG
Only Going About Nine Miles an Houi
and Did Not See Woman Until
After Accident Occurred.

An inquest over the remains Of Mrs.
Jennie Gray Kyle was held this morn
ing and the coroner's jury brought in
the following verdict:
seThat Mrs. Jennie Gray-Kyle came
TO her death from being accidentally
run down by an automobile owned by
Steusloff Brothers and driven by one
Eliot Leslie. We, the jury, exonerate
the driver Eliot Leslie, from all
blame
The examination Of witnesses called
to serve on the coroner jury consum-
cd nearly three hours and seven people
were called upon to give testimony in
regard to the accident in which Mrs.
Kyle met death on State and Thirteenth
streets last Monday night about o
o'clock.
He Did Not See Her.
The principal witness called in tho
case today was Leslie, the young man
who was driving the auto which ran
into Mrs. Kyle. Leslie testified that
he was driving his car at the rate Of
about nine miles an hour and did not
realize that an accident had occurred
until he felt the right rear wheel Of the
car lift up and drop down. He said he
thcn stopped as quickly as possible and,
going back about fourteen feet, found o
woman lying in the street groaning,
and that the woman proved to be Mrs.
Kyle. He further testified that he,
with the assistance Of Louise Arthur,
who works in tho state engineers Of
flee, assisted the injured woman TO
nearby tailor shop and Immediately
called DIR. W, II, Byrd, Leslie said that
while the headlights on his machine
wero not lit, he had two oil lamps burn
ing on the side and a tail-light showing
He told the jury in frank and un-
hesitating manner that he did not see
anyone in tho path Of his machine as
he was driving east on State street and
that ho did not know that he had run
over or collided with anything until ho
felt his auto bump over some object,
concussion Of Brain.
DIR. W. II. Byrd, who attended the in
jurod woman, testified that while no
could find no serious injuries on the ex-
tcrior OF the body, death undoubtedly
resulted from concpsaon Of the brain,
caused by the head coming in contact
with the hard SURFACE Of the street. lie
said that concussion Of tho brain will
result from bump Or blow on the head
oven if tho skin is not broken by the
blow and that Mrs. Kyle's death re.
ulted from tho same condition.
Among tho other witnesses called
were @. H. Tucker proprietor Of the
tailor shop, into which Mrs Kyle was
carried after tho accident, G. 3, Van
slyke, university student who was on
the scene shortly after the accident oc-
currod, Louise Arthur, who assisted Les
lio IN carrying the woman OF the street
and chas Gischel, a witness who testi
fled that Leslie had stopped at his
shop between Thirteenth and Twelfth
strcots a minute or so prior to tho ac.
cident
Those on the Jury,
Tho jury consisted Of Hal D, Patton,
U. j Lohman, G. l., linus, ]. A, Patter.
son, VIM. Nocdham and ], r. Jones'
Deputy District Attorney Reyes, nssist.
cd by Attorney John II. McNary and
Attorney Robert slnnott the latter be.
ing a relative Of the deceased, conduct.
cd the examination for tho state, and
Judge W. T, Slater appeared in behalf
Of Stcusloff Brothers
Tho romans Of Mrs Kyle were bur.
sod in Odd Fclows' cemetery this after
noon at o'clock, tho funeral being
hold from tho homo at tho corner Of
Fourteenth and state streets,