The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-08
AGED MAN STRUCK
! BY fire CHIEFS CAR
Fails to See Rapid Approach OF
Automobile and Is Hurled
Into Air.
WISE WAS ON WAY TO FIRE
Policeman and Other Witnesses
Say lie Was Going at
Tremendous Speed

/ Hit by the automobile OF Second AS
sstant Chief Otto +. Wise. while the
latter was responding 10 an alarm OF
| fire shortly before 10 O'clock last night
John r. lTittZ about sixty-five years
old, was dangerously and. ii is believed
| fatally hurt in Broad street. hetwcen
| Eighth and Ninth. SO great was the
force with which the motor struck him
that he was hurled fully five feet in
the air, according to witnesses, and
fell nearly twenty feet away, landing
on his face. He was unconscious when
picked up by several pedestrians and
carried into the store of the Tragic
Drug Company. ST East Broad Street,
and it was not until he had been re-
moved TO the City Hospital that he
was identified. lie was recognized by
Detective Sergeant Wiltshire. who at
once notified Mrs. Fittz, who conducts
n boarding house at us East Marshall
Street
AZ the direction 'I Chief of Police
Werner, Chief Wise and his driver.
Leslie X. Cornell. were placed under ar
rest as a Formally. They were admit
ted 10 bail
Making Rapid Time.
Mr.. Fittz had Just left Tragle's. af-
. ter making some purchases. and was
on the way to his home when the acct
dent occurred Chief Wise's ear wit
nesses said, was tearing down Broad
street ut a terrific rate of speed Mr.
Fifth stepped from the pavement on the
south side OF the street, and apparent-
~ did not hear the siren which was be-
ing sounded. lie could not see the swift
approach OF the machine, because. his
view was obstructed by a shed hous-
inc building material AT Murphy's
Hotel. AS he stepped from behind the
shed some one yelled warning to him,
and as nc was about to cross the street
car tracks no evidently became confus-
! ed. and tried to retreat 10 the sido-
walk. While he hesitated. the heavy
red motor was upon him. He was struck
by the left mud-guard. Traffic Oiliccr
bernstein, who was standing nj Eighth
and Broad Streets, and SAW the acct
dent. said Mr. FittZ was thrown five
rect in the air anu foil nearly twenty
feet away.
Cornell stopped his machine as
| quickly as possible, and Chief Wise ran
back to see how badly Mr. FittZ had
been hurt. y hurry call was sent by
| Bernstein for the city Hospital ambu-
lance, and d.. r. i. Hawkins respond
cd and rushed the injured man to the
hospital. where he was at once taken
to tho operating room.
His right leg was broken and II was
| thought lie had sustained q fractured
skull, besides many ugly cuts and
bruises all over his body Tho blood.
which strcamcd from his wounds. made
him unrecoSniza BILE. The force of the
impact was SO great that a lamp on
the motor was smashed, and the mud
guard. which struck Mr.. Fittz. was lit
orally cruinplcd.
Claims rs to Speed.
Cornell said that at the time OF the
accident he was not driving more than
fifteen miles an hour I'VE had slow
ed down considerably" Chief Wise said.
when we hit Mr.. I'ittz. re evidently
got excited and could not get out of
the way Chief Wise would not say
exactly how fast his car was moving.
Witnesses. however. declared that the
car was going at q high rate of speed
/ Ofiiccr bernstein said he was certain
The machine was going nj it's highest
speed. Other witnesses agreed with
him.
After doing all within his power TO
aid the injured man. Chief Wise CON
/ tinucd on his way TO the fire at Twelfth
and Clay Streets. it proved to be
merely q blaze on a city refuse hcap
and was put out without difficulty. il
caught from sparks which DESTROYED a
nearby lumber plant.
Chief Wise and Cornell returned TO
The house OF Engine Company No. 3. in
East Eroad street, where they were
arrested by Sergeant Wiltshire. who
was also Il witness to the accident
Mrs. FittH was Frustrated when told
by the detective Of the accident TO her
husband.
Several months ago. wise's car which
was being driven by O. G. Davis. ran
INTO and seriously injured a small col
ored boy in West Eroad street IT was
at first thought ne would die. but he
recovered