The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-16
K|DD'S RECKLESS DRIVING
CAUSE OF GIRLS DEATH
so .Eoroner's Jury Reports After
Hearing Testimony for Three
Hours.
Charged With Involuntary Man
slaughter Following Inquest Over
Body OF Pauline V. Thorpe-Ncw
Witnesses to Testify.

The reckless driving Of an automobile
by Leo NJ. Kidd caused the injuries from
which Pauline Victoria Thorpe. aged
nineteen. died Monday afternoon at Vir-
Einia Hospital. according to a verdict
returned by a coroncr's jury yesterday
me coroners jury heard evidence for
three hours during the afternoon. but
returned a verdict within three minutes
after IL had gone into executive ses-
sion.
Leo Kidd was at once placed under
arrest by Detective Sergeant John
Wiley and Police Sergeant G. NJ John
son on Il warrant charging him with
involuntary manslaughtcr. He was
baiicd for his appearance In Police
Court on september %. when he will
he called upon to answer charges Of
rtcklcFs!y speeding his automobile
through the city streets, and with being
a suspicious character. suspected or
fcloniously injuring the Thorpe girl
Chief or Police Werner, who. with
Commonw>alth's Attorney Minitrec
Folites. was present at the coronors in
Ncsusation. Yesterday afternoon said
! that neither of these charges was n
| felony and that IL was irnprobablc that
punishment more serious than n line
! or "a short~5ail sentence would he iueted
! out TO Kidd.
KIDD IS NOT PLACED
ON WITNESS STAND
| Kidd, being under arrest did not
testify before the coroner's Jury. and
his view Of the accident remains in
ooscurity save for the testimony of
the police regarding his remarks made
! 10 them on the morning of the accident
While all OF the COMMUNICATIVE Wit
hesseS were not heard yesterday suf-
/ ncicnt evidence was educcd to show
that hidds machine was running at q
break neck speed when IL collided with
the taNicab At Bclvidcre and Grace
streets. IT was also said that Kidd was
intoxicated at the time he reached the
second Police Station.
/ Attorney Louis O. Wendenburc. who
IS representing Kidd. made IL a point
10 have Patrolman Porter, who testi-
! lied as 10 Kidd's condition at The sta
tion house emphasize the fact that he
ho!iced ms state AT the station. and
not so much at the scene of the nc
cldeht. Kidd said that no had been
onered drink by friends. shortly after
lhe crash occurred. and that he had
taken large one. He denied being
drunk at the time OF the accident
DR.. 81, Julian Oppenhimer testified
that Kidd had come to him to have his
hanus and head washed and dressed
Nothing was then told the physician OF
the injured girl lying unconscious and
bleeding from many wounds about the
face and head. Kidd left the physician
IN few minutes, when he learned that
he was not badly injured, and returned
TO the scene OF the accident. where
Patrolman Porter had already dis
covered the body of the Thorpe girl
and had removed it TO ST EliZabeth.s
| Hospital.
rho testimony OF Patrolman Porter.
Detective Sergeant Wiley and Sergeant
Johnson related to the details OF the
accident. which are already we'll known
| IL Is said that the police have secured
the names of several eyewitnesses to
the AFFAIR, and that these men will be
called upon to testify when the case
is called In the Police Court
RAILROAD WATCHMAN
WITNESS OF ACCIDENT
! One of the principal cyewitnesses will
u be Waterman Hart. who has charge of
the Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac Railroad gates at Belvidere
and Grace Streets. Hart is said to
/ have admitted to the police that ho
/ had gone out to see to his gates n
Few seconds before the accident oc-
Cured. He saw the light of Iiidd's
; car at Henry and Grace Streets and
hurried back to his house, believing
| that the machine was doing more nv
ing than running. He witnessed the
smash. and is said to have given the
police several additional details which
they had been seeking.
- wac tlldI lAIuU car, after
striking the taxicab, headed for the
sidewalk, and that the left wheels
mounted the curbing. The horse block
In front of residence prevented the
! machine from crossing the sidewalk
and Dlunging into the yards of the
houses on this side of the street. The
machine was thrown back into the
street. and then--ran on. diagonauy
across the street, until II stopped before
612 West Grace. 1t was into the yard
of this House that Kidd carried the
body Of the unconscious Thorpe girl
and left her lying on the brick walk
while he sought physician for him
self. The police have also discovered
that the car which Kidd was driving
that night was not his own, but was
the property of Robert Crittenden, OF
| the Jones Motor Company. Both il and
the taXicab were badly damaged.
The funeral of tho Thorpe girl. who
died after nearly five days of uncon-
seriousness al the Virginia Hospital, will
! take place Thursday morning from the
Sacred Heart Cathedral at 10 O'clock
Interment Will be in Mount Cavalry
Cemetery. The girl Is survived by an
invalid father, her mother and a sister.
Miss Josephine Thorpe.