The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-18
TWO WITNESSES TO KILLING OF WOMAN SOUGHT Men In Automobile Who Helped Care For Dying Matron
 Fled. SPROTT DECLARES HIS LAMPS WERE LIGHTED Was Unable To Stop Car Be-
 fore It Struck
 Couple.

| l An investigation conducted by Cor oner Phelan into the manner in which Mrs Florence Johnson. while walking along the street car tracks near the roundhouse switch in Fairfield in conn pany with H. B. Cowen of this city. l by Radcliff E. Sprott, resulted in the discovery that the accident was eyi- dently seen by two men who were driving bys at the time. These nen, hearing the screams of the victim, stopped their machine and carried the dying woman into the home of
 Miss Ada Smith. who lives on the road at this point
 It was also disclosed during the in lvestigation and by those who arrived | on the scene shortly after that the couple were not thrown over ten feet. Sprott admitted that he was driving along the road in company with a prominent young woman of this city. and denied the intimation that he had Bridgeport in. the machine. No other witnesses were found to the accident. Mir. Sprott, driver of the car which killed Mrs. Johnson, said today: When the accident occurred was moving at the rate, should say, of fifteen
  land. gas lighted, five passenger car. was accompanied by Miss Dorothy Stanton We had been to sWestport, and were on our way back to Bridge port My lamps were burning. but not after the accident. It is not true the city. There was another car. I saw the red tail light disappearing around the curve into Southport. It was too far away to Shave been any use to me.
 The accident was caused, I think, by the presence of car. all lights on. coming toward Haes just as Preached the round house switch. The lights from that car blinded me. CT think the woman must have come across the tracks into the road, or perhaps stood there waiting for 9 car "I saw here, and an instant later before could do anything the car struck her. did all could to I avoid the accident, when saw thai l there was danger
 The state police, immediately after I the disclosure was made that the two I men who carried the woman to the
 house saw the accident, began a hunt for information which would lead to their identification. Some of the wit j nesses declared it carried a New York Ilfcense.
 l It is declared that when the medical examiner arrived in the Smith, home they immediately hurried to their ma chine and drove away. Witnesses at this morning investigation declared l that the two men described the man I ner in which the accident occurred. I sprott was not arrested until this morning when a charge of reckless driving was entered against him By an agreement between Judge Bacon I lWakeman and Judge Banks, attorney for Sprott, he was released on s, ,00t 7l bail, furnished by De Yer Warner ot ltthis city and the trial postponed until the coroner makes his finding, when the charge may be changed to one o1 lmanslaughter-
 The coroner,s hearing will probably
 be held some time tomorrow. Coroner lPhelan. declared today that there~was la scarcity of witnesses to the-accident be held over until the two strange men supposed to have witnessed the
 accident, are located and brought be fore him for examinations
 As Mrs. Florence Johnson, 1, ,95i l Stratford avenue and H. s. Crowell
 foreman at the plant of the Weidlicl I Silver Plating company, both of this I city, were walking along the stree
 car tracks about II o'clock last nigh near the roundhouse switch in Fair
 field, they were struck by an automo-
 bile driven by Radcliff B. Sprott, sec l change and a prominent man abou' town, and hurled into the air. Mrs ! Johnson received fatal injuries from
 which she died about ten minutes lat
 er while Cr6well escaped with a few
 minor bruises and shaking up. Il According to the story of the acci
 dent as told by Crowel1, Mrs Johnson
 and he left Bridgeport early in tht
 evening on a car ride to Fairfield. A
 the roundhouse switch they got off ths
 car and awited the approach of ont
 that would carry them back to thia
 city. Not seeing any car approaching
 they started walking up the street ca
 tracks.
 Suddenly and without warning thu
 automobile driven by Sprott came III in fhe rear, struck the man and wo
 man before they could make any eff
 fort to save themselves, hurling then
 many feet through the air. Crowel
 found himself lying about five fee
 from Mrs Johnson, and seeing her ly Il ing still in the road he shouted, bring ing the auto to a stop and people iron the houses that line the road to tn , scene He declares that there was n ] warning blast of a. horn.
 Mrs Johnson was carried to tn , home Of Miss Ada Smith, and Dr r Hyde was called. The physician re
 sponded immediately and found tn
 woman suffering from an interna , hesnorrhage caused by a fracture o
 the ribs which had pierced her lung
 She died a few minutes later
 1oES TC INSANE ASYTJTNf