The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-17
MRS. JOHN B. BURR|S KILLED BY 4 STREET GAR IN WOOD[AWN Her Husband, Prominent Merchant, Painfully Hurt
 at Same Time RETURNING FROM
 PRAYER MEETING Motorman Says His Car Struck MT. Burris, Who Is Blind, Knocking
 Him Against His Wife,
 Throwing Her to Ground


 Returning home from mid-weel prayer meeting. Mrs. Elizabeth R. Eur Iy killed when struck by an esstbound East Lake care at Fffty-sixth street and First avenue. Woodlawn, at 9,l5 o'clock last night. Her husband, John n. Burris, n prominent merchant of WoodIawn, was seriously injured in the accident.
 The accident happened immediately in front of the Woodin undertaking rooms. MT. and Mrs Burris, both el- derly people, were walking home from the Fifty-sixth Street Baptist church and as they crossed First avenue going south at Fifty-sixth street car No. 2o6 of the East Lake line. in charge of Mo- torman Willie Kinchloe and Conductor J. Chamblee, going east. struck MT. Rurris and hurled him against his wife, who fell heavily to the ground. suf- ferIng a heavy concussion of the brain. MT Burris suffered serious bruises about the limbs and also was greatly excited by the double shock of the ac- cident and the death of his wife. MT. Burris is blind.
 Died Few Minutes After Accident
 In moment or two an ambulance of the Woodin company had removed Ms. Burris to her home at 6004 Third avenue, south. but the shock had been tco great and she died on arriving at her home.
 The police and coroner were imme- distely notified of the accident and Mctorman Kinchloe was arrested by Sergeant Cole of the Woodlawn pre- cinct and brought to police headquar- ters on a charge of manslaughter.
 Coroner Charles l.. Spain, on being tole of the actions of the police. or dcred that the bond of Kinchloe should be set at $500 and that he would com duct an inquest this morning. An hour following the arrest of the motorman he secured his liberty through MT. Huey, an official of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company making his bond.
 Thomas H. Clay. who is with the Southern Railway company, and who attended prayer meeting at the Fifty sixth Street Baptist church last night, said:
 MT Burris had just finished
 making a talk at prayer meeting.
 He is blind. you know. and had
 been led to the front to make his
 speech and shortly afterward the
 meeting closed. He and Mrs. Burris
 were evidently among the first to
 leave the building, for as I came
 around the corner of the church I
 heard a scream and rushed over to
 where the car had stopped.
 Mrs. Burris was apparently dead
 with an awful cut near her left
 ear and the binding headlight of
 the car shining upon her made
 sight I shall never forget
 q helped MT. Burris up and his
 foot was badly hurt and there
 were bruises on the side of his
 head. l noted that he had lost
 one shoe entirely and We searched
 high and low for it. We finally
 found it damned between the car
 coupling and the body of the car,
 indicating that his foot had caught
 in the coupling so tightly as to
 tear the shoe off. He told me that
 the car dragged him some dis
 tance"
 Statement From MotOrman
 According to the motorman the ac- cident was unavoidable. He said:
 q saw the elderly couple the
 moment l left Woodlawn station
 and thought that they would be
 across the street by the time I got there. As l neared Fifty-sixth
 street I slowed up and had the
 car under control and going very
 slowly. Mir Burris. who is blind. went forward and the edge of the
 car struck and knocked him against
 his wife, who fell in the road. I
 stopped the car before it had gone
 10 feet after hitting the old man.
 l am very sorry 1t all happened" Superintendent Huey of the Bir- mir gham Railway. Light and Power company stated last night that he knew little of the particulars of the accY- dent but that it would be thoroughly investigated this morning. Mrs. Elizabeth R. Burris was, well known in Woodlawn. Her husband Jchn B. Burris. is one of the pioneer citizens of Birmingham and has oper- ated a general merchandise business in Woodlawn for many years. The fu- neral arrangements over the remains will be announced later. Mrs. Burris Is survived by one son. Charles E. Burris. and daughter. Mrs. Martin. of Woodlawn.