New Britain herald., 1915-08-31
L0NERGAN WINS IN
 AUTO CRASH CASE
Ex-Congressman Secures Acquit-
 tai for William E. Deeley

Ex-Congressman Augustine Loner-
 gan of Hartford appeared before the bar in the local police court this 1 morning defending William F. Deeley, a former jitney driver, charged with l reckless driving on Stanley street. He
 secured an acquittal for his client and in announcing his decision Judge
 James T. Meskill remarked that the i case was one for the civil rather than the criminal court. It was charged
 that on August IS while John E. Cur tin was driving out of the new Cath ollie cemetery Deeley came along in | his jitney at high rate of speed and collided With him. Deeley laid the blame on Curtin and said that the ! undertaken ran into him
 i .@. Curtin Blames Deeley.
 MT. Curtin said that at about o'clock on August Is he was in the new Catholic cemetery on Stanley street. Before driving into the street
 he sounded his horn and looked in
 each direction but saw no car ap-
 proa ching. As he drove onto the
 highway he said he saw Deeley's car
 coming toward him at a fast rate Of
 speed. He turned his car into tho
 gutter and had just stopped it when
 Deeleys car crashed into him, dragg-
 ed his car fifteen feet along the road
 and then proceeded about 60 yards
 before he came to a stop. MT. Cur
 tin said he measured the distance, 50
 l. Siy r6c
 before stopping. The damage to his car amounted to $63 said MT. Curtin, who said there were five or six people in Deeley's Hartford-bound jitney. Lawyer Lonergan asked MT. Curtin many many questions and inquired whether he heard Deeley blow his horn. He said he did not. MT. Cur 1 tin also said he expects Deeley to re- imburse him for the damage to his car
 Thomas Francis Markham, who
 was With MT. Curtin at the time of
 the accident said MT. Curtin used | great care, sounding his horn and ; driving slowly, as he drove onto the 1 highway from the cemetery. His
 testimony corroborated that of MT. l Curtln In every respect and he said l Deeleys auto was going very fast at
 the time of the accident, while Cur
 tins car was barely moving as it
 came up the slight grade out of the ! cemetery. | Does Not Report Accident l Captain Grace testified that at no
 time did MT. Deeley report the ac-
 cident at police headquarters, but MT.
 Curtin reported it immediately. 1 The captain referred the case to
 the prosecuting attorney.
 Says Curtin Hit His Car. l Including himself, MT. Deeley had l eight witnesses all of whom were in 1 the car. He said he has been oper- 1 ating an auto jitney for about three months Regarding the collision, he said that at 2:45 o'clock when near St. Mary's cemetery he was going at twelve or fifteen miles an hour. A high stone wall obstructed his view
 and he did not see Mr. Curtin until he rode in front of him at about eighteen or twenty miles an hour. He said he turned to the left and MT. Curtin at first turned toward New Britain but turned abruptly in an northerly direction and crashed into his car.
 Deeley said the collision broke the rear door, the rim of wheel, the running board, the mud guard and a tire iron. It will cost about $40 or $50 to have it repaired, he said. Be- cause he did not have enough money to repair the car Deeley says he has given up the jitney business and taken job at the Underwood Type writer concern. Judge Meskill asked Deeley a number of questions. Witnesses Don't Blame Deeley. John T. Hennessey, a passenger Tn Deeley's jitney, said he did not know of the impending accident until he felt the jar. He did not think the jitney was going faster than fifteen miles an hour and he would judge that the car coming out of the cenn- etery struck the other car.'' John Jackus, another occupant, rated the