New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-27
CHILD RE-ENACTS
FATAL AUTO RIDE
Didn't Touch a Thing,
Says Girl Held for
Playmate's Death.
CAR STARTS AS SHE
GAVE VICTIM A CAKE
Officials Think Driver, Now HELD
on Technical Charge, Lett
Current On.

"Now think hard, Catherine" said
the stern man with glasses, "and try
TO remember what you did with your
hands"
Catherine. whose last name is Slevin
and whose age is twelve, crumpied up
in the seat of the electric automooiie
truck which stood before 81 Renwics
Street at noon yesterday and wept.
81 didn't touch a thing" she sobbed.
"R-really didn't"
The stern man with glasses was COR
oner Feinberg. He was disappointed
In seeking TO fix the cause lor lhe
death on Wednesday of Elizabeth Johh-
son. four years old, Of 3O5 Spring
Street. he had conducted an elaborate
rehearsal of the incidents leading 10
the mysterious starting Of the automo-
bile as the children played IN the sea-"
Catherine had been accused by other
children Of turning on the power ana
arrested for homicide. spending a tear
ful night at the Children's Society. Dul
she could not remember touching
single lever. .,,..
While women hung from pillow
tufted windowsills and children cro"u
cd the sidewalk, Coroner Feinberg pro-
cobded with his inquiry. The one-ton
electric truck which killed the glri
was placed in the same position II oc-
cupied the day before, while James NC
Nultv, the chauffeur. who was not ar
rested. was eating lunch at his NOME
3O5 Spring Street ,
Into the seat he crowded Jimmie
Johnson, five year old, and Agnes
Johnson. nine, brother and sister OF
the dead girl Catherine Slevm TOOK
her seat behind the wheel.
"Now, tell me again what you were
doing" said the Coroner.
Blotting away her tears with large
white handkerchief, which she carried
ali dav. but never unfolded, the Slevln
youngster repeated the tory she told
earlier in tie morn ng ut tn Coroner
office.
eve were inst playing ,ak ng ride,
che said "Me and Jimmie and Agnes got
in the seat, and LIz'beth was standing
right there by the front wheel. | was
eating a piece of cake, and she asked
could she have some. broke OH
little hunk. and SIZE reached to get IT,
and lust then the automobile began TO
90 and the Yhe went over her.
didn't touch a single thing"
Another flood of tears Gu, short iur-
Their explanation. Frederick II. Elliott,
of the Safety First Society, an automo-
bile expert, examined the car. NC
Nulty. the chauffeur was cer am he
turned off the switch under the seat
before going into the house. The chill
dren were positive that they had not
tempered with it or released the emer-
gency brake. Yet Giuseppe DlmJdug-
MO. e. shoemaker, who ran from ms
shop and stopped the automobile AFTER
it had traversed a distance OF nfty 1eet,
said he did it by Gu ting of the power.
An attempt to move the car WIN inc
brakes released failed. The conclusion
arrived at by those on the scene was
that the electric current J. d not been
turned off fully by the chauffeur, or
else il had zen connected III some un-
known manner by the children.
II was a fearful day Tor Catherine.
She was weeping at the rooms OF the
Chidrens Society when her father. in
dignant because the police had detained
her for the night instead Of releasing
her in his custody. called for her. She
cried bitterly when arraigned before
the Coroner. shed more tears when TAX
en- back to the Scene Of the accident,
and was still hopping her Redeemed
eyes in the Municipal Building again
when Coroner Feinberg allowed her to
90 home with her father to avail. the
inquest by a Coroner's jury, which Will
be held in two weeks. McNulty was
also held on a technical charge Of
homicide and paroled in custody Of his
counsel.
Coroner Feinberg at first was in
clined to share the views OF the Slevin
child's fath VIII was bitter against
the police. lie admitted that the in
vestigation might have been conducted
the day of the tragedy, but he upheld
Detective Doan, Of the lst Branch,
who made the arrest, declaring that
he had done nothing outside of what
wa clearly his duty.
Every mother who hears of this &C
cident," he declared, SHOULD take 1t to
heart and make her children keep out
of automobiles standing at the curb"
The fact that McNulty left his car
unattended constituted breach of the
traffic regulations, but the police took
no action yesterday.