The Alaska daily empire., 1916-01-20
TACOMA ACCIDENT WAS
 UNAVOIDABLE" JURY
 ExoNERATEs cUsHMAN

A complete account of the exonera- ton of Edward E. cgshman. Jr. for mer Juneau boy, for the death of an. other boy at Tacoma few days ago, by running him down in on automo- bile, is contained In The Ledger, as follows
 After hearing testimony for more than two hours. coroner's jury of six men held blameless Edward Cush- man. jr.. son of United States Judge Cushman, for the death of Elmer Mel. son. age IS. who was run down by Cushman in h's machine on the night of Dec. 30 at North 26th and Wash lngton streets as he stepped from behind a street car in a heavy down pour of rain. About 12 witnesses were examined. but the stralght-for- ward answers and franlness of young Cushman. who said he would be 16 years old next May. carried the great est weight with the jurors. who took part in the questioning of the witness- es. The jury recded Is was an "un- lvoidable accident"
 "Just before the boy died" said Deputy Prosecutor Cramer. "he in- 'ormed pr. James, who attended him at the hospital. that he had attempted to run across the street behind the ,ar and had his head turned to pro- 'ect himself from the wind and rain. 70 that he did not see the automobile going in the opposite direction on the other car tracks"
 Mrs. E. E. Cushman. the mother who was sitting in the front seat of he automobile with Ter son when the machine struck young Nelson. was greatly affected when telling of the accident. She estimated the speed Of he automobile at about 15 miles an hour and said the first she saw O. Nelson was when he hastened from behind the street car. crouched over 10 protect himself from the rain. A. ter the machine struck him. she said. Tn broken tones. she remembered mo- hing more except that every effort vas made to get him to the hospital IS rapidly as possible.
 Mrs. Hattie Rooms and her mother Mrs. Anne Lipscomb, occupants of The machineo said that the machine was net travelling more than 10 miles m hour and that young Cushman sounded hs horn repeatedly as he approached the street car.
 Tells of Striking Boy
 Young Cushman said the car was going between 15 and 20 miles ar hour. He said he was running or he right street car tracks and did not swing off when he first saw the ,ar but did SO as he got closer ant footed his horn. He said the machine was about midway between the street car and the curbng and that when he aw Nelson step out from behind tho ,ar he Immediately tried to slow up but struck the youth about the cente of the fender and passed over him He estimated that the car went abou' 10 feet after it struck Nelson, whc was found face downward with ono arm pinned by the right hind wheei 1f the automobile.
 One witness. a passenger of the ,treet car. estimated the speed O. he machine at between 20 and 30 miles an hour. wh le others estimated t at 20 and less. D. F. Sloan. a street gar passenger, said his attention was lrawn to the accident by the Impact
 "It sounded as if the machine haa itruck the side of house." he said and estimated that the automobile ragged the youth 30 feet before 1t ,ame to stop.
 Motorman Baldwin. of the street ar sa d the grade at this point was about 9 per cent. tho steepest of an
 n the line. so that the machine was coming down hill when 1t struck thu youth. Conductor Adams said that all he lights on the automobile were lit md the machine was two or three 'eet beyond the inbound track when it stopped.
 |; was brought out that young cush- man had been driving the car two .ears. but always with ether of his parents or an adult on the front sea. with him.
 Attorney Takes Notes
 Attorneys Bates and Sullivan ap peared on behalf of the Cushman boy md volunteered to offer him as wit ness which was accepted by Deputy Prosecutor Cramer. Seated with II c. Nelson. father of the dead youth was Col J. J. Anderson, attorney. who took notes of the testimony.
 The coroner's jury was composed of Fred Eidemiller. Arvid Rydstrom w. G. Hellar. E. c. Hill, c. R. Card uer and Charles B. Staples. Coroner Stewart conducted the inquest. Unit ed States Judge F. D. Cushman, fath- CT of the dr.ver of the automobile. was not present. He was on the bench