Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-14
C0RONER'S JURY PUTS
BLAME ON J.P. SCHM|Tz
Driver Of Car Violating Right Of Wa,
Held Responsible for
Accident.
DOUBLE FUNERAL is HELD
Mrs. Emma l.. Gosden and Her
Daughter. Mrs. T. X. BowIes, Vic
tins Of Auto Crash, Buried From
Homo on Sycamore Street.

tins OF Auto Crash, Buried From
Homo on Sycamore Street.
James p. Schmitz, thirty-three years
old. n blacksmith, of $40 South EIarri-
son street. was held liable for the
crash Tuesday afternoon at
Lombardy Street and Grove Avenue.
which resulted in tho death Of Mrs.
Emma l.. Gosdcn. fifty-six years old.
. North Sycamore Street. and her
daughter. Mrs. I. X. Bowles. Of the
same address, by verdict OF the jury
empaneled by Coroner Whitfield yester-
day.
tho automobile crash. tho coroner's jury
rendered this verdict: I'VE. the Jurors.
sworn TO insquire when. how and by
what means Emma l.. Gosden came TO
her death, upon our oath do say that
she came to her death September II.
1917. from injuries received In an auto
mobile crash at tho corner Of Lom-
hardy Street and Grove Avenue. and
that responsibility for tho accident is
on the driver OF the car going north
on Lomhardy street." The verdict was
signed by Coroner Whitfield, Hamilton
White. Walter Kirsh. L. w. Fisher. J..
s.. Taylor, L. Is. Franklin and II. j..
Williams.
WITNESSES SAY SCTIMITZ VAS
GOING AT HIGH SPEED
The car going north on Lombardy
Street." spoken of in the ]coroner's
jury's report. was driven by James r.
Schmitz. All the witnesses who saw
the crash OF the cars declared that
Schmitz was going at high speed. One
OF the witnesses, a. NJ. Nash. said ne
was confident that the car driven by
Schmitz was running twenty miles an
hour when it crashed into the car
driven by J. T. Regensburg. a lumber
dealer. fohty-thrce years old. of Bar
Evansville. Va. who was driving the
machine in which tho two women VIC
Tins OF the accident were riding.
Mrs. T. Knight Bowles. daughter
Of Mrs. Gosden. also killed in the
accident. was not mentioned in the
inquest proceedings officially the in
quest being only for Mrs. Gosdcn.
and the jury was called for the meet
ing yesterday before Mrs. Bowlcs died
was driving the car in which the
women were passengers. was at the
inquest. He wore a bandage over Il
deep liberation sustained over his right
eye when the high-power machines
smashed. That both drivers escaped
serious injury when their cars were
battered TO ruins was 4 matter OF
general amaZement to the members of
the coroner's jury.
REGENSBURG A HAD
THE RIGHT OF WAY
J. ]. Hill. Is South Mulberry Street.
a jitney driver, was an eyewitness or
the accident. He said the car driven
by Schnitz flashed across Grove Ave-
nue just as the car driven by Regens-
burg, carrying the two women. passed
Lombardy. The Schm'tz machine struck
the Regensburg car ABOUT the center OF
tho sides and whi.lcd It in the air.
The women were thrown out
and lay practically side by side. lie
said ReGensburE appeared TO be daZed
and kept asking who hit me-"
James Whitfield. son of the coroner.
was standing at the corner OF Grove
and Lombardy when the accident hap
pened. He said he thought the Regcns-
burg machine was going at about
twenty miles an lot when II was
struck. Other evidence relating to
the case was heard from Policeman
Clarke and others. and the verdict
was then Attention was
called to the provision OF the city
traffic ordinance giving right of way
TO vehicles travelling cast OF west over
those going north and south. Under
this the ~RegensburE car on Grove
Avenue had RICH, Of way over tho
Schmitz car on Lombardy Street
Both Schmitz and Regensburg were
arrested on technical charges Ii man
slaughter by the police follow ing the
accident Tuesday, aid obey wi.i have
preliminary hearings on those charges
before Justice Crutchfeid In Poles
Court tomorrow morning.
A double funeral fer Mrs. Gosden and
Mrs. Bowles was conducted at their
home. 6 North Sycamore Street, yeSter-
day afternoon.
POLICE R~EDOUBIs EFFORTS
TO u CHECK ON SPEEDING
Following the killing Of Mrs. Cos
den and Mrs. Bowles at Grove Avenue
and Lombardy Street Tuesday after
room. considered tc be the result of
automobile speeding. Chief OF Police
Werner said yesterday that speeders
would be rounded up and prosecuted
to the limit in Richmond in future.
III automobile drivers would obey
the law and keep within the speed
limits of the city there would be no
more accidents in chm now than
there were several years 6 when
horse vehicles were the chief means OF
transportation" said Chief Werner.
Justice Crutchfeld showed yesterday
that he has about lost patience with
speeding when II. o. Sullivan. jitney
driver. 1915 NJ Street. was fined S25
for exceeding the speed limit. Sulli-
van was arrested by Traffic Policeman
Holt after speeding out hanover Ave
! nuo at a thirty-mile an hour clip. =
The following were summoned to
court yesterday on charges Of fast
driving: NJ. r. Johnson, 1107 East
Leigh Street; Arthur Henderson. 1918
ST. James Street; o. Payne. I'LL Cath
crime Street; Jesse Miles. Bon Air, and
T. II. Warren. 401 Brook Avenue.