Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-09-23
Fails TO FIX BLAME

| Coroner's Jury Investigates Fatal
Auto Accident-Six Witnesses
Heard-Testify Motor Car Was
Going About Fifty Miles an Hour
BOisseau's Body Sent TO Peters
burg, Va,
A coroner's jury which met at 4
o'clock Saturday afternoon at Wheat
ley's mortuary chapel to investigate
the circumstances attending the
death of Richard ". Boisseau, a
Petersburg. Va, contractor, who died
Saturday morning from injuries sus-
tained Friday night when his auto
mobile ran into repair car Of the
Washington-Virginia Railway Com
pany at Hume crossing, Alexandria
county, gave verdict to the effect
that his death was due to injuries
sustained in collision b>tween an au-
tomobile driven by him and a car op-
Grated by employees of the railway
company.
The jury, however. failed to fix
the responsibility.
A total of six witnesses, all Of
whom were employees Of the Wash
ngton-Virginia Railway Company,
and all of whom were on the repair
car which car was enroute to the
Four-mile run p0wer house to "turn
in,' were heard by the jury.
Ernest NJ. Cook, lineman employ
ed by the company, whose home is in
Vienna, Va. and who was acting as
motorman of the car, was the first
witness to testify.
His testimony was to the effect
that when about 80 feet before reach
ing the crossing he saw the motor
list; the car witness was in charge of
was not going more than four to six
miles an hour, that the automobile
driven by Boisseau was going at the
rate of between fifty and sixty miles
an hour; that the motorist ran into
the corner of the repair car; that
when the motor car was about l50
feet away man warned the APP
preaching motorist by waving his
hand that his car was going slower
all the time because men were jump
ing off to catch passenger train to
carry them to Arlington Junction in
order that they could board Falls
Church car at that junction to reach
.heir home.
Cook said nothing ne could have
done could have prevented the acci-
dent. When he first saw the motorist
he said his car was going about eight
or ten miles an hour. The automobile
he said knocked his car off the track
and it broke telegraph pole when it
went into nearby ditch. His car he
said he did not think could go over
twelve miles an hour. Witness admit
ted there were no lights on the out
side of his car, but lights were burn
ing on the inside of it.
Others on the car at the time of
the accident to testify, whose testi-
monv, was substantially the same, in
cluded Walter Roles, lineman, Vienna;
William A. Wood, lineman, Vienna;
James H. Thompson, lineman, Fair
fax Courthouse. c. Testerman. line
man. West Falls Church; s. c. Wood,
employed on line car, Vienna.
During the. progress of the inquest
it was stated that the man who waved
to the automobilist was F. W. Childs.
Pennsylvania railroad locomotive
engineer, whose home is in Washing
ton.
The jury was composed of Kenneth
w. Ogden, foreman; George II.
Schwarzmann. John NJ. Reid, Frank
W. Latham, Alfred Thomson and
John G. Cockey.
The relatives of the dead man were
represented at the hearing by .Attor-
ney H. Noel Garner and Attorney
James R. Cation represented the rail-
way company.
The body of Boisseau was shipped
Saturday night to his late home in
Petersburg, Va, for burial. His
father ana other relatives accompa-
MED the body to that city.
The condition of Miss Mabel Long,
Washington, who was in the car with
II. e +1o