The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-09-13
MOTORMAN TRIED
ITO BRAKE RUNAWAY
B. R. I. TROLLEY CAR
Company Seeks to Prove That
Smash Was Caused by
Strike SympathizerS.

onAthe collision Of b. r. T. trolley
cars at Flatbush Avenue and NAL
ss-7ne street, Brooklyn, Saturday. when
. trolley car running down hill caused
the death OF one man and the injury
Of neariy a hundred Mortimer Hon-
man. attorney for the street railway
asked questions tending TO establish
the fact that strike sympathizers
we're responsible for the accident.
Hugh d. Combs, an accident claim
agent, said he was on the runaway
car. He said he saw Motorman j.
Mooney make violent efforts to con-
srol the Car by the air brake. Ioere
was no sound OF the escape OF com
pressed air and no slackened speed;
Il was running like an express
traan," ne said. He was not watching
the motorman at the time the crash
came or just before that.
Edwin Sides. another PASSENGER on
8i,e runaway car, corrOborated Combs
saying Mooney used both hands IN
apparent efforts TO stop the car
There was no response, he said when
tbe air was applied
r. n. Nexsen, electrical engineer OF
the Public Service Commission salo
ne had examined both cars. lie salu
te found the machinery and brakes
a. the runaway cur in excellent order.
Would II not nave been possible
asked Holman, III the car were In
pe,fect order for miscmevous or
arintnal person. with an extra con-
froller handle, 10 make the airoraKes
inaaectiye 6y tamperins with the
captror NJ the rear of the carr
III might" said Nexsen. and agreed
eh.a something Of the sort was indi-
Gated by the failure OF the arr
hralSes To work, as later described
oy Combs.
+. Nersen saAd Mooney could have re-
i~orted 70 the hand brake II the air
brake failed and he could also have
thrown the controller in reverse
'Sexsen also testified that a trolley
scar going thirty miles an hour on a
sd0wn grade Of two and half per
cent. should be stopped within l2O
feet.
II An adjournment was taken until
s-bursaay morning at the suggestion
az Commissioner Nixon, who told
counsel for the company that the
iComufission wanted 10 know from
,cune competent witnesses informh-
eion CONCERNING the qualifications OF
Mosonman Mooney, what experience
ae had. what tests or examinations
ne had 70 stand before operating a
car and what instructions. II any
rese kiyen him In the operation OF
cars on grades,
Counsel for the company said he
would gladly produce such a witness
81 the DISTRICT Attorney Of King
County would release him. He de-
c,arsd that such a witness woulc
later claim immunity VI any lega
considerations followed as result oi
ana testimony before the Commission
Several persons. said the motor
man was not at the front Of the
car just before Il smashed into the
arst car George Donnely, a transit
inspector of the commission, de-
scribed his vain efforts 10 hnd
Mooney at the time of the accident
and since.
Al the time the Public Service
Commission was taking this testi'
.mony Judge Haskell. in the County
Court Brooklyn, ordered AhroI
I.ahtenstein. a conductor, regularly
IN the employ Of the b. r, II. as
material witness 20 the accident
IAehtenstein was riding as a pas
senger on the runaway car. accord
iDg 70 the police.
At the ofiices OF the b, II. T. to-da
receiver Garrison said he had n
comment TO make on the conferenc
lbetween Gov. Smith and SamuG
Gompers, President Mahon Of IN
Amalgamated Association and other
70 get the striking motormen an
conductors back TO work. Gorriso
EsaAQ htAN ENAANAha wa Az" N''Ae -
tween $500 and 1000 OF men VIII
worked for It before the strike. Ne
raen are now being sought in the cat
al several employment Offices. II M
enough are obtained men will
sought by advertisements In con
nunities within a hundred miles
the city
Garrison admitted the company
receipts from fares turned In /
strikebreakers were not OF vast vo
not as deep as a well nor I
sglde as q barn door," he said. The
ho was asked How long win u
strike bs7"
How long u a St-ins?" replied Il
Feceiver.
one hundred and eighty-nine trai
with $40 cars were in operation (
elevated and subway b. r. I. lin
to-day. the best showing in the "
weeks since the strike. Fifty-o
surface lines were using 7S7 CA
Night service was maintained un