The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-03
POLICE PROTECT HIM
Hospital Physician Finds
Chauffeur Was Drunk;
Held in Arrest.
TWO OTHERS LOSE LIVES
Boy Killed in Attempt to
Board Truck; Young Girl
Is Run Down.

A three ton mail truck rolled through
Eleventh avenue last night, and, wab-
bling from side to side, crashed into a
dozen children between Fiftieth and
Fifty-flrst streets, hurting them in
every direction and killing one. Charles
Vandeever, 10 years old. of 70S
Eleventh avenue, the victim of the
accident, died before he could be taken
to Roosevelt Hospital. John Riardan,
driver of the truck, was saved from
injury only by the timely arrival Of a
policeman. He was surrounded by a
hundred men and women who threat
ened to drag him from his seat.
Riardan, the police reported, was ex-
amined by DR.. Cowan of Roosevelt
Hospital and pronounced suffering from
the effects of alcohol. He was placed
under arrest and locked UP at the West
Forty-seventh street station.
Young Vandeever. with his BROTHER
and sister, George, 4, and Rita, z, was
playing with others at the edge of the
curbing in front of his nome. Without
warning the truck swerved from the
centre of the roadway and smashed
into them. The Vandeever children
were all seriously injured. George is
suffering from n possible fracture OF
the skull and Rita has contusions OF
the left foot and possible internal in
juries. Both are in Roosevelt Hospital
After striking the children Riardar
drove the truck on UP Eleventh ave-
nue., witnesses told the police. He was
! stopped at F'fty-f first street and forced
| to turn back.
The older Vandeveer boy and Walter
s;tringer, years old, of 40 Eleventh
avenue were lifted to the truck and a
! spectator drove to the hospital. He had
/ difficulty In holding Riardan on tho
! truck because efforts were being made
to drag him into the street. Policeman
| Pointing. Of the West Forty-seventl
street station. mounted to the drivers
scat and drove off Riardan's assailants
Two other deaths occurred yesterday
| as a result OF automobile accidents. Johr
| Mullins. 13 years old. of 334 Pear
! street, was killed when he attempted tc
! jump to the running board of motor
truck of the Richards Express Company
| of Brooklyn at Frankfort and Cliff
streets. He slipped and fell beneath the
wheels before Louis Steling, the driver
could stop.
| Frances Persky, 10 years old. OF 45f
East Tenth street. suffered fatal injuries
when she was struck by an automobile
! at Avenue ID and Ninth street. She was
on her way to a store in the neighbor-
hood and was crossing the street wher
! The accident occurred.
| Police Are Criticised.
Existing methods Of handling homicid,
cases. particularly those growing out o.
street accidents. drew sharp criticism
! from Magistrate Thomas J. Nolan In the
| Tombs Court, when Deputy Assistant
Attorney Edwin =. Mcclure asked tha
no complaint be entertained agains
Louis J. Steling for the death Of the
Mullins boy. Magistrate Nolan listened
to Mr.. MCGUIRE recite the facts--tha
the policeman who arrested the driver
had not witnessed the accident, and tha
a man who did see what happened sait
that the boys death was unavoida ole.
The Magistrate then expressed his
opinion Of police methods of handling
such charges lie said the mullins cas-,
was typical OF those resulting from tn,
Ioperations OF well intentioned reformer:
who caused the discontinuance OF tho
Coroner's Coourt and supplied nothing
to rcplacet 1t.
"Homicide cases are thrown into til,
Magistrates courts with all other classe,
OF cases" he said. The police ant
District Attorneys office have not suf
ficient time to investigate them prop
Ierly Unless the person killed is some
one of Importance. no effort is made tc
help the police. Homicide Is the highest
crime known to the law, and homicide
cases are allowed to drift. There should
be special court with detectives as
signed from the Homicide Bureau to OBJ
| tain evidence in these cases.