The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-05-06


all at once one of the other girls
screamed "look out Cert" but too
late.
Some brute with his machine
knocked her down and the next
thing she knew she crawled out
under the back of the car. She was
dragged along under the car and
bumped by something in her face
and lots of other places, her left
l.hee was badly bruised, her clothes
were all torn and coming to her
senses she didn't know anything
else to do than sit up on the street.
Mr.. Thos. Hopkins, man pos
sessed of much human feeling
picked her up, put her in his car
and rushed her home. Thanks very
much, Mr.. Hopkins. The time was
about $50 p. m. 1t was clear
daylight, and it happened this way:
F. P. Ptolemy, who drove the car
running over Gertrude was driving
South on Broadway, another car
driven by Ed Collins came from the
South and according to his testi-
mony had stopped on the east side
of Broadway as street car was
just about to switch into California
going to the car barn. The motor
man of this street car motioned to
Collins to go ahead and Collins
swung around the front of the
street car and must have given
his car plenty of gas. Ptolemy 60
ing south saw Collins turning into
California and as he must have
been driving at a good speed close
to the intersection could not stop or
would not. Collins would not stop
and turned into California on the
left side of the. street behind the
three girls mentioned, just missing
them.
Ptclemy in order to save his ma
chine turned into California also,
running nearly into all the girls
but hitting my girl and another
young lady, not mentioned before,
who was crossing the street at the
intersection at the same time. The
other young lady was knocked down
but not injured. What happened to
Gertrude l mentioned before.
Now reader if you run a car al
way avoid collision with apother
car. 1t causes damages, and out
side the repairs on your own car
you might have to pay the repairs
on the other car, and car being
property you might be convicted of
damaging property.
So use your wits if you get into
tight place and prefer to run
into some human flesh, the court
will dimsmiss the case, if you hap
pen to be arrested but you won't
be arrested if there don't happen to
be policeman on the spot and you
report at the police station within
"a hours.
The chances of paying damages
for injuries inflicted on human bod
les are very slim. If you happen to
run into some poor fellow or into
member of his family and he has
no money to pay a lawyer, you
might get away with two bits, for
SO per cent of the people walking
the streets are poor.
II you happen to kill the poor
fellow-well in most cases they
carry some insurance and the only
cost on your part will be a wreath.
But repair bills Of automobiles run
up.
Now you can't blame Ptolemy, he
just bought the car he was driving
and it was his first ride in it or
may be his second, his wife told
us so-anyway he was not quite ia
miliar with this car.
He had the choice of hurting his
car or running into some humans,
and his wits worked quickly, he
chose the girls.
The other man, Collins, had some
ladies in his car, and wanted to
show up like man, instead Of GO
ing slow turning in front of the
standing street car and proceeding
into California on the right side of
the street he went with a graceful
Sway in on the left side of the
street just missing the girls, pass
ing behind them.
This tip to drivers of cars or
owners or part owners about pre-
ferring some men, women or chill
dren to kill or injure, above a piece
of property sounds strange, but what
follows will show the truth.
Gertrude was assisted home by
another young lady also crossing the
street at the same place and time
number five); there was still an
other young lady crossing number
six, showing both drivers must have
been blind if they did not see any
body as they claim. Ptolemy testi-
fled he did not see anybody.
We called a doctor and comfort
ed the girl as only parents can do in
such cases. That night l was mad
could have killed these two men,
but coming to my senses l went to
the Police Station. | asked the clerk
if anybody had been arrested, he
told me that Ptolemy had reported,
but no arrest could be made by the
police, the only thing for me to do
was to see Judge Shakespeare the
next day and swear out warrants.
So next morning / went to see the
Judge who referred me to the city
attorney, Mr.. Faussett This gen
tleman told me his time was prec-
ious and probably thought | was
some drunk or disorderly case which
cases he handles in the same man.
ner as he did me; but after taking
about ten minutes of his valu-
able time and some discussion and