Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-06
WR|GLEY FACES
WIDOW OF VICTIM
Magistrate Admitted Fatal Auto
Accident Was His Fault,
Woman Testifies
PALE AND PALLID IN COURT

Former Magistrate Byron r. Wriglcy
admitted "it was his fault" after his
car Ind struck another machine June
80. 1920. fatally inJuring James T..
Taylor, according to testimony in Court
today by Mrs. Charlotte May Taylor,
the victims wife.
Nriglcy, serving three year term
for he deaf h of young woman struck
and killed later by his car. which he
taken from Moyamensing Prison to
Common Pleas Court today. Mrs. Tay-
lor is suing him for 500, 900 damages
for her husbands death.
The young widows tstimony WAS
given this morning bcfor" Judge Nc
Cullen. Efforts to shake her by Will
liam Gray. Wrigley's attorney. only
served to bring out the further assertion
by Tho widow that the magistrate =
breath had smcllCd of liquor and he had
acted as if he had been drinking.
Mrs. Taylor. n sad d-faccd woman. in
second mourning. with her eight year
old son beside her. said she had been
called to ST. l.uke's Hospital. where her
husband lay dying, at :4j O'Clock in
the evening.
NJ, husband was in the ward. and
! was not allowed 10 see him." said
Mrs. Taylor. 'Mr. Wriglcy was there
and he came up and took my arm.
A'rcrward he put his arm about my
Shnuldcr He said: I'm Mr.. Wrig-
Icy. II was my fautr. But want
You to understand that ] did not do it
lie kept on insisting that he ,was
MAGISTRATE Wriglcy and it was his
fault, but that whatever happened he
did not want me to believe he did it on
purpose.
Then. Mrs. Taylor testified, he tried
10 lead her into the ward where her hus-
band was.
Acted Like Drunken Man
II smcllcd whisky on him and he
acted like drunken man. said Mrs.
Taylor. $50 much so that the nurse
told him to Let me alone
Mrs. Taylor said her husband was
thirty three Years old. that they had
been married eight years and he earned
SO week as assistant manager Of
factory. lie was in such good rhysi-
cal condition. the wife said. that he
passed with an average of ID when he
applied for the army.
While Mrs. Taylor was tcstifying.
her son made his way over to an elderly
man on the front row of spectators, and
elambprcd up beside him. the man put
ting his arm about the child. ,Wrigley
sat in the front row. but at the opposite
end. Mr.. Gray caught a fancird re-
semblancc between Wriglcy and the
boys new friend. and suddenly pointing
to the latter. the attorney said to Mrs.
TAYLOR:
identify hing
The ruse failed, for Mrs. Taylor said
very calmly: NO. of course. that's not
Mr.. Wrigley.'
Tells of Fatal Accident
Wrigley suppressed loud guffaw at
this. He smiled several times. during
Mrs. TaylorS testimony.
Frank J. Donaldson, head Of tho
Thompson Adams Leather Company. in
Frankford, where Taylor worked. tcs-
tilted he and his son had been taking
Taylor home In their car at the time of
the collision.
Mr.. Donaldson was positive the col
that at the hospital he had taken the
blame and said he was ''sorry.'
Cleared BY Coroner
Wriglcy was cxonerated by the Cor
oner October -. 1920, of any criminal
negligence in causing Taylor's death.
Eight days later Wrigley's car struck
and fatally injured Miss Mary Brady.
I'D Spruce street, at + street and AL
leghcny avenue. Hc was sentenced
March 4. 1921. on two counts, being
given two years and n $500 fine for in
voluntary manslaughter and one year
and $500 fine for driving when drunk.
Wriglcy entered the courtroom this
morning on the arm of Thomas +,
Cogan, one of his attorneys. He was
led to n seat in the front row. whore
he sat with his arms folded and his
oyercoat on his lap.
The former magistrate looked worn
and haggard. His face was heavily
lined, his hair thickly mixed with gray
and his mustachc almost white. Mr..
Cogan said the defendant was SO weak
when released from MoyamensinG
Prison this morning on writ Of habea>
corpus to answer the civil suit, that il
was necessary to assist him to the auto
mobile. Wrigley was dressed in black,
with black tie and very dark blue
cloth overcoat with q black fur collar.