Evening star., 1923-09-14
NO BLAME IS FIXED
IN DEATH OF: TWO
cOroner'S Jury Verdict in Old
Dominion Accident-An-
other Hurt.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, September IA
After hearing the testimony of four
witnesses a coroners jury from Ar.
lington county, summoned by DR.. B.
H swain coroner, Arlington county,
gave a verdict that Austin Johnson
and Stockton Kelly came to their
deaths by being struck by car No. a.
of the Washington and Old Dominion
Railway Company. operated by w. II.
Dodson." The jury added: THE jury
recommends that proper signal or
warming sign be placed at grade
crossings"
The jury was composed OF William
Kleystauber, foreman; J. d. East, ].
=. Jackson, H. T. Plowman, w. b.
t'auntleroy and l.. Il. Tull.
Condition of Boy Critical.
The condition of John L. Crawford,
thirteen years old, also victim of
the accident, is reported to be critical
today. The lad is suffering from con-
oussion of the brain. and but little
hopes are held for his recovery. His
brother, James F. Crawford, seventeen
years old, who sustained a broken
CciiarbUne and a broken leg, is re-
ported somewhat improved today.
Both boys are sons of Mr.. and Mrs.
James T. Crawford of Potomac, Ar
lhSJon county.
The train that struck the uutomo-
bile containing the four boys was in
Cnarge Of Motorman w. II. Dodson OF
arlington county and Conductor l.. NJ.
hinton of Washington.
Testimony of Motorman Dedson was
. 70 the effect that he was driving
what is known as a combination pas
n N and felt the
impact that the automobile rolled
about forty feet after being hit; that
Le applied the emergency brakes. but
tine impact foiled them. Because of
the threatening attitude of the crowd
assembled after the accident, he de-
Clared, he was compelled to get back
into the car. Others to testify were
conductor L. NJ Hinton, Alan z. Hume
and II. B. HansbOrough.
Hundreds at Accident Scene.
Several hundred persons yesterday
afternoon went to the scene of the
accident at Clifford avenue, st. Elmo,
!, rlington county, and viewed the
= 4cene of the disaster and gazed upon
the wrecked machine, which was
thrown on the west side of the rail-
road track, The throng of curious
continued to visit the place until
darkness set in.
a heap of twisted iron and steel
was all that remained of the small
touring car, which belonged to Frank
kaplan. grocer. of Potomac, Airing
ton county.
The Johnson boys body was badly
manglcd, the head being literally de-
.Capitated. Kelly died a few minutes
after he reached the Alexandria Hos
.pital.
Immediately after the accident
number of persons passing begun the
work of rescue. 1t was recalled that
John Crawford, only thirteen years
old, pleaded with the rescuers to get
the others out, who were more seri-
ouSly hurt than himself, Praise for
tho pluck of the youth, who today is
in dying condition at the hospital,
was heard on all sides.
The car that struck the boys was
bound for Washington. 1t left the
Washington and Old Dominion sta
tion in Alexandria few minutes
after o'clock, and 1t was about 2:15
o'clock when the fatal accident occur
red.
The crossing at Clifford avenue is
regarded as a dangerous one, the Wis
ion of the drivers of vehicles being
obscurcd by houses on both sides of
the track
Automobile Chase.
4 thrilling race after an automobile
driven by John Hollway, and be-
lieyed to contain liquor, was staged
yesterday afternoon on North Wash
ington street, when Policeman Durrer
fred three shots at the fleeing car and
the tnlfQ SnOt knocked the tire ana
rim off of the machine, crfppliRg it.
The officer told the court today that
he found beneath the seat of the car
& fruit jar containing a half-gallon
Of what was supposed to be corn
liquor
Judge Duvall In summing up the
case hello the accused for the action
of the grand jury and Hollway furn-
is.d bend in the sum of $500. Fol-
lowing a plea for mercy made by
Judge Robinson Moncure, represent
ing Hollway, Judge Duvall said he
would not impose any fine on the
chaTge of operating an automobile in
a reckless manner while under the
influence Of liquor, but would revoke
the drivers permit for a period of one
year.
According to Policeman Durrer he
saw the car at the corner of Franklin
and Patrick and followed slowly. and
was about to arrest the occupant at
Camerob and st. Asaph streets.
liollway. however, he stated. pro-
cc.ded out Washington street at a
Ianid rate Of speed and the few
autonobieS on that thoroughfare
had TO huS close to the edge of
the road
Finally. the officer said, he fired
shot in the air to scare the
Criver This. however, failed to
stop him, the machine then going at
the rate of about forty-tivc miles an
lour: Next. he declared, he fired
he third shot hit the tire, knocking
uf the RIM Before the car finally
stopped, he said, it was badly Grip
pied.
No Typhoid Fever.
There was not Il single case of ty-
pdoid fever in the city during the
month of August, according to the
monthly report of Dr. i. Z. Foulks,
city health officer This is the first
Aueust IN ns ny. years: as far back
as the records show. that there has
not been "a case of typhoid in the city
bF. Fonlks sa.s there has been only
two ca%es of T. phoid fever in the
CITY stncc the INST OF last Novem-
!ber. period of ten months. Neither
YES there a case of scarlet fever or
,diphtheria during the month of Al
gust. The month he says was free
from all forms of communicable dis
ea.es.
since August to September Io this
department has vaccinated 126 school
children. MI were small children
bout % enter school for the first
time. Or. Foulks says that this spe-
Ci2l work placed q heavy burden on
the department., but he adds the de-
Tartmens was able to meet the situ-
alton without delay or confusion.
There We're twenty-eight deaths
and forty-two births in the city dur
ing the month, according to the re-
port.
The body of the colored man found
floating in the river yesterday off
Prince street was later in the day
ton, seventy zone years old. who lived
ut S22 South Columbus street. The
identification was made by his son,
Charles Preston, a Washington let
ter carrier.