Evening star., 1925-07-04
DEATH CAR BRAKES
FOUND EFFECTIVE
Two Autos That Killed Chill
dren in Perfect Condition,
Police Inquiry Shows.

Four year old James Randolph
oliver, son of Mr.. and Mrs. Peter r.
Oliver. jr., of 1886 Abbey place north
east, playing near his home yester-
day afternoon, was knocked down by
the automobile of George F. Demp-
sey. SO14 Earl place northeast. and
killed. Death resulted from d frac-
ture of the skull while he was being
conveyed to Sibley Hospital
Stirred by the killing of the child,
the second fatality of its kind in 1S
hours, M. o. Eldridge, director OF
traffic; Capt. 1. c. Moeller. his as
sistant and Capt. E. w. Brown of
the Traffic Bureau made an investiga-
ton of the accident and reached the
conclusion that it was unavoidable
so far as Dempsey was concerned,
the child having run from behind a
parked car directly in the path of
Dempsey's machine. An inquest will
be held at the morgue today.
Cars Brakes Effective.
Examination of the car that killed
the child disclosed that it was in per
feet condition. The same was true of
the taxicab that killed Harold Afford
154 A street northeast, while on his
way TO a neighboring store Thursday
night to purchase sparklers.
Yesterdays fatality was the fortieth
recorded by the police since January
J. Three other deaths from injuries
inflicted by motor vehicles were not
classed by the police as traffic acct
dents. In one instance a colored
woman was jammed against a wall
at a gasoline filling station. Another
involved the death of a colored man
that resulted from the accidental
overturning of his motor cycle. while
the third was the case of an individ.
ual committing suicide by hurling
himself in front of an automobile.
Director Eldridge, in an effort to re-
duce traffic fatalities, has requested
officials of taXicab companies to re-
quire their drivers to be more careful,
especially in the matter of right-of-
way. He also issued a warning to
motorists and parents in an effort to
better protection of children.
$4,000 Children at Play.
Attention was called to the fact that
there are so 900 children on the
streets during the vacation period.
and Director Eldridge said that slow
and careful driving has become a ne
cessity. He suggested to motorists
that it would be we'll to remember
that there may be a child behind any
parked car they approach.
Margaret Perez, 4-year-old child of
an attache of the Cuban legation, was
injured by the automobile of NJ. J..
London, 2901 Connecticut avenue,
while in the alley in rear of her home
yesterday. She was treated at Chill
dren's Hospital for bruises and shock.
Mrs. Josephine Tate, 65, 526 Fourth
street southeast, was severely shocked
last night as a result of a collision
between the automobiles of r. L. Hin
son, 526 Fourth street southeast, in
which she was a passenger. and the
car of Walter E. Purdey, 314 E street
northeast. The collision occurred at
Pennsylvania and Minnesota avenues
southeast. Purdey was arrested on a
charge of reckless driving, taken to
TRAFFIC Court and released on collateral
Tor his appearance next week.
Locked Brake Overturns Car.
An automobile driven by Henry
Schwalbach, 1853 K street southeast,
turned turtle at Massachusetts, avenue
and Macomb street, American Uni
Nersity Park, early today, injuring the
occupants. Others with Mr.. Schwal-
bach in the car were Edward O'Con-
nell, 1448 Girard street, and Paul
Beach, II X street. They were taken
10 letSeHcy hospital Where phySi-
clans said they were only slightly hurt.
Locking of the brakes was responsible
for the accident, it is stated, and the
young men experienced difficulty in
their efforts to get out of the over
turned car. A big milk truck belong
ing to j. j. Bowles, dairyman, dropped
into an excavation along the line of
the tracks of the Capital Traction Co.
at Pennsylvania avenue and Eighth
street southeast. 1t was taken from
the excavation by the street car COM
pany's wrecking crew and was found
not damaged.