Evening star., 1926-11-18
DEATH CAR
DRIVER, IS HELD.
Inquest Bares Dispute as
to Number of Occupants
in Accident.

A coroner's jury. following a hur-
riedly summoned inquest at the
morgue early this afternoon, ordered
Stephen S. Etzler, % years old, Of 207
Sixth street northeast, held for the
grand jury as q result Of the accident
in his car last night which cost Rob-
ert w. johnson, "a, of Hyattsville,
Md, his life. Miss Bernice V. Hut.
ton. 10, of 1889 Thirteenth street
southeast. who was detained following
the accident, was released from Gus.
tody.
The testimony showed that with Etz-
Ter at the wheel of his four-passenger
coupe. johnson and his wife and Miss
Hutton left the Johnson home about
II O'Clock last night to come to Wash.
ington. Choosing the back way"
through Brookland, Etzler had just
turned across the District line and
was driving down Queens Chapel
road near Bunker Hill road, when
Johnson complained that he was Ill.
Leaned Out for Air.
Johnson occupied seat behind Etz'
leaned far out a window for air, it was
said. Etzler said the car skidded
around a bend in the road and that
at the same minute he heard a thud.
Turning he saw Johnson hanging
Imply over the window housing,
bleeding from hole in his skull. With
out stopping to investigate, Etzler put
on speed and hurried to Garfield Hos
pital There physicians said Johnson
had died.
Who occupied the rear seat of the
coupe with johnson is at present a
mystery Mrs. Johnson surprised both
the police and other witnesses by de-
claring five persons were in the car.
A Washington physician, she said, sat
in the back seat with her husband,
while she, Miss Hutton and Etzler
used the two front ones. The police
were mystified over this revelation, as
Mrs. johnson had said, with the
others. last night that only the four
were in the car.
Denies Doctor In Car.
When Miss Hutton took the stand
she denied that the doctor had entered
Etzlers car. When they left the
Johnson home, she said, the physician
went to his own car and drove away
She did not know where he went.
whether he preceded them on the
back road" to Washington or whether
he followed behind. Miss Hutton and
Mrs Johnson, who testified without
knowing what either had said, dis
agreed on another point. Mrs. John
son said drinks had been passed
around at her home. Miss Hutton de-
clared she saw none.
Detective Sergt. Waldron, however,
said that when he took charge of
Etzler's car he searched it and found
bottle partly filled with gin. He
also said he had measured the dis
tance Johnson would have had to
reach to lean far enough out of the
car to be hit by a telegraph pole. He
found that the distance from John
sons seat to the outer edge Of the
fender was about 20 inches. A small
compartment for carrying packages,
directly behind the drivers seat
window.
Etzler told police that he could not
say what hit Johnson. He presumed
1t was a telegraph pole, since he could
not remember that another car had
passed him in either direction imme-
diately before or after the accident.
Examination of telegraph poles in the
vicinity Of the accident failed to show
any stains.
The jury, after celebrating for
few minutes. decided that Johnson
"came to his death from a fractured
skull, hemorrhage and shock, the said
injuries caused by his head, which
was held out of the window of
Packard coupe, striking a pole in
Queens Chapel road northeast, the
car owned and operated by Stephen
Etzler." In conclusion the verdict
added: And we hold Stephen Etzler
for the action of the grand jury"