Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-26
STOLEN STREET CAR,
DESERTED, WRECKED
AFTER WILD JOURNEY
Continued From First Page.)

| coming up Seventh street at a high
rate Of speed, but too late to bring his
machine to a stop. He continued OH
| across the tracks, the front of the car
barely missing him, and. seeing there
was no one aboard and the right front
door open, swung his truck around and
raced after 1t.
At Seventh and G Streets, Rabbi
pulled a signal box at 4:12 o'clock
Just then the car careened past. Bern
hardt and the officer saw each other
and the truck driver slowed down suf-
ficiently to allow the policeman to jump
onto the running board. In his ex-
element to board the truck and begin
car, Rabbi boarded the truck on the
right side. away from the street car.
Whistle Sounds Warning.
The car sped on to Seventh and o
streets, with the truck just behind with
the officer standing on the running
board blowing his police whistle to warn
early rising pedestrians and motorists
from the path. There, realizing he
was on the wrong side Of the machine
he requested Berhardt to stop. The
chase was delayed long enough to
permit Rabbi to run to the left side
of the truck.
Despite the warning of the whistle,
Rabbi declared. several persons hailed
the car along the route and three auto
mobiles barely escaped being struck.
AS they reached s street they had
drawn up even with the car. but they
were at T street before Berhardt had
edged his machine over sufficiently to
permit Rabbi to swing through the open
door OF the car.
II had just reached for the controls
to stop it," Rabbi said this morning,
when there was terrific jolt. That
was all 1 knew till found the car
halted and myself rolling on the floor"
Blocks Both Tracks.
According to Bernhardt, the front
wheels of the car continued north on
Seventh street, but the rear wheels fol-
lowed the branch tracks east on T
street. The result was it was derailed,
the rear end first veering around to the
right and then swinging back to the left.
The car finally came to rest diagonally
across the street. blocking both tracks.
AS the car went to the right it struck
Bernhardt's truck. knocking it 25 yards.
front OF the machine, landing on the
ground face downward.
Rabbi Immediately went to the first
precinct and reported what had hap
pened. The authorities at the car barns
were notified and Wrecking car was
dispatched to the scene. Workmen with
the aid of derricks lifted the car back
onto the track and it was toWed to P
and Water streets, where 1t started its
early morning journey.
Officials of the Capital Traction Co.
said today that the Car had been placed
at the entrance of the barns this morn
ing ready for its first trip at 4 $50
o'clock 1t was to have been the first
car to make the run up Seventh street.
Workmen at the barn reported that they
left it with the air brake on and the
control shut.
Must Have Known Mechanism.
They point cut that the colored man
who removed 1t from the barn must
have ben familiar with the mechanism
since the reverse lever was at zero and
| = person not knowing how to drive it
would have not thrown it forward as
was necessary TO turn on the current.
The col0red man was seen in the car
at Water and l. streets by Policeman j.
q. Middlethorn of the fourth precinct
as he was patrolling his beat. Thinking
the speed at which the Car was travel
ing TO be excessive and noticing 1t was
running with the front door open, he
: went to the barns and told of what he
| had seen. Then the car was found ia
| be missing.