Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-23
1909 ACCIDENTS
IN D. c. TRAFFIC
IS YEARS REPORT
Fatalities Total SO, Showing
Decrease of Fl Under
Year Before.
3,162 PERSONS HURT
IN 12-M0NTH PERIOD
Minor Traffic Violations Afford
Over 0ne-Half of Po-
lice Cases.

A total of 1909 traffic accidents oc-
CURED In the District in the fiscal year
ended June 80 last, in which So persons
were killed and 3,162 were injured, ac-
cording to q report on police activities
submitted today to Maj Henry G. Pratt,
superintendent, by Capt L. I. H. Ed
wards, personnel officer.
Decrease In Fatalities.
The trafic fatalities represent re-
duction Of Il under the preceding
fiscal year, but the number of acct
dents showed an increase of S55 over
the 1854 reported for the IL months
ended June 80, 1929. Aside from the
casualties, the accidents caused prop
erty damage in 5000 cases, an increase
Of 1860 over the previous year.
Nine of those killed and 663 of those
injured were children under Il years
Of age. Automobiles were responsible
for So of the deaths. street cars and
railroad trains 2. Pedestrians injured
numbered 1890. of whom 1906 were
struck by vehicles and the remaining
81 by street cars.
Many Traffic Violations.
Capt. Edward also showed in the re-
port that q coroner's jury held So of
the So trafic deaths to be accidental.
and that in the remaining Is the jury
held the person responsible for action
Of the grand jury.
Another section of the report revealed
that 60.967 or more than one-half of
the police in the last fiscal year in
volved infraction of the trafic regula-
tons. This represents an incrAsae Of
1850 over the 1929 fiscal year. Speed
ing was the principal cause of the
increase, there being 10,0S1 cases last
year In comparison with 7.547 in the
preceding IL months.
Hit-and- Runs Total S55.
Miscellaneous violations of the trait
nc rules, which includes overtime park
ing and parking abreast, were re-
sponsible for S,440 of the cases last
year, an increase of 122 over the pre-
ceding year. There were 355 cases of
colliding and failing to stop, compared
with $50 the previous year, and 342
cases Of driving while drunk, a decrease
OF under the preceding year. The
cases OF reckless driving numbered
1880, compared with 2,15i in the 1928
fiscal year.
Violations of the prohibition law are
credited with 5,557 Of the cases, an in
crease Of $40 over the preceding year.
The increase Is represented chiefly in
cases involving possession of liquor, SELL
ing liquor, conspiracy to violate the
liquor law and maintaining a nuisance
There were 1882 cases of violation
of the Sheppard law, which includes
intoxication, drinking in public and
operating a vehicle while drunk. In
the preceding year there were 1923
similar cases.
Seizures under the VolStead law, the
report showed, totaled "a, 429A gallons
Of intoxicating liquors, 1880 bottles of
beer and 233 gallons of beer. In the
1929 fiscal year the seizures included
20, 48oI2 gallons of intoxicating liquors,
23.182 bottles Of beer and 1913 gallons
Of beer.
Fewer Stills Seized.
Among the other seizures were 80
stills and 20,045 gallons of mash. In
the preceding year So stills and 66,916
gallons Of mash were seized. Capt. Ed
wards believes the reduction shows that
Illicit liquor manufacturers are leaving
the District and going into nearby
Maryland and Virginia.
The report Of Capt. Edwards also
gives detailed analysis Of cases in
volvtng various other ofIenses for which
arrests were made in the last fiscal
year. OF the 4.057 felony cases, / ,O28
were for grand larceny. sol for house
breaking, 240 for robbery, 119 for vio-
lation of the lottery law and 800 for as
sault with dangerous weapon.
Under the classification of INSIDE
meanors, Capt. Edwards listed ~ .9O9
cases, of which 283 were for carrying
concealed weapons. SO for operating q
handbook, 1877 for vagrancy and 1872
for permitting gaming.
Three UnsOIved Murders.
According to the report there were Al
murders in the last fiscal year, a de-
crease Of nine under the preceding year.
Arrests were made in all OF the MUIR
der cases except 8. Twelve of the muir
der victims were white and the remain
ing 20 were colored.
OF the other cases listed there were
IL cases of manslaughter, a reduction
Of two under the preceding year; 369
cases of assault with a dangerous
weapon, an increase of % over 1929
and l06 cases Of suicide, an increase of
six over 1929.
COURT ASKED TO ANNUL