The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-12

This did not in any way bring any decrease in speed in the Peebles' car and he then endeavored to hit one of the tires, and in this en- deavor fired two shots. When he saw that he had not succeeded he
 ceased firing. Herr then stepped | onto the running board, and draw
 ing his revolver, fired one shot af- ter the fleeing car in an endeavor
 also to hit a tire. Almost imme-
 diately after that the Peebles' car
 pulled up beside the road just a
 short distance from the bridge across the Housatonic river. sott
 officers, as they drew alongside tho
 car, reloaded in case the emergency
 demanded the further use of their | revolvers, and stopper towards the
 Peebles' car with their revolvers in
 their hands. Peebles and his wife stepped out, held their hands above their heads and said, ''We surren-
 der," they thinking they were be- ing pursued, as they say, by bandits.
 It was then discovered that Mrs
 Walker had been shot and, as it
 was discovered very shortly after
 wards that one of Peebles' tires was
 police car by Officer Richter, who
 drove her and her husband to St
 Vincent's hospital in Bridgeport. Herr went to the hospital with the Peebles as soon as the tire had been changed on their car. At the hos pital it was discovered that Mrs Walker was paralyzed below the fourth vertebrae and she was oper- ated on by Dr William H. Curley, who removed 3S calibre bullet | from the spine, which had practi- cally severed her spinal cord. The | bullet entered at point one and 1 one quarter inches to the left of the mid-spinal line directly over the | fifth thoraeic vertebra, proceeding
 forward and upward to the right, | striking the spine of the fifth thor
 acic vertebra on the left side. de-
 viating upward along the median line. Partially severing the cord on the left side at a point near the fourth thoracic vertebra, forming a | hole in the vertabral body and de- viating to the right side of the fourth thoracic vertebra and lodg- ing at that point. This caused a paralysis of the lower extremities. urinary bladder, rectum, and
 brought about an ascending infec- | tion to the kidneys resulting in a toxemia which caused death. on April IOCu, IooIs
 The occupants of the Peebles' car, | after the first effort had been made to stop them, under the impression that the pursuing officers were highwaymen, endeavored to escape. They stated that Mrs Walker was hit by the first shot which was fired. The subsequent examination | by the ballistics expert showed, how | ever, that they were in error in this, as the expert after testing the gun | and examining the bullets, clearly | indicated that the bullet which | lodged in Mrs Walkers spine was | fired by Officer Herr. The only | bullet fired by Richter which was
 recovered was the one taken out Of | the framework of the top.
 I find that said death was caused | by toxemia resultant from the in- | jury to the spine received when | Viola Walker was shot by State | Trooper George M. Herr, who, all though on duty, was grossly negli- | gent in so firing, and that said death was caused by the gross and criminal negligence of said George M. Herr.
 In compliance with the Statute I have filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court for New Haven County at Waterbury my report of the inquest together with the testi- mony taken.
 Dated at Waterbury, Connecticut, this 18th day of May, AID. 1881.
 JOHN T. MONZANI,
 Coroner for New Haven County
 at Waterbury