Evening star., 1933-12-31

LaDDe was one Oh JIlOSe WIlo A1NCoIiSaeCu
the accident. Under violent objections
from the defendants lawyer, who was
overruled, Liable gave his complete tes-
timony regarding what had happened
as he read it in clues left at scene at
the time. The skid marks of the large
sedan, he said, began 6 feet short OF
the stop sign-too late to stop the car
even at lawful speed-indicating,
therefore, that Swarts had had no in
tention of stopping. The marks, Liable
went on, continued for 81 feet beyond
the stop sign to the point of impact
with the coupe, and 81 feet farther
before the car finally came to stand
STILL a total skid under locked brakes
of 81 feet He testified that he had
examined the brakes of the sedan and
found them to be efficient. BY mathe-
matical computation which takes &C
count of momentum, weight and other
factors, he stated, the sedan must have
been travelling between SIS and 60 miles
an hour when the brakes were applied.
The defense Immediately objected that
there was no proof that the skid marks
which the officer was talking about were
actually made by the car which Swarts
was driving. This gave the prosecution
an opportunity to score again. Photo
graphs were exhibited, showing a dirt
deposit with tread marks left on the
sidewalk by an automobile tire at the
point where the skid ceased: A vivid
'fngerprint" of a tire. Side by side
with this was exhibited another photo
graph, identified as the tire on the rear
left wheel of the sedan.
DO you claim asked the prosecutor,
that this dirt deposit was left by this
particular tire?"
II do"
ION what groundS?"
Il have compared the two for size,
shape, design, perfection and imperfec-
ton, and I find them IDENTICAL"
The Judge examined the photographs
with great interest. The evidence was
conclusive even to an unframed eye. 1t
ended the essential testimony, and
Swarts was found guilty. That was the
first time in Cook County that case
of this kind was ever prosecuted sue
ceSsfully.
The prevention of accidents is our
main object. We cannot, of course, pre-
vent them all. To reduce the number
as much as possible, it is absolutely
necessary to make conviction the rule
instead of the exception. No other de-
terrent is nearly so powerful. We go
to good deal of pains, therefore, to
"get our man" and the evidence that
will put him on the spot.
MOT long ago an ornamental light post
on Sheridan road, near Northwest
ern University, was discovered lying on
its side, and tire marks at the corner
showed where a car had careened into
it, evidently in the middle of the night.
No report of the accident had been made
by the driver or anybody else. If found,
the driver could be arrested for leaving
the scene of an accident, and could also
be made to pay for the light standard.
competent officer was assigned to the
job.
He was able to pick up only two clues.
One was the tire imprint, which he
identified as a make of which thou
sands were in use. The other was a
small metal object about 2 inches long;
he didn't know what it was, but it was
covered with grease and dirt and looked
as if it might have come off car.
Now, the light standard had been
set in feet of solid concrete and had
been bodily uprooted. Two deductions
seemed warranted: That the Car must
have been fairly heavy and that it could
rot have escaped without considerable
damage. 1t probably could not have
travelled far without halting for repairs.