Evening star., 1935-09-28
"A Little Bit Like DYING
Prisoner Fl ,OO7 Tells How 1t Feels to Be Serving
Time as Result Of Traffic
accident.

Law provides the, penalty for the
reckless dri0er wto Grades death.
This is borne out in the tollo,Ding
interuietp with Prisoner 21007 at
the District Jail, Dho is Serping
80 days after conviction for drip
ing while intoxicated and leaving
after colliding. Station WJSV last
night broadcast this interpiew from
the jail in connection iDtth The
Star safety campaign.
Neutrality-suspicious. 21oo7. Why did
you consent to being interviewed over
the radio tonight?
Prisoner-Well-it may prevent
other people from doing what I did.
Reporter-That is exactly it.. Now.
here is what want to do. want to
bring out in this interview exactly
what kind of man you were before
we'll, before anything happened. and
what kind of man you are now. Let
us start at the beginning. How old
are you?
Prisoner-Forty-e Eight.
Reporter-Where did you work two
months ago?
Prisoner-In a large department
store
Reporter-Did you have a family?
Prisoner-My wife died last Febru-
ary. She left me with three children.
Reporter-What age children?
Prisoner-One 7, one 5, one 8. The
5-year-old is a girl. The other two
are boys.
He Cared for Children.
Reporter-When your wife died. did
some other member of your family
care for your children?
PriSoney-No. There wasn't any
one else in my family. I took care OF
them myself. except when I was at
work. A nurse took care of them then.
Reporter-You were-well, father
and a mother both to them?
Prisoner-Yes. That is about it.
X
Reporter-Up until two months ago
had you ever been in trouble? Had
you ever been arrested?
Prisoner-Never. I was always q
law abiding citizen.
Reporter-Then something hap
pened?
Prisoner-Yes. Something hap
pened.
Reporter-What was that?
1t Happened on Sunday.
Prisoner-That was on the morning
of July %. 1t was Sunday morning.
Reporter-Do you remember what
hour it was?
Prisoner-Yes. About 8 o'clock, I
would say.
Reporter-You were driving your
machine?
Prisoner-Yes-my cab. You see,
I drove a taxicab some at night and
on my days off to make little extra
money
Reporter-Where had you been that
morning?
Prisoner-Well, I had been on a
party.
Reporter-Where were you going?
Prisoner-I was taking some one
home who had also been at the party
Then I was going home myself.
Reporter-Had you been drinking?
Prisoner-Only beer. I haven't
touched a drop of hard liquor in Is
years.
Reporter-Tell me what happened.
Failed to Make Sharp Turn.
Prisoner-I was driving north on
Twelfth street and made a right turn
into H street. A man who was COM
ing west on H street had stopped to
wait for the lights.
Reporter-Then what?
Prisoner-I did not make the turn
sharp enough. I don't know why.
Maybe it was the beer. don't know.
Anyhow, I sideswiped the machine.
Reporter-Did you stop?
Prisoner-Yes. pulled over to the
side and got out.
Reporter-Had any one been hurt?
Prisoner-No. I only crumpled the
left front fender of the other car.
Reporter-What did you do then?
PriSoner-The man in the other car
and began to argue over how much
it would cost to fix his machine
Reporter-Was there q policeman
there?
Prisoner-No. I was glad of that
because I had gotten somewhat
"heeled" on the beer had been
drinking.
Wanted SIS Damages.
Reporter suppose that had some
thing to do with the arguing, too?
Prisoner-Yes, suppose it did. But
he wanted s25 to fix the fender, and
didn't think it was damaged that
much. We got madder and madder.
Finally he started off, saying he was
going to call the police.
Reporter-What did you do?
Prisoner jumped in my cab and
drove of. I was still thinking about
that beer had been drinking.
Reporter--Where were you going?
PriSoner-I thought I would take
the person who was still in my cab
home and then I would hurry to my
house.
1ecPO1 1tcl-oIu yOu ScI LIlcIc!
Prisoner-No. only got few
blocks. A police scout car stopped
me near Eighth and I streets.
Reporter-And they arrested you?
Prisoner-Yes. They took me to
the precinct station.
Reporter-What did they do there?
Prisoner-They put me in a cell
with three or four drunks. They acted
like crazy men. One of them kept
wanting to choke me.
Reporter-What were the charges
they made against you?
Prisoner-Driving while intoxicated
ard leaving after colliding.
Reporter-How long was it before
you were tried?
Prisoner--I was tried on August 16.
Meantime had paid the money for
the other man to have his car fixed.
It was only a few dollars.
Reporter-But they convicted you
anyhow?