Evening star., 1949-07-23
Cab Driver 10 Appeal
Fine in Speeding From
Pursuer, Fearing Shot

A Yellow Cab driver plans to
ask the Municipal Court Of Ap-
peals to decide whether he had a
right to ignore the speed limit in
a 60 mile-an-hour flight from q
pursuer he thought was armed.
Judge Walter J. Casey told him
yesterday he had no such right.
The Municipal Court jurist also
denied that the pursuer. a Wash
ington printer who chased the
taxi nearly 80 miles from Beverly
Beach. Md, had any excuse for
a similar violation.
The chase. which ended with
the taxi wrapped around a tree
in the 2600 block of Blad-
ensburg road NE, began shortly
after Louis j. Remington. 81, the
cab operator. delivered the wife
of his pursuer to a Beverly Beach
cottage last Sunday morning.
Orders Wife's Return.
Irving H. Bridgers, 46, the hus-
band, who operates an F street
print shop. came out and ordered
his wife, from whom he Is sepa-
rated, driven back to Washington.
He enforced the order, Remington
testified, with a threat to get a
shotgun, and lifted his wife into
the cab himself.
Mrs. Bridgers. however, started
pummeling his head only a short
distance away and grabbed for
the door handles. making it nee
essary for him to tell her to get
out. the cab driver told the court.
She had been drinking before he
picked her up in Washington and
had stopped for a beer on the
way to the beach, he added.
When his wife walked back,
Bridgers jumped into his own car
and took after the cab. The print
er told the court he wanted to
bring the cab driver back and
confront him with my wife and
see If he still had her money. and
then have him take her back to
town." Mrs. Bridgers had paid
Remington $12 for the round
trip, 1t was testified.
Bridgers denied he had any
weapon, but Remington testified
he was scared" and sped toward
Washington, radioing for police
help en- route. At one point he
thought he had eluded the other
car. only to find 1t trailing him
again later. he said.
Sought Police Protection.
When the crash came, it was
testified. the cab driver dashed
out of the wrecked cab and over
to a nearby police car. where he
ducked into the back seat. shout
ing. Don't let him get me. "
Bridgers, meanwhile, drawing up
to the scene. had jumped out and
was looking for the driver.
Attorneys for the cab driver
Alfred M. Schwartz and Samue
A. Friedman. argued that IF you
are in fear of your life, for your
own self preservation you may
disregard the law" even at the
jeopardy Of other lives. Although
Bridgers was not shown to have
q shotgun. the cab driver thought
he did have. they pointed out.
Even treason is warranted
when . person is motivated by
fear" Mr.. Schwartz told Judge
Casey.
Judge Casey conceded that. III
I were placed in this position.
would undoubtedly do the same
thing" But, he said. he would
expect to face the penalty pre-
scribed by law. The law allows
neither fear nor moral duty as
an excuse, he pointed out.
II feel this court cannot pos
sibly write, into the law excep-
tions that the legislators them
selves didn't recognize" he de-
clared.
THE public interest is para
mount to the individual difficult
ties in which the two parties
found themselves.
He fined each of the defendants
$25. A 500 appeal bond was set
for Remington.
| Minerals Washed Into Sea
Salt and other minerals con-
tinually are washed into the sea
at an estimated rate of 5000, ,000,-
900 tons a year.
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