The Cable Car That Killed a Boy—and the Safety Rules That Followed

At the inquest held yesterday afternoon at Butterworth's undertaking rooms into the death of Charles Andrews, who was killed by a Front Street cable car at the corner of Harrison and Poplar streets Tuesday night, it was decided that no blame be attached to the company. Although the statement was not included in the verdict, Coroner Askam says that Gripman Benjamin Wyman and Conductor B. Laird, who were in charge of the train that killed Andrews, were exonerated from carelessness of any kind. The evidence brought out at the inquest confirmed the story printed in the Post-Intelligencer yesterday morning in every point save as to where the inquest was held. W. A. Harding was a passenger on the dummy when the accident happened, and his story confirmed the explanation of Gripman Wyman. Coroner Askam took the jury, which was composed of Paul Paulson, George Johnson, C. D. Chamberlain, James Marshall, Thomas Hood and A. L. Jacobs, to the scene of the accident and then to the house where the boy's remains lay, before returning to the undertaker's, and proceeded with the examination of witnesses. Following is the pith of the verdict: 'We find that death was purely accidental. To avoid accidents of the same kind in the future we would recommend that all street railway companies be required to place guards on the front of their dummies not more than two inches from the bed of the track, and we would further recommend that the railway company be required to ring the bell and slacken speed before approaching all crossings. A. L. JACOBS, Foreman.' Funeral services will be held at the North Seattle Baptist church this afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. C. F. Brownell officiating. The interment will be in View cemetery.