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The Seattle Daily Times
Thursday Evening, May 8, 1902
Page 4, Column 5

Ran In Front Of The Car

Little Albert Heckart Killed on Howell Street

Was Playing With Other Boys When He Was Struck by the Car

Statement of Eye Witnesses

Albert Lloyd Heckart, the 9 year old son of James Heckart, a teamster living at 818 Olive Street, was struck by a Lake Union street car directly back of his home on Howell Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues at 12:07 o’clock this afternoon and almost instantly killed.

There was a crowd of little boys playing policeman on the street. All those who were playing the fugitive except the little Heckart boy, had been caught. Frances Dulon was after him, the two boys running one after the other as the car was passing. Suddenly, it seems from the statements of eye witnesses to the accident, the Heckart boy started to cross the street directly in front of the moving car. He was too late, however and was struck, falling in front of the car.

E.J. Etherston, employed in a grocery store on the corner, saw the boy just after he was struck and rushed to his assistance. As soon as the car was stopped assisted by the other bystanders and the men in charge of the car he removed the boy to the sidewalk and Etherston then ran to call Dr. Miles, arriving with the physician a few minutes after the accident happened. In the meantime the injured boy was removed to the home of his parents and he died there a few minutes after the arrival of the doctor and before anything could be done for him.

An examination showed that the fender had evidently struck him a hard blow on the back of the head crushing the skull at the base of the brain. There were no other injuries found on the body. The one blow was sufficient to have caused almost instant death.

Dr. Coe, official physician for the General Electric Company, was also notified soon after the accident and he arrived after the boy had been dead but a few minutes.

The coroner was notified after the boy’s death and Deputy Coroner Wiltse went to the scene of the accident and made an investigation. Later in the afternoon he subpoenaed the motorman and conductor, who told about the same story of the accident as that secured from bystanders.

The body was removed to Butterworth & Son’s Morgue, where it will be embalmed for burial. It will then be shipped to the former home of the parents in Oregon for interment.

The street car was Lake Union No. 6, outward bound, in charge of Motorman John Schofield and Conductor Fred Spray. According to the statements of both bystanders and the men in charge of the car it was moving at a moderate rate of speed and the accident was unavoidable. E.J. Etherston, who saw the accident and assisted in caring for the boy, stated to a reporter for The Times that the car was going if anything at a slower rate of speed than is usual for street cars at that place. He said the motorman seemed to be slowing up to stop at the next crossing. The car was stopped within half its length after the accident.

The Heckart boy was known to be near sighted, wearing glasses at the time of the accident to overcome this defect and it is supposed he did not see the car when he attempted to cross the street.

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Generously contributed by: Sheila Simpson