| Show INQUEST HElD HELD TO ITO 10 GET FACTS AS TO DEA DEATHS OF TWO I WO BOYS Ralph Cragun and Ed Ed- Edward Edward Edward ward Miller Y Were on One Bicycle CRUSI CRUSHED D BY BUS Witnesses Describe II how w Accident Occurred K Near Kear ear Ogden The jury afternoon returned a II to time the effect that tIme thc boys bos Caine to their death through h col liston tt i it P I I bus biLs but the driver was ns In no way criminally negligent nt Inquest Into the of ot Ralph Edward Ed Cragun and Edward Edward- Mu- Mu lor ler year old l boys ot of o Pleasant PleasantView PleasantView View who were killed on the Pleasant View highway Thursday evening March 10 by a Utah Utah- Utah Idaho Idaho Central railroad motor bus was Vas opened this th morning before Judge J A Hendricks and a coroners coroner's corones jury ury At noon most of ot the tho th i had completed their testimony and the th hearIng was adjourned I until 1 30 o'clock to permit the I jurors to go so to Pleasant View to view the scene of the tho accident WITNESSES WIT Witnesses who saw the accident agreed sred in their testimony that the thebo bo boys came from front a a side roa road l onto Onto the he pavement riding upon one bi- bi bicycle bi hi bicycle cycle The boys they testified I proceeded along ahead of the tho th bus for a short distance when one of I them turned and SIV saw the time bus coming The Tho boys became overbalanced o the witnesses aseM said and wobbled from the right ta tu the tort left side aide of the tho road while the driver of the bus swerved back and forth In an effort to avoid old striking them Tb toys boys finally moved to the south side of ot the pavement pa ran her t o bus struck and amid ran over oer them PHYSICIAN Lis ON ox XO ST Some Som said they heard lie driver sound his horn while others said Mid they did not hear the warnIng but It may ha have sound sound- ed- ed edAll All MI agreed that the tho motor bus down when the driver saw V the lads and he h apparently apparently apparently did his best to avoid old striking them Dr Ezra C Rich Etch of Ogden was I the first witness He lie testified lie he was called to the Pleasant View highway ab about ut o'clock on Thursday evening Ho tie testified the Miller boy died from a II frac frac- fractured frac- frac fractured fractured skull a few minutes after Arter he arrived The Cragun boy was removed to the Dee hospital where he died about 15 minutes after arter arrival from abdominal and other Injuries His right thigh was waa also broken the physician testified LaWrence H Ti Swanner Sanner of first Twenty first street driver of th the motor coach was the tho th principal witness and was more more closely questioned than the others He testified that the bus left Ogden at o'clock Thursday evening bound for Logan Locan and scheduled I to 10 arrive there at o'clock On the tho th Pleasant PIea View highway where It rune run west before making I a turn to the tho north he ho said he I saw lIaw the tho two boys come from a alane aane alan lane l ane on the th right side Kida of ot the road lie He was then some distance from them and slightly sounded hIs horn and slowed up to determine which way they were going to go 0 KOi The Tho bicycle he said proceeded to the center of the pavement and I then swung to the lh right Swanner sail lAId that at this point he turned his bus hue to the left to pass them themon themon themon on the proper side One On boy on the th bicycle ho he con- con 1 on Page Three INQUEST HELD HELDON HELDON mm ON TWO DEATHS front from rage luge One turned his head hend and saw the bus approaching The bicycle then s seemed emed to become over over- overbalanced overbalanced balanced and zigzagged ils back and an anforth forth across the pavement while he applied tho the brakes brake The bi- bi bicycle hi cycle finally came Mme over to the th left side ide of the road where the thebus thebus bus struck truck the th boys and ran o OY r Ithem them Swanner estimated that the boys me feet ahead of him and going point In the same direction when h he first saw them Ho lIo estimated his speed at 25 2 miles an hour In answer to questions f P ley E county attorney who cond conducted the examination and an Phillip Orth Oro one ene of the jurymen he could not have o ol n avoided led the accident even If he had applied his brakes when he ho first saw aw the lads He Ito added that he lie believed he lie could pus pass them safely on the th left side end and would have If It the boys had not nol swerved to the th left In front of at the coach Swanner further estimated that the b bodies of the boys were about 60 50 feet from froni rom the bus bua after it it had hai passed over them and come to a astop astop a stop Ho He said he believed the wheels wheel passed over their bodies bodies bodle judging by the jar of o the th machine machin His machine he sid said aid was ws equipped equip equip- equipped ped pod with brakes air on the rear wheels Had the boys remained on or their right side of ot the th highway he h concluded there would have hav been no accident u s Diana Stewart of Salt Sail Lake a passenger also that the tho boys came from a road onto the pavement and md the driver m made de a t sound of ol his horn One of the boys turned and anil the zig-zagging zig of the bicycle began beean while the driver also swerved back and forth The bus finally struck the th bicycle on en the th left side of the th pavement Miss I Stewart said she could not estl esti esti- esti estimate mate the speed of the coach May Moy Campbell of Brigham Briham City another passenger gave eav about the same testimony and said the driver drivel slowed ed down when he hI h saw sav the boys bos come onto the th highway nn TESTIFIES Adam S Bennion of Salt Lake superintendent superintendent of L D S schools was also a passenger He fled Cled In more detail as lIS to the ac- ac accident accident ac accident Tho bus bus was about 73 75 or feet from the boys when they rode onto the tho highway They turned to go so w west st the th same ame dl- dl direction the bus was traveling When one boy on the tho bic cle cl turned ar around und and saw the bus coming he lie apparently lost his balance bal bal- balance ance Mr on Benn testified and th the wheel wobbled back and forth The driver was unable to t determine which way they were wort going coin he added and turned his machine bati and forth until he h nearly went eat off oft the pavement pa on the left leCt and the boys boy wobbled over In front of of the coach awl were run down The coach conch was slowing up and the driver was WIlS applying his brakes Mr Dennion Bennion said He estimated th the speed nt at alfrom from Crom 25 to 30 miles miles mile an hour hoor Mr Bennion concluded that the horn might have sounded but ho he was wa not sur lure S It It was one of those thue eases case where T I believe If It I I were driving I would not have sounded my m hOf hors hoer for Cor fear fear of alarming the hoys boviL ho i Mr Mr- Ir Bennion said sold SCOUT E Dilworth Young Toun of Ogden Osden Boy BoyScout Scout executive gave t similar to that of Mr Bennion Re He had a clear view of the road he declared because he could auld see eee ee down the aisle of the coach lIe He estimated the boys bOYR cam came onto the pavement about 25 yards ahead ahead of the bus and turn turn- turned turned turned ed to Ih the rl right ht side of the pave pavement ment meat 11 He lie then explained the T K aig- aig Ig- Ig zagging of the bicycle after orter on ne neho boy ho turned around and arid the coach running them down on the left side of the pavement The driver pr slowed up as liS he approached h testified and ond when he hI saw he h could not get around the bicycle on one aile side ide swung to the other and they wobbled back and forth until they finally met tact After Arter striking the bicycle Mr Young YounA estimated th the coach travel travel- traveled traveled ed d between 25 to 30 yards erds coming to fa a stop Ho to estimated the speed of the coach when the thebo's boys bos wore were sighted at nt 25 23 miles an hour Then there was war a a gradual up until n th the impact cami I the bu bus finally came to a astop aStop stop Mr Young did not recall hearing tho the horn born sounded but sKI saki the th driver may have blown It Mr r Young said cald the Cragun un boy tio Va w ab conscious as he lay on the thu p ment and In tn his apparent pain at arcI d fear looked up zinc ana na thy did you hit us Tic still or er boy was unconscious OTHER I Eli WITNESSES Elmer Elmr Harris Cecil Cra Cra- n 15 both bolh of Pleasant VI testified they were coming tram from the Hot Springs on a n motorcycle and approached the cOll coach 1 lr m mIh Ih Ibe opposite direction When i a block away stray they saw sa the boys beys on the bicycle In of at atthe othe I the coach and anil then the tho hue bus seem ed ad to Dos pass paSo over ever them The stopped about feet foet from where j the boys were lying on the pave pare when they arrived tes- tes d James Jensen and anil Mormon Cra Cra- gun jun both ot of o pleasant View gave testimony that they thy were were also drivIng driving Ing from he be springs to Pleasant PleasantView t View but did not arrive until the thc accIdent had iad happened Cragun said the wrecked bicycle was ns un Un under der the he front end ene of the bus bua Cra- Cra Cragun gun gilt thought the left wheel of the was ort oft the pavement on on the left side of the road when It stop stop- stopped peti pC Jensen said cald the bu stopped about 75 feet from frem where the boys wr were lying on the road but ho did not measure the distance Deputy Sheriff John J Murphy MUrph who ho Investigated the tho accident said Raid ht ho measured the distance from the Hie boys lay to the point where the conch coach stopped The tance 1 lanco was feet he ho said and eps measured by pacing I Jurors In the case are Walter WalteG G Finley Joseph Morten on nail I Phillip Orth Mr air Orth questioned a lh the witnesses closely and Inquired II frem some Bome as us to the speed peed per of ot a machine machin traveling so 80 I n miles an hour houe The witness witness- c es were unable to answer and when hen Mr Orth Insisted County At- At Attal tal ney called attention that the th witnesses were not liot quail quail- qualified tied fied as liS experts In this line Mr hir Orth also Insisted upon questioning the driver as to to his schedule between Ogden and Logan end and demanded to know If lie he was not com compelled to make a time between the two o 11 points r r d il that th Te I I lib V so as no tim timi lm to o tOllow but bul the a and com comfort tort of oC th ih rs was the the th first re- re r ro q lr mn mim N J Harris Ogden attorney 1 who aad Ie ho 10 represented the he pan eats enta of the Iho boys asked to question witnesses He was WiL this right by Judge J 3 A Rf and County Attorn Attorney They Informed him that It hi could ask asic any question through the county attorney but could not nol conduct a personal examination lit at this time |
