Caroline Balsz, aged six years and two months, the little
daughter of Fred Balsz, was run over by a street car
yesterday morning about 6:45 o'clock near the corner
of Sixth and East Washington Streets and so badly
injured that she died before she could be taken home.
The incident was one filled with distressing features
that appealed to the sympathy of all who witnessed any
part of the scene as well to every properly constituted
person who heard the facts related today. C.E. Hafford
was in charge of the car that did the work of death and
though no blame attaches to him so far as known, he has
suffered the most acute mental anguish, resulting from
his connection with the circumstance.
The mother of little Caroline died a few years ago and
she has been cared for since by a half sister, Mrs. M.
Zepeda who resides on Adams Street, between Fifth and
Sixth. The little girl had been sent to Mr. Williams'
grocery store on the southeast corner of Sixth and
Washington Streets which necessitated her crossing
the street from the north to the south. The street
car track merges into one just east of the intersection
of these streets and an east bound car was standing on
the south track waiting for the west bound car to pass
while the little girl was making her purchase. By the
time the two cars passed each other the little girl
had started home and was standing on the north rail
of the south track as near as Mr. Hafford can remember.
He was at his post, with one hand on the brake and the
other on the regulator, as he had just passed the
switch and at such times the motor man is necessarily
at his place. There was no other person on his car.
As he approached the little girl she stepped in front
of his car, an act that caused him great surprise as
he supposed she was waiting for him to pass. Though
the car was running slowly, before Mr. Hafford could
stop it, it was over the child, whose little body was
frightfully mangled. It is said he had to back the car
a little to extricate the child, whom he took at once
to a little grass plat in the shade by the roadside and
summoned help from the neighbors in the immediate
vicinity. The little one was moaning piously at the
time but before a delivery wagon could be brought from
the grocery across the street, her spirit had taken
its flight and all was still. Mr. Williams recognized
the child at once, and placing her tenderly in the
wagon, accompanied by Mr. Hafford, he took her to the
home of Mrs. Zepeda on Adams Street. Then followed a
scene words cannot describe. The poor woman was almost
distracted and gave way to the most violent expressions
of grief. Neighbors arrived almost immediately, anxious
to be of some service, but it was some hours before Mrs.
Zepeda became reconciled to the situation and calm enough
to restrain her sorrow to silent sobbing. The tragic
event was so sudden and so unexpected it was the more
unnerving. Mr. Hafford was himself almost prostrated
and it was a long time before he could really calm
himself sufficiently to tell of the accident. He
refused to take the car back to the barn, in fact,
could not do so, then went to his room and took off
his uniform. His suffering was equally as touching
as that of the relatives of the little one.
It is said that the child had an affected vision and
frequently could not see any great distance and that
fact probably accounts for her stepping in front of
the car. This move on her part was a startling one
to the motor man as he was so close he had no idea of
her attempting to cross. She probably did not note
the approaching car when she stepped over the rail.
It was generally reported yesterday that the little girl
stepped from behind one car in front of the other one,
and while she did in one sense it is believed the east
car was so far ahead it would not interfere with her
seeing the other one. Mr. Hafford called to the motor
man on the east bound car as soon as the accident
happened but he was then nearly to Seventh Street
and did not hear the summons.
The remains of the little one were taken to the undertaking
parlor of Mohn and Easterling where they were viewed by
Coroner Burnett and the following jurymen: John Hurley,
Jake Davenport, A.S. Mills, H.A. Haribut, Milt Cork and
W.H. Black. It was found that the skull was broken and
the legs mangled. The remains were embalmed and the
funeral will be held this morning at 10 o'clock at the
Catholic Church. Interment will be made in the Odd
Fellows Cemetery.
The Inquest
July 11, 1901
The inquest concerning the death of little Carolina Balsz
was concluded last night. The verdict was a very carefully
drawn one. It exonerates the motorman, C.E. Hafford of any
charge of negligence or failure to do what he could with the
means at hand, to avert the accident. On the other hand it
contains no allusion to the defective eyesight of the little
girl as a contributory incident and altogether leaves the
friends of the little girl and the company in precisely the
same relation they were to each other at the beginning of
the inquest.
The verdict on this point is as follows: Death was due to
an accident, the said Carolina Balsz having been struck by
car number 14 of the Phoenix City Railway Company in charge
of motorman and conductor C.E. Hafford said C.E. Hafford,
in the opinion of this jury, having exercised every means
within his power and control to avert said accident.
The inquest was resumed in the morning but was not
concluded until 8 o'clock last night in order to give
Motorman Hochderffer of Car No. 16 time to be heard.
WILLIAM A. BANNISTER
May 15, 1901
William A. Bannister died yesterday morning about 3
o'clock at the Sister Hospital of appendicitis after
an illness of about a week. He was 33 years old and
a step-son of J.H.W. Jensen of this city. His funeral
was held at the undertaking parlors of Merryman and
Holley.
JACK BARRETT
July 3, 1901
The saddest event of the past few months here as the sudden
death yesterday morning of little Jack, infant son of Dr.
and Mrs. J.S. Barrett. He was apparently in good health
on Sunday. Mrs. Barrett took him to Granite Dells for an
outing that day with a party of friends, but the little
one had been suffering with the usual ailments resulting
from summer teething. Sunday evening he apparently fell
into a quiet sleep from which nothing seemed to rouse
him, and early yesterday morning breathed his last,
congestion of the brain overcoming him. Mr. Barrett
is in an almost critical condition of health today as
a result of the shock which has completely prostrated
her and Dr. Barrett. The little one was buried early
this morning, the small casket being literally buried
beneath flowers.
W.A. BARRETT
September 6, 1901
Major J.H. McClintock received a letter yesterday from
the father of W.A. Barrett, residing in Salem, Mass.
announcing that his son had died in Havana, Cuba on the
7th of August. The dead man was about 27 years of age
and was quite well known in Phoenix. He was a clerk in
the quartermaster's department at Matanzas and other
Cuban points during the Spanish American War and contracted
pulmonary trouble. He came here last year for his health
and stayed several months, forming many close acquaintances
as he was sociable and of a pleasing disposition. When he
left he was apparently cured of disease. He returned to his
post in Cuba, being transferred to the Havana office. Some
time ago he wrote to Major McClintock asking him for an
endorsement to General Wood for a position in the adjutant
general's department. It was forwarded but it seems that
the young man had died of hemorrhage previous to the arrival
of the letter which was forwarded to Salem, Mass. and
through the acknowledgement of which Major McClintock
learned of his untimely death.
MRS. M.O. BEAR
December 19, 1901
Mrs. M.O. Bear, wife of William Bear of Harrisburg, Ariz.
died last Saturday morning at 7:30, after a short illness.
She was a native of Georgia and has resided in this territory
for about twenty five years. She was interred in the cemetery
at Harrisburg at 10 o'clock the next day. Her age was 67 years.
CHARLES BEAKLEY
August 20, 1901
Charles Beakley, a 17 year old Jerome boy, committed
suicide on the 17th by shooting with a 22 rifle. When
the other boy had shot he asked for the gun and when it
was given to him he turned it upon himself and fired,
the ball going through his heart. He had been suffering
from sickness (print too faded to read).
