Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1912 — DRIVE AVIATORS TO DEATH [ARTICLE]

DRIVE AVIATORS TO DEATH

Selfish and Unreasonable Action of Cowards Is Something Hard >%. to Understand.' One would hesitate to use the word “cowardly” in connection with the operation at an aeroplane. At the present progress of the art every flight is attended with peril and every airman, is knows it. Bnt the man who has kept his head and nerve in momen* of great danger, thousands of feet in air - loses his backbone and finds himself unable to face the ridicule of an unreasonable crowd who have paid their admission and Insist on their pound of flesh. How often, unfortunately, the . past season have these modem Shylocks won their case. A number of deaths have been unquestionably due | to the aviator going np to appease the clamor of a relentless mob, when he knew he was going to almost certain death. The same men and women, the day before, had assembled at a baseball park, when the game wap postponed on account of rain. Disappointed, bnt in an orderly manner they filed blame for aiff one the refund of their gate money. The same crowd would cry out in righteous indignation against the attempted racing of an obviously sick horse; many of them would climb a tall pole or tree to rescue a frightened, helpless kitten. Bnt when they are bent on seeing an aviator in flight these same people seem to lose the last atom of compassion; and after he reaches earth,* bleeding mass, lose all sense of shame in an orgy of frenxy to secure a collar button or a fragment of his-clothes. Non* but barbarians would ravage even a foe fallen in battle thus. Just what are the psychological forces that pro* | duce these disgraceful cyclones of inhumanity is hard to expiate, but an the officer of the law does not hesitate to use force to save the life of a wouldbe suicide, so some legal power will be required to protect an airman frank " himself if this condition continues— Popular Mechanics Magazine.