Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 280, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1914 — TWO INJURED AND AUTOMOBILE WRECKED [ARTICLE]

TWO INJURED AND AUTOMOBILE WRECKED

Thanksgiving Accident Due to Reckless Driving While Bottle of Whiskey Figured. Charlie (Marlin and Lou Hickman have cause to be thankful that’ tpey are yet alive, while Ed Oliver, who owned the 1912 Buick roadster that was wrecked on Thanksgiving morning is wondering where his cause for thanksgiving comes in. The accident occurred at the W. H. Beam corner at about 11 o’clock Thursday morning and the most completely wrecked automobile we have ever seen is now at the Central Garage, while Marlin and Hickman are at their homes in care of physicians. Marlin, who was driving the car and who is apparently entirely to blame for the accident, suffered the less, having his left wrist broken and some cuts and bruises about his face and head. He fell free from the car. Hickman was pinned beneath the car and suffered the fracture of his right arm at the elbow, a broken nose and a long gash across his scalp. Also other bruises. It Was first thought that his skull was fractured but this proved not to be the ease.

The ,car belonged to Ed Oliver and had just been undergoing repairs at the Central Garage. ’Mr. Oliver was in Lafayette and had sent word to Harve Moore, the auto liveryman, to meet him at the depot in Moore’s car. Harve was not feeling well and asked Marlip, who was employed at the garage, to take Oliver’s car to the depot for him. It was just about train time. Hickman climbed into the car with'Marlin. Marlin was driving at reckless speed, according tb severaKwJro saw the car in its flight and According to Hickman, who states that he asked him three times to reduce the speed. Devere Yeoman was driving to the depot and Marlin dodged around Yeoman's car, passing it on the right side. At the Beam cross ing there is a considerable rise caused by the sidewalk crossing and as the car struck this there was an explosion, probably a bursting tire and Marlin lost complete control of the machine and it dashed into a telephone pole, which it broke off, and the car turned over, Hickman underneath, while Marlin went high in the air and fell ifree. Some estimate that the car was running at a speed from 35 to 45 miles an hour. The only surprise is that both the occupants were not killed outright. A quart bottle of whiskey found in the seat of the automobile may have figured in the accident. It was almost empty. In justice to Hickman it should be said that he is not a drinking man, while reports concerning Marlin are conflicting. Whether under the influence of liquor or sober, there seems no excuse for the reckless .speed at which he was driving and the accident is the result of his

folly. The car is probably so badly wrecked that nothing can be done with it. The front axle was torn off, one wheel being a mass of twisted and broken wire spokes. The rear axle is bent, the fenders of the car mashed into a mass, the front springs twisted, the lamps broken off, the windshield torn off and the body of the car cracked and sprung. The ear had recently had new wheels and new tires put on it at a cost of almost S3OO.