Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1914 — ANOTHER BAD AUTO ACCIDENT. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER BAD AUTO ACCIDENT.

Car Smashed to Flinders Here Thursday, But Occupants Miraculously -r—. Escaped Death. ix One of the most miraculous escapes from violent death in an auto accident that has ever occurred in Jasper county, happened in Rensselaer about 11 o’clock Thursday forenoon. Charles Marlin, who works at the Central Garage, was, as near as we are able to learn, going to the

depot in Ed Oliver’s Buick roadster, which was left by Oliver at the garage. to meet some parties who were expected in on the south-bound No. 37 train to go out to Oliver's place at Newland. It is said that Harvey Moore, who looks after the transportation of Oliver s visitors, had left word at the garage for them to send out the car to meet this train, Marlin is addicted to boozing, it is said, and had evidently been imbibing Thursday morning, in fact had been drinking for several days. Soon after he started out from the garage, he met Lou Hickman, who is employed at the garage also at times, and asked Hickman to ride up to the depot with him. Marlin pulled out at a pretty swift pace, and Hickman states that he asked him to slow down two or three times, but that Marlin paid no attention to him and was probably running about 4 0 miles an hour near the W. H. Beam corner when he turned out to pass around De- I Verfc Yeoman, who was going north in his Ford car. At the speed Marlin I was driving when he struck the • crossing near the curb, the carj bounded in the air, some say five feet, and the driver lost control of' it. The car swerved over to the east ’ and struck a telephone pole, perhaps 10 or 12 inches in diameter, just north of the Beam residence headon, breaking the pole off slick and clean close to the ground., It then evidently turned over once or twice and came to a stop some 30 or 40 feet front where it struck the pole and right side up, a mass bf junk.

Marlin was thrown clear of the car and lay in the middle of the street unconscious when picked up. His right wrist broken and he was badly bruised. Young Hickman was pinned under the front of the car and a gash about five inches long was cut in his head. It was first feared that his skull was fractured. His right arm was broken at the elbow, his nose broken and there were several cuts and bruises about his legs and body. That both were not killed outright was indeed a miracle. Marlin will probably always have a stiff wrist to remember his escapade by, but boi h will probably be out in a few days. The car was a complete wreck, the steering wheel, windshield and body being bent, broken and twisted, the front axle twisted off, both front wheels bent and twisted, as also was the frame of the front of the car. It may possibly be repaired, although it would seem that the repairs would cost almost as much as :• new car.

It is said that a bottle of whiskey was found in the car, and the first report was that both Marlin and Hickman were drunk. This in untrue, however, so far as Hickman is concerned, as the latter young man does not drink at all. W. S. Parks, who was subbing for Marshal Shesler. had warned Marlin against his fast driving only a few minutes before the accident. LATER-—The Democrat man Interviewed Mr. Oliver yesterday morning and he stated that he had notified Harve Moore to meet him at the 11:20 train and take him and a i couple of friends out to his place near Newland for dinner. Marlin knew of his call to Moore and wanted to drive Moore’s car for him. Moore told him that he would drive his own car, and Marlin then, without any authority from took Oliver’s car out of the garage and drove it with the above results. Marlin says that he doesn’t remember taking the car or driving it at , all, so he must have been pretty • drunk. The garage is probably responsible to Oliver for the damage to the car, it is said.