Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1916 — AUTO TOO MUCH FOR THE MULE [ARTICLE]

AUTO TOO MUCH FOR THE MULE

Car Crashes Into Rr.ggy and Hayrack East of Town. Charles Rhoadgs and Dwight Curnick, in a Ford car driven by Rhoades, ran into a buggy driven by Lewis Hooker and a hayrack immediately behind with disastrous results at about 7:45 ojclock Wednesday evening. A few minutes prior to the accident the two young men, with three young ladies in the back seat, whose names we could not learn, had driven out of for a short ride. They were proceeding east along the Pleasant Ridge road and at this time of the evening there were many vehicles coming to town, and these stirred up quite a dust. About the time they reached the Bedford place the lights on the machine commenced working bad, and this with the dust made it difficult for the driver to see. They had passed several rigs and when they met Mr. 'Hooker were almost upon him before they saw him. Rhoades turned out quickly, but not in time to avoid striking the buggy. One front wheel was torn off and the buggy upset. Mr. Hooker was thrown out and suffered several cuts and bruises and a twisted arm. The harness was badly broken. Immediately behind the Hooker

buggy was a hayrack from the Lawler ranch bn which nine men were riding. A team of mules, was hitched to the wagon and the car struck one of these, breaking its leg. It later had to be killed. In a frantic effort to avoid the team Rhoades turned the car quickly to one side and it turned throwing the occupants out. None of the young ladies were injured, it appears, but Rhoades and Curnick suffered several severe cuts and bruises about the hands and face. The car was badly damaged and the damage to the Hooker rig as well ag the dead mule, will make the total damage run high, probably close to S3OO.

The young, men state that they were not speeding but that the accident was due solely to the poor lights and a cloud of'dust that arose from the roadway.