Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1909 — THREE MORE VICTIMS AT AUTOMOBILE SPEEDWAY. [ARTICLE]

THREE MORE VICTIMS AT AUTOMOBILE SPEEDWAY.

National Car Left Track and Killed Mechanician and Two Spectators, Injuring Three Others. Three persons were killed and three others injured at the new speedway at Indianapolis Saturday afternoon, when the National car, after completing more than 200 miles of the 300 mild race, left the track and dashed through the fence. The driver of the auto escaped unhurt, but the mechanician, Frank Kellum, was killed, and two spectators, Homer Joliff, of Trafalgar, and James West, of Indianapolis, were also killed. Shortly after this disaster, another car skidded near the same spot, hit a portion of a bridge, and injured the driver. The referee of the races then called them to a halt, and the events were not completed. During the week six lives were sacrificed to the speed mania, and public Indignation and censure is so much aroused that it is not improbable that someklaws to prevent these wrecklesa and entirely valuless events will be passed. The promoters of the races at Indianapolis spent some $400,000 in the building of the track, and it is probable they will be large losers on the investment.

A number of Rensselaer people witnessed the last day’s racing, but L. A. Harmon seems to have been the only person that was near the place where the wreck took place. He was only about a hundred yards distant.