Newspaper Article - 1910 Auto
Accident
Daily News-Democrat
Huntington County IN
June 20, 1910
THE INJURED
Letha Ziegler aged 16
Ada Dalrymple aged 16
Lola McClurg aged 17
Dessie Shafer aged 17
Mae Brown aged 16
Jessie Brown aged 2
Russell Gray aged 12
Death guided the hand of the chauffeur in an auto
party at Plum Tree Sunday in which Miss Cleo Shafer was instantly killed
and her sister Miss Dessie, was badly injured together with the Misses Letha
Ziegler, Ada Dalrymple, Lola McClurg, Mae and Jessie
Brown and Russell Gray.
There had been a gathering at the Gray home that
day and late in the afternoon as it grew cooler, it was suggested by some of the
young folks that they take an auto ride. James Gray is the owner of
an auto and his son Russell Gray a lad about 12 years old, had learned to
be quite an experienced chauffeur, and on the occasion of the recent democratic
county convention he was in Hintington with his father and treated a number of
his young Huntington friends to a ride about the city.
The lads attracted considerable attention at that
time on account of his youthfulness as well
as the skilful manner in which he handled the machine. He was the chauffeur who
handled the machine Sunday when the accident occurred which resulted so
tragically for the happy party of autoists.
The Gray family resides in Plum Tree and the
tragedy happened in sight of their home. In front of the Souers 'Locust
Glen Farm'. The accident was due to a gully in the road-bed which was
washed out during recent heavy rains. The car was speeding along at a fair
rate of speed when the gully was reached, into which the front wheel of the
machine dropped, taking control out of the hand of the young chauffeur, much the
same as the tongue of a wagon is wrenched from one's hands when backed down a
hill when the wheel strikes a stone or some other obstacle. The sudden
stoppage of the machine caused the auto to careen and turn turtle, throwing the
occupants out after which it settled down over some of them holding them
prisoners.
The Shafer girls were seated in the front
seat with young Gray and were thrown clear of the machine. Miss Cleo
alighting on her head and shoulders causing concussion of the brain which County
Coroner Dr. Taviner says caused her death. Her sister hastened to
her side, although painfully injured herself, and carried her sister over to the
grass, where she gave a gasp or two and her spirit took flight, while the heroic
sister fainted away. The cries of the frightened and injured autoists
attracted the attention of Mr. and Mrs. Stutesman who reside on the
Souers farm and they were the first to reach the side of the victims. The sight
which met their gaze was more than Mrs. Stutesman could stand, and the
terrible agony and suffering of the injured caused her to swoon away and for a
time her condition was quite serious. It requiring some time and considerable
work to bring her to.
Russell Gray the chauffeur, escaped
serious but not painful bruises as his legs were peeled and bruised in a painful
manor. (several sentences i cannot read) Miss Shafer the young lady
who was killed, as well as her sister who was injured, are the nieces of Mrs.
Perry Keller of this city, who was notified by phone shortly after the
accident occurred.
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