Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-18

He Was a Rich Man and Devoted lis Ti::,c to Athletic Sports He Was We'll ,.n.., |, Throughout the Country-Importrd .-4 First Bicycle Seen In New York.
 NEw YORK. April lS.-Rohcrt Center. Cluhman, man of leisure and one ut ti . best known sportSmCn in America W,!S knocked off his bicycle and cruSAr to death under the wheels of a coal W;con whilc riding on tho Western Boulevard near seventy s"Cund street.
 Ho survived the friEhttul injuries he received barely tErro hours. dying in Rurstvclt hospital, to which ko WAS rc- moved immediately after tho accident.
 The tragedy turrcd almost under tho windows of tho Colonial club and before tho eyes of the prrsid, mt, MT. ]. Ii. Pun dlrtorI, and halt a dozen of the members, to several of whom Mr Center was per sunally known.
 Tho Gcad Clubman whu>r devotion to the wheel extended back tu it's first intro duCtiun t0 this country, was kCrnly fond of an hours ride and was ,n;uying tho exercise la the full when thc accident hap pcucu.
 IIc had ridden from his apartments at l26 West Thirty fourth street over to tho west side, and was podaling swiftly down
  ward when at Seventy second street he passed nlVn.rsido If |. h,srsc ear which was z, ing i'll thr SImr direction.
 At thC sAlnV time a coal wagon which was going uH ;uwn along the tack turned out dirot tly iO his 18th to mako way for the CAT Mr. Crutrrs head was bent down over Ilc handle bars, and, not seeing the OncunnI wagon. ran directly into it.
 Ean Into the Wagon.
 The bicycle struck the fore part of the wagon near tuv wheel lc:uro the driver had time To think of pulling up his hurSc. and Mir. Center Was thrown Ut into tho path uf the waS"n. Tho left front wheel ran u>rr liS face, crushing in the skull, and after it t!r hind WEcvl passed over lis chest and t,IvraN, completing Lis fatal injuries
 Ih' rr,nr or R .h2rt Center Was known uN.. Whrrr in ;hr lest >l" IT m: circles in A,ntriCa. .\t Ii1,' ;trtr rt his death he W;!S 1I yeas ld and N,As ,uunvrtrd in suIl!,' wny w:ti. every I,F1:n,h ot sport. Mr. CrEtC" Was the son of q wealthy cotton broker who died in l>63. leaving him n fortune of %ru.. Ona. RolVrt was educated in Geneva, Switzerland. and camo homo at the age of Fl to take the place which with his fortune. he inherit cd as tho eldest son of one of tho oldest families in New York.
 Mir Center brought to this country tho first bicycle seen hero. weird machine ill modern eyes, which ho ChristCnod the Michaux, hut which was then n wonder t0 every bohuldcr. In other directions Mir Center wa> n hunting man, being one of the first in the field with tho Meadow. 1 brook hunt. an cX, client harytono singer and tho founder of the OrphCus Gle" club, i n well known whip and a universally pop | ular Cluhman.
 Nil. Center $ mother is still living, and At present is residing at santa Barbara, | Gal. where the sad news of her son { death reached her by telegraph late last night,
 The driver of the coal wagon which nc cidontly killed Mir Center Was arrested immediately after tho accident by Police man Cillics and was locked up in the 1 West Sixty-cighth Street station. He i' ! Frederick Winkrl of 5h West Forty scv "uth >tn"t He told the s,IgCant that thu ayciHrnt wnS utterly unnvoidnhl" on hi, | part,