The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-17
Occupants of the Automobile Were
Shot High Into the Air When the
Machine Struck the Tree.
STORY OF THE CHAUFFEUR
WHOSE STATEMENT ACCORDs WITH
THE ACCOUNTS OF OTHERS.
Mrs. Fairs Missing VIII Found-Pri-
Ority of Death Question Settled
by the Laws of California.

PARIS, Aug. ia representative of the
Associated Press has just returned to Paris
from the Chateau Buisson du Mai, at
Evreux, where a personal investigation
into the circumstances surrounding the
deaths of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Fair was
made. Nine. Hourd. wife of the gate
keeper of the chateau, who was an eye
witness of the accident, made the follow
ing statement to him:
When the automobile crashed into the
trunk of the elm tree I saw the occupants
of the carriage shot into the air to half
the height of the tree. Then they fell with
a thud. 1 screamed and rushed out from
the gateway and across the road, where
L saw the automobile tilted by the side
of the roadway, five yards from the tree
At first 1 did not see the victims, but aft
erwards perceived them at the foot of the
tree. Mr.. Fair was lying at full length
behind It, while his wife was against it's
front, as though sitting huddled with her
head leaning against the tree. Mr.. Fair,
apparently, was quite dead. / took his
wife's head in my hands and gently laid
the body fat on the grass. She did not
give sign of life. The horrible gashes on
the heads of Mr.. and Mrs. Fair upset me.
and l ran back 10 the lodge and called my
husband, who was i'll and in bed. to warn
the people at the chateau. / then re-
turned to where the bodies lay About this
time a painter, whom I do not know. came
along. l called him, and as he stood look
ing at the corpses L asked him to remain
there, l intended to go for the people
at the chateau He then walked away,
saying he had his own business to attend
TO and could not wait
'I then returned beside the bodies and
was looking at Mrs. Fair, when 1 saw the
gloved fingers of one hand slowly opening.
1 turned to her husband and found his foot
moving as though the leg was drawing up.
This frightened me and 1 ran back to the
lodge. When 1 returned with my husband
the bodies were motionless and never
stirred again.
When asked if she could say whether the
movements of the bodies she described had
lasted longer with Mr.. Fair than with his
wife she replied: "They took place stimuli
taneously. 1 was too unnerved to remain
and watch and ran back to the chateau,
and when 1 again saw the bodies they were
STILL"
THE DOCTORS STATEMENT.
DR.. Perriquet, of the village of Pacy sur
Eure who was summoned to attend Mr.
and Mrs. Fair at the time of the accident
said: When L reached the spot, a quarter
of an hour or so after the accident both
Mr. and Mrs. Fair were quite dead, and
am convinced from the nature of the
wounds, that death was instantaneous in
both cases. Mr. Fairs forehead and the
forepart OF his skull were completely
crushed, while the side of his wifes face
and her forehead were battered in, as
though she had received a blow from a
sledge hammer"
Questioned regarding the statement of
Mime. Hourd as to the movements of Mr.
Fairs foot and his wife's hand, Dr. Peril
quet said: Il am convinced that at the
moment the movements are alleged to have
occurred life was quite extinct They were
killed instantaneousy, just like a snail
which is crushed beneath a mans foot"
NJ Brotey, the chauffeur, of the automo-
bile. said:
When we left Trouville Mr.. Fair was
/ suffering from bronchial catarrh He
4 coughed frequently on the road and dur
I ing the fits of coughing his head was much
] congested evidently producing slight dizzi-
/ ness. He had just been coughing when
noticed that the tire of one of the hind
/ and, jumping TO my feet, and leaning for
/ ward | shouted in Mr.. Fairs ear in Eng
/ lish: Stop tire good Mr.. Fair glanced
/ back, but he did not reply. Apparently he
! tried to stop. but in doing so he must have
/ made the wrong steering movement, as the
( machine swerved across the road and went
\ in a straight line for a tree Mrs Fair.
\ as she saw the direction the automobile
/ was taking, clasped her husbands shoul-
| ders with her arm and turned her face
! back towards with a look which said
\ plainly. We lost The next moment
/ came the crash and | was thrown into a
field beside the road and stunned. When [
/ recovered which did quickly. L limped to
\ the side of my master and mistress and.
with the help of the chateau gatekeeper' 5
/ wife extricated the bodies from the
/ wreck.
When asked whether any OF them then
showed signs of life. Brotey replied: Both
seemed to be dead. but l was in such a
/ dazed condition from shock and so affected
by the CHASTITY spectacle presented by the
wounds on the heads of both victims that
l did not notice whether either moved or
/ not The gatekeeper's wife said afterwards
that Mr. Fair moved his foot and that his
/ wife moved her hand they lay on the
+ ground but / did not see the movements.
The woman did not say whether the man
or his wife stirred last"
The collins COnta lining the bodies of Mr..
and Mrs Fair arrived i'm Paris this after
7 noon and were placed in the vault of the
/ a representative of the United States con-
sulate. Mr. Ellis manager of the Hotel
+ Ritz BrOtey. Mr. Fairs chauffeur and Mrs
+ Fairs maid. A priest of the church said
prayers for the repose OF the souls of the
I deceased