New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-20
DRAGS NAN HALF A BLOCK
TOURING CAR MANGLES.
Horrible Injuries in Central Park
West ut EarLg Hour.

Caught on the hood Of q big Mercedes touring
car, which ran him down at Eighty-hrst-st ana
Central Park West yesterday morning, his BODY
tangled In the radiating coils and the forward
running gear, and thus dragged half block
before he could be released, George Cunning
harn thirty years old, a butcher, Of No Fii
Colunabus-ave was injured so terribly that his
death was expected when he was removed 10
Roosevelt Hospital His left arm and both
legs were broken IN such way that the bones
protruded from the flesh, and he received IN
ternal injuries
n the automobile were two professional driv-
ers-Harry Bowen. twenty-eight years old OF
30. y East Eighty-eighth-st-, and william
Riley thirty of No. 21S West Fifteenth-st-to-
eether with two women who gave their names
20 the police as Mrs. J. Clark and Mrs. J. Scott
10th OF No 2O3 West Forty-third-st. The ma
chine was said 10 be owned by Gerald Brooks,
Of 40. 800 Central Park West son Of BelVldere
Brooks. general superintendent Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, but Mr. Brooks later
denied that the machine was owned by him.
Bowen and Riley were arrested and We're held
81 $500 bail each by Magistrate Whitman in
the West Side court, for examination Wednesday
and 10 await the result Of Cunningham's in
juries They were able TO furnish bail Riley
ard his women companions left the automobile
when Cunningham was hurt, and fed through
ty-hrst-st-, but a messenger boy pursued
them until he met a policeman. The women
were allowed 10 go.
Cunningham had ridden uptown on an Eighth
ave car. As he was crossing Central Park
West at Eighty-frst-st.. shortly before > a. m.
he was struck By the automobile. which was
going south at high speed and without warning
blasts On the horn. The noise Of the car ne
ha6 lust left and the dim light al that point
prevented Cunningham FROM hearing or seeing
ths big machine until moment before he was
struck, and then It was TOO late.
Instead Of being thrown violently forward
Cunningham's body caught on the hood
and became entangled IN TIE gearing. so that
every revolution OF the axle he was pushed
forward tore and racked his limbs. Bowen
who was at the steering wheel, with Riley be-
side him. Immediately reversed the engine but
the big car had such momentum that he could
not stop st until It nearly reached Eightieth-st
There Cunningham, conscious but able only TO
moan feebiy, was disentangled from the ma
chine
While Riley and the two women fed, Bowen
lifted Cunningham into the automobile. Police
man Clark up end also got into the ma
chine and Bowen sent IL flying, regardless Of
speed laws, TO Roosevelt Hospital Or the way
Cunningham became weaker every moment and
he continually moaned:
Ny poor wife and my childreni They will
etarve without met
Hours after Bowen and Riley had been locked
up al the West Sixty eighth-st. station Gerald
Brooks appeared there and sent note TO Riley.
asking: Did you have our machine out?" Riley
sent note back saying: Yes. I had the Mer-
cedes machine" Arrangements for counsel for
the prisoners were made IN the same way. At
the police court later Bowen said ne was driving
the car and Riley was only a passenger. but
Magistrate Whitman declared the case was OF
such gravity that he could make distinction
and held both IN the same bail.
Belvide=e Brooks said in the afternoon that
Riley was his driver but his machine was a
Berg. 4 wish" he added to make an absolute
denial Of the statement the presumption that
II was nay automobile which ran down the an
fortunate man. My machine was at the garage
au night
Surgeons at the hospital yesterday amputated
CUnninghan's legs, saying the operations We're
necessary TO give a chance for his recovery.
II was said that Cunningham had a wife and
three young children