The sun., 1905-12-25
AUTO KILLS JAMES E. MARTIN
MiCHINE TURNS OVER AND HE
rs CAUGHT UNDER 1T.
MIR. and Mrs. Daniel Bacon Thrown Into
Ditch and the Latter Nearly Drowned
Mrs. Edward 4. Manice Unhurt
Mrs. Martin witnesses the Accident.

was instantly killed yesterday afternoon
by the overturning of his automobile at
Auburndale, a suburb of Flushing, while
he was returning to Manhattan with his
wife, his son and daughter-in-la and
party of guests. The party was in two
automobiles.
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bacon of 1853 West
Fiftv-seventh street, who were with MIR.
Martin in the rear auto, were badly injured.
Mr. Bacon's back was wrenched and he
suffered severe bruises. Mrs Bacon was
also hurt in the back, cut and bruised and
pro-trated from shock.
The others who we're riding with Mr..
Martin we're Mrs. Edward A. Manice, the
golf champion, and j. Allen Townsend of
237 Madison avenue. They escaped serious
injury by the greatest of good fortune,
getting clear of the big nachne as it turned
over Mrs. \ ance was slightly bruised and
greatly affected by shock. Alexander
Faure the driver was not hurt.
In the first automobile, which was about
twenty-five feet ahead of the machine
in which Mr.. Martin was riding when the
accident occurred were Mrs. Martin, Mr.
and Mrs. James +. Martin, Jr., also Of So3
Fifth avenue Mrs. Townsend ard Stacey
Clark Of West Twenty street. Mr..
Clark was one of the first to go TO the aid
Of Mr. and Mrs. Bacon.
The accident was caused by Mr.. Mar
TINS driver, Faure, attempting to pass the
machine in front. Workmen had exca-
waited for gas mains in that part of Broad
way Flushing, and the road was soft and
cut up. The left wheel sank deep into
the mire and the heavy machine, which
was running fast, somersauted into deep
ditch on the left side Of the road. Mr..
Martin was caught under the machine.
His skull was crushed and the upper part
of his body much injured.
Shortly after noon yesterday Mr.. Martin
took his guests to the Oakdale Golf Club,
near Flushing, for luncheon. The party
went from Manhattan in his two big touring
cars, one a so horsepower Panhard, the
other a Mercedes. They stayed at the golf
club until about o'clock.
When they started for home Mr. Martin
got in the front seat of the Panhard with
the driver, Faure, who says he is a nephew
Of the late President Faure of France. Mr..
Townsend sat in the right of the two small
seats in the centre of the automobile, and in
the rear seat were Mr.. and Mrs. Bacon,
with Mrs. Manice between them.
The Mercedes got a little the start wnen
they left the golf club, and there was some
good natured chatting along the road as
to which machine should lead. BY the time
they got about opposite the Auburndale
station in Broadway the Mercedes was
leading by about 100 yards. Both machines
we're running along at a good speed; no.
body in the party remembers just how fast
Faure at Auburndae G speeded up a little
more to catch and pass the Mercedes. Mr..
Martin warned his driver to slacken speed
He may have noticed that the roadway
was soft and uncertain. To the left was
ditch about three feet deep in which there
was a foot or more of water That side
of the road had been dug up for the laying
Of the gas mains, and the workmen hadn't
finished their job. In digging the ditch
they had shovelled a mass of mud on the
macadam, leaving perhaps ten foot width
of the road slippery and deep with loose
earth.
When Farre started to pass the auto
mobile ahead its occupants We're looking
backward, and Mrs. Martin was smiling at
her husband. The Panhard shot forward,
swerving to the left. Suddenly it struck
the soft earth. 1t swerved further toward
the ditch, its heavy wheels sank deep into
the mud, and it slid for few seconds on its
left wheels the right ones being high in
the air. Then it turned clear over.
Mr.. Townsend fell out as the auto was
whirling and escaped without serious in
jury. Mrs. Manice was equally fortunate.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bacon were hurled into the
ditch a few feet from the machine, falling
into the water Mr.. Martin was caught
under the automobile. Faure, the driver,
was thrown forward and suffered only a
few slight bruises.
The Mercedes was only about twenty
five feet ahead when this happened, and
every one in it saw the big Panhard turn
over Mrs. Martin tainted. Stacey Clark,
James E. Martin, Jr., and Mr.. Townsend
saw Immediately that Mr.. Martin was dead
and assisted Mr.. and Mrs. Bacon. Mrs.
Bacon was in real danger of drowning in
foot Of water. She was lying face down.
ward when the three men got to her and
Mr.. Bacon and was unconscious Mr..
Bacon was in the ditch few feet from his
wife. Mrs. Manioe was lying on the edge
of the ditch in the mud of the roadway,
and Faure, the driver, was picking h i'm
self up.
Perhaps two dozen people saw the acci-
dent, and in a few minutes there was big
crowd around the two machines. Mr.
Townsend and MI. Clark telephoned to
Flushing Hospital, and Drs. c. b. Storey
and Melton came with an ambulance. BY
llHI time MT. lOWnSeHtl, nll' Vial tiilN
Faure had raised the machine from Mr..
Martins body and had carried Mr.. and Mrs.
Bacon to one side Of the road.
j. Minor Peck, who lives near Auburn
dale station and within a short distance
Of where the accident occurred, placed his
house at the disposal of the party and Mr.
and Mrs. Bacon were carried there. DR.
Storey attended them and sent word to
their family physician, DIR. A. H. Ely, to
meet them at their home, 153 West Fifty
seventh street.
Mr., Martins body was carried into MIR.
Peck's house, and Hallet's undertaking
establishment in Flushing was notified
1t was prepared for burial at the latter
place and brought to Mr. Martins home
late last night.
The Flushing hospital doctors. made Mr.
and Mrs Bacon as comfortable as possible
until Henry Gilbert, who is a brother-in-
law Of Mr.. Martin and Clifford Brokaw got
there from Manhattan.