The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-28
C0|fdes With Motor Car
While Riding Bicycle
NARROW ESCAPE { FROM DEATH
Bookkeeper For Newspaper Run
Down by Chris Bowers in
Alder Street

Miss Gertrude Hilbert, bookkeeper
in the Bulletin office was run down by
an automobile driven by Chris Bowers,
a wealthy retired farmer, in Alder
street between Second and Third
streets at 10 clock this morning and
seriously, if not dangerously, injured.
The accident occurred while the
street was lined with pedestrians and
created intense excitement for a few
minutes. Accounts vary somewhat as
to just what caused the accident, sew
real pedestrians stating that Mr.. Bow
ers turned out to avoid a wheat team
at the same time that Miss Hilbert,
who was following the team on her
wheel turned to the left pas 81, re-
sulting in the collision.
Says He Is BlameIess.
Mr.. Bowers stated afterward that
such was not the case. He said:
81 regret the accident very much but
do not consider that l was to blame
for it. l took my children and some of
the nelghDors' out for a ride in the
machine and was coming down Alder
street at slow rate of speed. l MOTTO
ed Miss Hilbert on her bicycle as she
rounded onto Alder street off Third.
could see her clearly and as we
approached each other I noticed she
seemed to be undecided which way to
o1co chOnfOH
for her to turn to her right. My son
also shouted to her to turn to the right
put she appeared to be confused and
turned her wheel squarely in front OF
my machine and screamed.
"T jammed the brakes down but the
heavy machine 'skldded'' on the pave
ment. Before the machine came to a
stop it struck Miss Hilbert and two
of the wheels passed over her. l i'm
mediately jumped out and with the as
sistance of bystanders, who rushed up
drew Miss Hilbert from beneath the
machine. Miss Hilbert clearly lost her
head"
Miss Hilbert was unconscious when
puned from beneath the automobile
and blood was streaming from several
cuts and bruises about her head and
shoulders where her clothing had been
torn off. She was taken to the Walla
Walla hospital where DR.. Mack made
an examination of her injuries.
1t was stated at the hospital this af-
ternoon that Miss Hilbert suffered no
broken bones her injuries consisting
chiefly in bruises and contusiOns and
the shock of striking the hard pave
ment.
Was Going Fast.
Accounts vary as to the speed Mr..
Bowers was driving his machine. Dan
Jones, proprietor of a rooming and
boarding house in South Third street
was standing on the south side of the
street just opposite the scene of the
accent Mr.. Jones said.
81 noticed Mr.. Bowers coming down
the street in his machine. 1 fought
he turned to the right to avoid team
and a second later l heard Miss Hill
bert cry out She was under the ma
chine then. Mr. Bowers stopped the
automobile as quickly as possible and
helped to drag her from beneath -Ae
machine. Mr.. Bowers was going fast
er than eight miles per hour but how
much faster l could not say"
Stopped at Corner.
According to William Upton, propri-
| etor of the Upton Cigar store, Mr..
Bowers stopped his machine at the
corner of Second and Alder to let a
team pass. Whatever speed the ma
chine had at the time of the accident
was gathered between Second street
and the point of the collision which is
about IS yards.
The injury to Miss Hilbert is the
second accident of the kind to oc-
cur within the past week. George
Martin, an aged man was run down by
an automobile in First street week