Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-15
DEATHS CURVE IS
CAUSE OF DEATH
PRAED'S HEIRS ASK $4,000
DAMAGES
Fatal Ride Of Young Riverside Eng
lihsman on Alhambra Road
With Actress Two Years
Ago Recalled

The tragic story of the death of
young Humphrey M. Praed, the River
side Englishman who met death in an
automobile accident on the Alhambra
road two years ago. is to be rehearsed
In the superior courts within few
weeks and the responsibility for the
disaster settled
Yesterday suit for $4,000 damages
was filed in the superior court by At
torney Danford, representing w. H.
Pedley, administrator of the Praed es-
tate, and former Superintendent OF
Streets Ernest r. Werdin and the Pa
cific Electric company are named as
defendants to the action.
Praed was killed during the eor1,,
morning hours of November II. 19oi
at point in the Alhambra road known
as Deaths Curve, because of its treacb-
erous condition and because of the fac
that innumerable accidents at thai
point In the road won it it's unenviable
reputation. i'''iS
Praed had arrived in Los Angeles
tnat afternoon from Riverside uhare
ne served as secretary of a big oitrus
Iru1t concern. He was a Handsome
young Englishman, 30 years of age. n
pet or society and one of the best noIo
players in the country.
Whtle here he met Miss Nina Ru-
doiph. pretty young actress then
starring at the Mason opera house with
tne san Toy opera company
During the afternoon Praed secured
MS automobile, heavy Winton which
was In the repair shops here, and took
MISS Rudolph for a drive out in the
country After the theater that even
ing they started for another drive.
Both, according to The evidence at
tne coroner's inquest, were perfectly
SOBER when the start was made. They
Wenf o1
return trip Praed and Miss Rudolph
moved forward to the front compart-
ment of the machine while Praed re-
neVed his chauffeur of the steering
wheel. As they reached the death
curve, according to all evidence in the
case, the automobile vas going at an
ordinary rate of speed and Praed was
keeping the machine well toward the
center of the road when it reached the
crossing of the Pasadena short line on
the Pacific Electric tracks.
Inere the machine struck some OBJ
stacle and veered suddenly and dashed
along the edge of ditch at the side
OF the road and then overturned, falling
thirty feet to the bottom
Praed was instantly killed. death re-
sultlng from a crushed spine.
Inc chauffeur, suffering from a
crushed ankle and numerous other in
Jurles. managed to crawl from beneath
the machinery of the wrecked vehicle
and signal a passing work car for help.
When the machine was lifted Miss
Rudolph was found lying beneath the
rear compartment. She had sustained
injuries which at that time We're con-
sidered fatal, but after remaining in
an unconscious condition for several
days she gradually recovered from a
fractured skull and concuSSion of the
brain and. returned to her people.
Ever since that time, however, it has
been question as to the cause of the
accident. Pedley. the administrator of
Praed's estate, alleges in his complaint
filed in the superior court that at the
time of the accident Praed was earning
$500 a month and during the next few
useful years of his life would have
earned 100000. He charges that the
Pacific Electric company might have
been to blame for the fact that the
road at that point had been ballasted
up causing a ridge which might have
turned the wheels of, the automobile
from the roadway to the edge of the
ditch and destruction.
He further alleges that the fault
might have been with Ernest r. Wer-
din, at that time superintendent of
streets for Los Angeles, and he alleges
that Werdin and his bonding company
should be held responsible for the ac-
cident because the road at that point
was not being kept in. proper repair.
The truth of the responsibility is
bound to come out at the trial, espe-
cially since the administrator. appear
ing for Mrs. Mary Praed of England,
the mother and Baronet H. M Praed,
the uncle, asks more than $50,0O0 dam
ages.