The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-10-12
KILLED BY AN AUTOMOBILE
MACHINE OFF BRIDGE, FALLING
on ROBERT VANCE.
Happened North OF GOOdland-SeTler
Lost Control When Soft Road
Was Encountered


The first fatal accident in auto
MODELLING in Sherman county happened
at a bridge on the South Beaver, I'VE
miles north OF GOodland, Friday
morning, October 5, at 10 o'clock,
when the hfty-hOrse power machine,
driven BY the owner, William Seyler,
run OF the Murray bridge, Capsizing
and falling upon the occupants,
breaking the neck Of Robert c Vance,
who was riding in the front seat with
the driver. The machine weighs
!, 200 pounds, and as IL toppled over in
the dry and sandy bottom Of the creek
six feet below, the back Of one Of the
seats caught MI Vance at the neck
and piniOned him hard and fast to
the ground 1t is doubtful IL he ever
knew what struck him, as the wit
nesses 10 the terrible accident say that
Mr. Vance must have been instantly
killed
The other occupants Of the auto
mobile, William Seyler, a real estate
agent Of this city; @. 7. Mckinney and
A D. Burr Of Long Island, Kan, pros
pecuve land buyers, escaped without
injury The sOTrOwful spectators to the
deadly plight Of Mr.. Vance could not
remove him by hand. They had to
tear planks from the bridge, and using
lime rocks for fulcTum, pried up the
monster machine that held him down.
In this work Of reScuing the body,
the automobile party was assisted by
George Murray, living near by, and a
1 horse buyer who was mounted and
driving a bunch OF horses north on the
road at this point Mr.. Murray, who
had a team hitched uD for the DUR
pose Of driving to GOOdland, brought
the three men and their dead com
paniOn to town, and the body Of Mr..
Vance was placed in Bowers under
taking rooms. The news Of the Gala
nifty was broken to Mrs. Vance by a
few friends and neighbOrs, and her
life has since been laden with an an
guish that has no tongue.
The accident was caused by a de-
post Of soft earth on one side Of
the approach to the bridge, which,
when struck at a speed Of about ten
miles an hour, caused Mr.. Seyler to
loose control OF his machine. The au-
tOmObile was in gear and in a NOM
ent the tremendous force carried away
the right wing Of the bridge and cast
itself helpless in the sand below. The
approach was about twelve feet wide,
and the earth was solid except on the
right side where, from the heavy traf-
nc in hauling wheat, the ground had
become rutted and the rut filed with
pulverized soil. So when the front
wheels Of the auto struck the soft
and unresisting earth, they were
twitChed from the plane Of the road
at almost right angles into the creek
bed.
The leather top and box Of the au-
tOmObile were considerably smashed
up, but the running gear was little
damaged The machine was righted
and brought to town the same day.
Coroner Gulick held an inquest
over the body OF Mr.. Vance at the
Bower undertaking rooms at o'clock
in the afternoon, at which the follow
ing witnesses were examined by the
coroner and jury, William Seyier, G.
T Mckinney, A 3. Burr and George
Murray The jury, composed Of Char
les O,Brien, James P. Phillips, VII
Richard Aaer and Fred Slower, after
receiving the testimony, retired and
brought in verdict that Robert
Clarence Vance came to his death in
an automobile acsiielt Uu Beaver
creek bridge I've miles north ~ Good
land, October 3, and that no one was
TO blame.
At o'clock on the evening of the
following day, brief services for the
dead was held at the Vance home,
Rev A. R. DOdd Of the Congregation
al church officiating. The body was
shipped on train No 10 at 8 o'clock
that evening for BelOit, where burial
was made Sunday
Robert c. Vance, % years old, came
here from Crete, Neb., in May and
moved here about two months
ago, and occupied one Of the Peters
houses in the southeast part Of town.
He possessed considerable means and
at the time Of his death was interest
~ Al osDUV OUTS VI Ae-GALA III kEll1 [0ttAA-
ty- While not a partner, he has been
associated in business with William
Seyler since removing to this city. He
is survived by wife, and two broth
ers and two sisters at Milford, Neb-,
and one sister at Crete, Neb.
Mr.. and Mrs ]. ". Gaylord, par
ents Of Mrs. Vance, arrived in Good
land on the first train after the fatal
occurrence had been telegraphed to
them. They took charge Of the body
and the funeral party departed for Be
lott Saturday night.
Mr.. Vance was raised near Seward,
Neb., where he has many friends. He
was popular in political circles at
Seward, and had he remained there
he would have been the democratic
nominee for the state legislature this
fall.
We were but slightly acquainted
with Mr.. Vance, but If appearances
are worth anything, he was a man Of
excellent character and an estima bic
addition to the county's citizenship
and enterprise
Mrs. Vance will move away from
GOOdIand, but her memory Of this
0f1ra will a1v-zErz q frafrhfn6 with