The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-03

killed others and seriously injured
themselves. In the revolt that fol-
lowed these tragedies they have sworn
to give up auto racing, but the fas-
cination has always been too strong,
and they were soon back again. In
fact. 1t Is safe to say that none will
retire till he meets the inevitable
death or disabling injury that must
come to the professional chauffeur who
makes his living by match racing over
circular tracks.
Kiser and Webb Jay have already
received the summons that took them
out of the game.
1t was at kenilworth park, Buffalo,
Aug. IS. 1905, that Jay swerved from
the track while speeding in his ma
chine. plunged down an embankment,
broke his right arm. left thigh, seven
ribs and sustained q conclusion of the
brain.
This accident followed hard upon one
that had put Earl Kiser out of bust
ness. This happened in Cleveland, six
days before the Jay accident.
Kiser was going at the rate of a
mile minute In view of 5000 persons
on the Glenville track, when his ma
chine skidded. and he lost control.
The auto swerved toward the fence,
then pumped about four feet into the
air and came down into the fence with
crash. pulling down a section of the
boards thirty feet in length. The ma
chine came down upon Kiser. An
instant later it caught fire. and only
fast work in getting Kiser out kept
him from being burned in addition to
all his other injuries.
His leg was lacerated to pulp, and
had to be removed at the thigh.
1t might have been supposed that
these horrible accidents coming so
closely together would have had the
effect of soaring the other speed kings
but only death will ever take Oldfield,
Cooper, Bald and a constantly increas-
ing host of others out of the game.
Oldfeld is probably the most reck-
less man who ever completed in any
trial of speed. His theory of winning
races is always to increase the speed
at the points where it is so dangerous
that most other drivers ease up bit.
On the most dangerous turns Oldfield
takes a delight in shooting faster to
the mingled wonder and horror of his
fellows.
He has been in more accidents,
caused more fatalities and broken
more records than any auto driver in
the business, and he makes no secret
that he expects to get his death while
engaging in his favorite sport.
"One of these days." is his favorite
speech, there will be a little flaw in
piece of steel, and after it is all over
and it won't take longer than the
tick of watch-peop1e will say,
We'll Oldfield was going some"
Probably his nearest approach to
death was at League park, st. Louis,
when he was racing A. c. Webb. The
dust raised by his competitors ma
chine temporarily obscured Olifield's
view of the track, and his machine
slipped just trifie. He lost control
of it on the unbanked curve of the
back stretch, and it slashed into the
fence, throwing the dense crowd of
men and women who had been watch
ing the race on all sides like so many
jackstraws. John Scott and Nathan
Montgomery, two spectators, were in
stantly killed, and when Oldfield was
picked up 1t was thought he had no
chance to survive. Four of his ribs
were broken. his leg was shattered,
brain confused, and the shock left
him a nervous wreck for time.
Oldield recovered, and when he did
his first remark was that he was done
with auto racing.
i do not care about myself" he
said, but the thought of those two
innocent onlookers killed haunts me
night and day, and shall never touch
wheel again.
But much as he meant it, he
couldn't keep out. From the time that
he left Indiana as youngster, the
one consuming aim of his life had
been speed. AS bicycle rider he had
won the reputation of being especially
daring, though his future automobile
rivals. Cooper and Bald, were both far
neeter on the bicycle than Barney.
From riding wheel he became
fireman of the fastest locomotives. but
this was too slow travelling for the
speed demon. Thn along came the
auto that satisfied all his cravings.
and now Oldfield can go as fast as he
wants.
Two years before the st. Louis acci-
dent Oldfield had a notch on the wheel
OF his machine. The tragedy occurred
at the Crosse Point track, in Detroit.
when the tire on his front wheel
burned through and exploded, throw
Ing his machine into the fence, and so
lnJuring man named Frank Shearer
that he died on the way to the hos
pital.
His next narrow escape came at the
Ormond-Daytona beach in Florida
The crack shaft broke while his ma
chine was wheeling off miles in forty
seconds The car spun around. and
headed for the ocean, but Oldfielj suc-
ceeded in stopping it before it over
turned. He was badly shaken up, but
was out again and racing the next