The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-16
he CHOSE TO DIE.
Louis Lieber Gives Up His Life
to Save Two Others.
Was Speeding Auto at a Rate Of
go Miles an Hour.
on NARROW HIGHWAY.
SAW Two Women in Another Car
Come Round a Curve.
Turned His Machine Into the
Rocks and Was Killed.
on NARROW HIGHWAY.

New York, Oct. 16.-There were two
courses open to Louis Lieber. profess
sionaI chauffeur. when the auto he was
driving at sixty miles an hour swept
around a curve in the narrow cliff road
in the Ramapo hills and he saw an
other machine, with two women in it,
speeding toward him. He might go
on, which meant certain death to the
women, or he might whirl his own car
from the road which meant certain
death for him. He chose the latter
course and was killed.
The women who owe their lives to
the chauffeur's sacrifice are two
daughters of R. Fulton Cutting. They
did not escape altogether without in
jury. for their own chauffeur, not able
to divine what Lieber would do in the
emergency, turned his machine into
the hill and they jumped just as Lieb
er's machine crumpled against the
rocks into which he drove it.
1t was such a tragedy as make the
Nightmares of all autoists who have
the speed mania in their blood. life
or death hazard, to be decided in the
fraction of a second. Lieber thought
st out quicker than his machine was
flying. He knew when he turned his
steering wheel he was driving to
death. but he knew that if he hesitated
fhe lives of the women in tie other
car whom he had recognized, would
pay the forfeit
one of the new roads which E. II.
Hartman has built along the eastern
cliff Of the Ramapo hills was the scene
of this, the most thrilling Of recent auto
TRACE dies, late yesterday. The road Is
lust narrow ledge in the face of the
mountain, winding about it tortuOusly
q hundred feet from its base. On one
side the hill rises sheer and rock
esrau-u On the other it falls dizzily.
only at wide intervals is there room
for two machines to pass. and even at
these the feat requires care and skill.
The road itself is rough, just as it was
heRn out Of the hill.
Iseber, who is employed as chauffeur
BIZ @. B Sloan Of Garrison, n z, was
driving alone in big touring car from
New York to Newburg. He was mad
enough to try and make a new speed
record over the rough cliff road. His
car was travelling at an average speed
OF not much less than go miles an hour,
taking the turns in hair raising style
~, one wheel All who saw its wild
hurst over the dangerous road looked
and shuddered.
Meets Crisis Where Road Is Worst.
lust few minutes before the tragedy
Nv J. Mcclellan saw the machine from
his window, and. believing that 1t had
cot beyond the control Of the chauf-
fenr Jumped into his own automobile
ana risked his own neck in pursuit in
lending to give aid if he could. But
Tieber. who saw and understood, just
7asfqhed and went on and Mcclellan
117iovlz- was outdistanced.
nigh up on the face of the hill
mere the road is narrowest and
,ss1ehest and the turns are sharper
T4e5er still was tearing along al a mile
: minute pace. Suddenly rounding q
f,4ru he saw in the road ahead OF him
aud travelling fast toward him the auto
fha auto and whom it contained.
rha road is barely auto wide g thai
-,s47f with a hundred foot drop intc
ire valley on one Elde and the ateen