The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-08-20
DEATH IN WILD AUTO RACE
McCormac Runs Car Over Bank
Into Tree, Killing Wife.
Accident Near Darien, Conn.-Steer-
ing With One Hand, With the
Other Speeder Held Woman.


furious pace along rough country
road near here at night, and attempt
ing to avoid collision with a car
riage containing four persons, Paul
McCormac, a wealthy resident of New
York, with his wife seated at his side,
sent his automobile crashing into
tree with such force that Mrs. Mac
Cormac was instantly killed and he
was fatally injured
1t was in race toward the town
OF Darien with another automobile
that the accident occurred. Mr.. and
Mrs. MacCormac were in his speedy
six-cylinder runabout, which is of
racing build. The other car was oc-
cup1ed by two men and a woman,
whose identity was not learned.
Both machines were nearly neck
and neck" when, Just ahead of them,
surrey, in which were two women
and two men, turned into the road
from a by-path. Instantly the car
with which MacCormac was racing
swung to the left and swept past the
carriage, disappearing in cloud of
dust. MacCormac was going at such
a speed that his left arm was clasped
around his wife's waist to hold her
to her seat, while he managed the
wheel with his other hand. A col
lision with the carriage and the dis
astrous results seemed inevitable, but
at the moment the surrey moved
nearer the middle of the road.
Thinking he could clear it on the
right, MacCormac, still using only
one hand, twisted the steering wheel.
Without losing a fraction Of it's
speed, the automobile swerved vio-
lently in the direction intended, but
instead of clearing the carriage it
caught one of the rear wheels and
tore it from the body, upsetting the
vehicle and sending it's passengers
flying into the road. AS if the i'm
pact had given it added momentum,
the automobile then rushed into
bank at the side of the road and fall
ing over on its side struck against
huge maple tree. Mrs. MacCormac
was caught in her seat and pinned
against the pole. Her death was in
Simultaneous. When her body was ex-
tricated it was covered with wounds
almost from head to foot, while the
skull had been crushed in.
MacCormac was flung thirty feet
and landed in the roadway head fore
most. When aid reached him he was
| unconscious, and an examination
showed that he had suffered a COM
pound comminuted fracture of the
left leg, the muscles had been torn
from the right leg, deep cash in the
head indicated that his skull had
been fractured, and there was bruises
all over his body.
All Tho noarnontc IF Tho o,1rxa1y
whose injuries were comparatively
slight, hurried to the wrecked auto
mobile to offer what assistance they
could. 1t was seen at a glance that
Mrs. MacCormac was dead, and their
attention was then turned to the man.
While they were trying to revive him
Dr. Charles B. Keller, of New Ca
naan, approached in his automobile.
He promptly expressed the opinion
that MacCormac could not live. :
Mr.. MacCormac has been often
fined for violating the speed laws.
Many of his cars have been burned in
accidents in which he was hurt. Mr..
MacCormac is the son of DR.. James
F. MacCormac, of Poughkeepsie, who
died in 1906 leaving about 100000
to his son.
Mrs MacCormac was formerly the
wife of Charles e. Converse, who had
been a neighbor of MacCormac. Con-
verse sued MacCormac for 100000
damages for alienation of his wife's
affections.
|. The wife first went to California to
obtain legal residence. with the in
tention of later bringing divorce
action, but in her absence her hus-
band and the correspondent met in
New York hotel and, according to evil
dence afterward sworn to in court,
settled the whole matter by pay
ment of $1,000
Since MacCormac married the
Poughkeepsie beauty he and she have
been in no less than dozen auto
wrecks, ranging in territory from
Maine to Missouri, and in seriousness
from explosions to mutilated legs and
arms.