New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-10
AUTO HITS VICTORIA.
ONE CRUSHED TO DEATH.
Many Hurt When Car Turns Ouer
after Smashing Carriage.

One man was killed, another so seriously in
jured that he may die any moment and several
men and two women badly bruised and torn early
yesterday morning. when a 40-horsepower auto
mobile, running along Ocean Boulevard, Brook
lyn at forty miles an hour. dashed into light
victoria at Avenue l. The victoria thrown
across the boulevard and the machine
brought to stop so suddenly that it turned
somersault. burying the driver and all of the
occupants, except one, under it,
Thomas Heffner, a well known betting COM
missioner said to have been an intimate friend
Of Big Tim" Sullivan, was crushed to death
William Boyle. jr, jumped from the machine
and escaped with slight injuries. Herbert Payne
Drinkwater mining engineer staying at the
Hotel Breslin, and a party of men and women
We're in the victoria. All were severely injured
Both the machine and the victoria were city
bound. The casualties follow:
HEFT'NER, Thomas. forty-nve years old staying at
Sheepshead Bay. but said have home sara
toga; crushed 10 death under automobile
INJURED
PSn!er Of Es:' "a street s6eePsheaa nav bruised
BEATTY r5. William twenty-fouE years Of No 40 Van
der6it avenue, Brooklyn: bruised about face. head
coanty ei Ho.Pa may De injured internally IN Kings
BOYLE Wniam i twenty.Gne years old. hotel owner
and legs; sent home
DRISRWATER S17,1 Henry Payne. mining engineer Hotel
home
MAY william Lee twsnty-!%o ~ old chauffeur for
Kings y,unty osnIfsI aI6p nea6 ] ana dSe prisoner IN
da hands bar aahd0 ehd ace seSf s6a Bay slightly injured
SWEENEY. James. twenty-eght years old sheepshead
Bay; fractured skull: expected to die Kings County
SHORT Frank t7entyseven years old sheep.hcaa Raw.
slightly injured by jumping from machine IN Kings
County Hospital.
Several women who were in the carriage with
Mr.. Drnkwater were severely injured Their
names were refused. and they were brought TO
the city.
The accident occurred about daybreak and
as far could be learned was due to the reck-
lessness of the driver Of the automobile It was
said that May was in no condition to drive the
machine. though it admitted that at the
crucial moment he was keenly enough awake 70
the danger to apply his safety brakes to the
limit But it was then too late. The machine
had been running along the boulevard at a dam
gerOus speed. neither the driver nor the occu-
pants seeming TO have in mind the danger Of
reckless driving nor the necessity Of keeping a
clear eye ahead.
The victoria IN which were Mr. Drinkwater
and his party going along leisurey, the oc-
cupants singing and chatting merrily. May. 1t
learned driving his party to meet
Frank Farrell NJ. G. Lynch and big Tim Sui
livan. They had been at Coney Island. and
from the moment they left the lights of that re-
sort behind them May increased the speed OF
the machine until 1t could go no faster. 1t was
said
At Avenue L. when the occupants OF the VIC
toria were in their gayest mood the big ma
chine dashed into it from behind with ter
rife crash. throwing the victoria from one side
n he ard other The occupants
were thrown out on their heads. About half
second before the crash May awqbe to the dam
ger and applied the brakes quickly that the
four wheels Of the big machine ratified on the
boulevard like the hoofs of a dozen horses.
Less than second later 1t had turned somer-
sault, burying the driver and all Of the occu-
pants Of the machine, except Frank Short under
it. Short threw himself out of the machine the
moment it struck the victoria. and so escaped
with slight bruises. The shrieks of the women
and the groans of the injured aroused tho
neighbors. Two ambulances from Kings County
Hospital and the police reserves from the Park
VILE station hurried 20 the Drs. Nc
Sweeney, Smalman and Kenna attended the
injured.
With much trouble the machine lifted
enough to drag out those pinned under It, Heff-
ner was dead and Sweeney unconscious. The
others were hurried to the hospital as quickly
as possible. Mr.. Drinkwater and the women OF
his party. however. refused to go to a hospital,
though 1t was said they had need of it, There
were two women. both young who refused TO
give their names. All taken to the home
Of Hermann Zatf, near by Later in the day
May the chauffeur, was arrested in the Kings
County Hospital on charge OF homicide
II was learned that May was the chauffeur for
F o. Crawford, OF No. 4I9 Clinton avenue,
Brooklyn who has a summer home at Sleeps
head Bay He said last night: May was in my
employ for four years. He took the machine out
Of the barn at midnight without my consent and
with some friends went TO Coney Island. have
been told they were drinking.
The machine was valued at $1,000 1t will
cost about So 600 TO put IL in shape again. The
victoria was smashed TO pieces.
Mr.. DrinkWater was found last night at the
Hotel Breslin nursing severe wounds on the face
and hands. He steadfastly refused TO give the
names OF the young women who were with MN.
They come from a good Brooklyn family, ne
said and II is my desire. and the desire of their
folks that their names should not become public
They are seriously injured. am afraid both are
injured internally. Because did not wish TO
ernbarrass the young women l refused TO have
them taken to a hospital. After they were
treated we got cab and took them home. There
were four of US in the carriage-the TWO young
women and myself and Roy Reader, of Bloom
field n j. who is connected with the Rapid
Transit Commission. He is now in the hotel,
bruised about the face and head.
II have learned that the machine belonged 10
Mr. Crawford an engineer and that it was taken
ont without his consent. Nevertheless, purpose
entering suit for damages against Mr.. Crawford
to-day Our carriage was going along eisurely
when we were struck
.1ru,o WITS nor THTNAM