Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-07-18
YOUNG GIRL MEETS
sudden death


while descending the hill near the Oai
tree hotel about one o'clock Thursday
morning and sustained injuries tha
caused nearly instant death
1t was an especially sad affair Aside
from the natural horror that belongs
to an accident of that sort all the cir.
cumstances of the girls life are such
as to appeal to sympathy and probably
never before has tragic death occur
red in Danville that has made such an
impression on our citizens.
On Wednesday night after the close
of the performance Miss Garger an d
another actress, Agnes McVey, accept
ed an invitation from Fred Owen and
Harry Cromwell to take a ride to the
Oak tree hotel in their automobiles.
On their way out Miss Garger acco m
panied Mr.. Cromwell in his auto, Miss
McVey following with Mr.. Owen. 1t
was about one O'Clock when they start
ed for home. On their way back to
Danville the two girls changed part
ners, Miss McVey riding with Mr..
Cromwell and Miss Garger following
with Fred Owen in his machine.
They had proceeded only short
distance from the hotel and were max
ing the best time they could in the
darkness, when soon after crossing a
water course, which gave the machine
a violent jar, Mr.. Owen became aware
that he had lost his companion. He
stopped his auto and running back
some thirty feet found the girl lying
along side the road. She was uncon-
scious, although still breathing. The
latter fact encouraged the young man
to believe that she was only stunned
and in a short time might come around
all right Hastily reversing his mach
inc he backed it to where the girl lay
and picking up the insensible form he
placed it in the automobile by his side
The young mans feelings may be
imagined as supporting the insensible
form with one arm and manipulating
the machine with the other he made
his way through the grim silence of
the starless night toward Danville As
the sequel showed during at least half
the journey of four miles or so the
girl was dead Mr.. Owen is of the
opinion that there were signs of life
until they reached Mausdale
1t was not quite two o'clock when
Mr.. Owen with his gruesome burden
arrived at the City hotel. Hastily in
forming the landlord of what had oc-
Cured he ran down to the residence
Of DR.. Curry and awakened the ply.
sician, hoping that there might still
be some possibility of bringing the
girl back to life. DR.. Curry responded
as quickly as possible but the most
cursory examination sufficed to reveal
that the girl was dead and had been
so for some time.
Meanwhile Mr.. Cromwell and Miss
McVey. who nowhere on the home
ward trip were in company with Mr.
Owen, arrived at the hotel The grief
of Miss McVey on learning that her
companion was dead was touching in
the extreme
The body was removed to the under
taking establishment of John Doster's
Sons. Yesterday afternoon an inquest
was held on which occasion Dr. G.. A.
Stock. who was chosen as coroner's
physician, made an examination of the
body The full story of the tragedy
was brought out at the inquest.
Justice of the Peace ". V Oglesby
was acting coroner in the case The
following jury was impanelled: E. H
Miles, John G. Voris, W. B. Startzel
Edward P. Thomas,J. O. Mincemoyer
and w. E. Young.
After viewing the body at the un-
dertaking establishment the jury re-
tired to the Office of Justice Oglesby,
where testimony was taken.
DR.. Stock, who made examination
of the body, testified that there was
compound fracture of the skull with
the tissue broken over the spot. 1t was
such an injury as might have been
caused by a "direct and blunt
force, such as might have been ex-
erted had the girl violently struck the
ground head foremost in falling, es-
pecially, had she come in contact with
a stone or rock. The fracture NAV
be very extensive one and it
probably lacerated the large vein,
which would have caused hemorrhage
The fracture of the skull with the
hemorrhage was sufficient to account
for death, which might have been in.
Simultaneous or followed in ten minutes.
Other witnesses examined were
Theodore Doster, the undertaken, who
described how the girl was dressed.
Miss MoVey, who related many inoid-
ents of the trip; Harry Cromwell, who
told what he knew of the affair, and
Fred NJ. Owen himself, who explain
ed the best that he could how the
dreadful accident occurred With Miss
Garger he left the hotel and was going
down the hill at moderate rate of
speed. He had covered about two