Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-16
Wife KILLED IN AUTO RACE
PAUL McCORMAC RUNS CAR OVER
BANK INTO A BIG OAK.
Machine Overturned Upon Mrs. NC
Cormac After She Had Been
Hurled Against Tree.

NORWALK. Conn, August 16-A race
through the streets of Norwalk at almost a
mile a minute between a big touring car
and a forty-horsepower runabout resulted
in the wreckng of the runabout on the
Connecticut turnpike near the Darien line
late yesterday afternoon and the death of
Mrs Paul McCormac of 316 West e5th
street. New York. Her husband, who was
in the wrecked car with her, is in the Nor
walk Hospital with injuries which may
prove fatal.
Before Mr.. McCormac's car was wrecked
1t hit a carriage in which Mr.. and Mrs
George E. Burgess and Mr.. and Mrs. James
H. Seville Of Stamford and Mrs. Smith
Northup of Norwalk We're riding. The
carriage was overturned and all the occu-
pants were more less hurt. Mrs. Bur-
CESS sustained fracture of the left
shoulder.
The identity Of the occupants of the tour
ing car Is not known
Reckless Speed.
When the touring car and the six-cylinder
runabout shot through the streets of Nor
walk those who saw the racing machines
were astonished at the speed at which they
travelled. Just outside the city of Nor
walk the touring car passed the runabout
and went on.
When the runabout neared the Darien
line it came to a deep cut where the road Ia
narrow just as the three-seated carriage
doomed up. The car upset the carriage
and then shot up four-foot embankment.
The speed of the machine was SO great that
1t went on for fifteen feet after climbing
the bank, crashed into a wire fence and
then skidded along until it collided with a
big oak tree.
Trying for a Record.
The shock threw Mrs. McCormac head
foremost against the tree, after which the
car turned upside down and pinned her
beneath It, She was killed instantly. Mr..
McCormac was thrown underneath the
car he suffered compound fracture Of
the leg, had the muscles of his right thigh
torn, his hip cut and his head badly LAGER
ated. His chances of recovery are thought
to be slight.
In Mr. McCormacs pocket was found
newspaper clipping saying that he was
wealthy New Yorker who had had racing
automobile especially constructed for him.
1t also told how he ran an automobile into
a tree near New Haven, Conn, last year in
an effort to make a record run between
New York and New Haven. He was severe
ly injured then. 1t is believed that on this
trip he was trying to make a record for
the trip between New Haven and New
York.
NEW YORK. August 16.-McCormac,
who is native of Poughkeepsie, has had
a somewhat odd history. His father was
DR.. ]. H. McCormac of that place, who
died in 1901 and left much property. His
mother also died in the same year. After
their death he sold the homestead, which
he had inherited, and built a barn in a
remote locality, where he kept a number
of trotting horses, using part of the barn
for living quarters He had private track
for exercising his horses but finally got
tired of them and bought an automobile
After he had his first accident he gave up
the automobile and went back to the
horses.
Because a Boston hotel proprietor resold
him a horse that was his favorite during
his fathers lifetime he inserted clause i'm
his will leaving the man all his horses and
Sc, 600 cash McCormac has invested much
of his money in life annuites. Several
years ago he caused the announcement to
be made that he was engaged to a New
England GIRL and later acknowledged that
the engagement was pure fiction.