The sun., 1907-08-16
WIFE KILLED IN AUTO RACE
PiIL M'GOR.NAC RIMS CAN OVEN
BANK INTO OAk TREE.
Machine Overturned UpOn Nrs. Mc1ornac
After she Had been HurIed Against
Tree-Car Had Upset u Carriage. In
JIrins six -Sfctormsc BADLY Hurt.


NoRwALK. Conn, Aug. I5-A race
through the streets Of Norwalk ut almost a
mile a minute between a big touring car
and a 20 horsepower r'inabout resulted
in the wrecking Of the runsbout on the
Connecticut turnpike near the Dsren line
late this afternoon and the death OF Mrs
Paul McCornac Of 3i8 West Ninety-fifth
street, New Yort Her husband. who
was in the wrecked car with her. is in the
Norwalk Hospital with injuries which
may prove fatal.
Before Mr.. McCormac's Cur was wrecked
il hit a carriage in which Mr.. and Mrs.
George F.. Burgess and Mr. and Mrs. James
II. Seville OF Stamford and Mrs. Smith
Northup OF Norwalk were riding The
carriage was overturned and all the occu-
pants were more or less hurt. Mrs. Burgess
The identity of the occupants OF the
touring car is not known.
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 il came To "A deep cut where the road is
narrow just as the three seated carriage
loomed up. The car upset the carriage,
and then shot up four foot embankment.
The speed OF the machine was So great that
il 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 iree.
The shock threw Mrs McCormac head
foremost against the tree. after which the
car turned upside down and pinned her
beneath IL. She was killed instantly. Mr.
McCormac was thrown underneath the car.
He suffered a compound fracture OF the leg
had the muscles OF his right thigh torn. his
hip cut and his head badly lacerated. His
chances of recovery are thought to be slight
In Mr.. McCormac's pocket was found a
newspaper clipping saying that he was
wealthy New Yorker who had had a 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 record run between New
York and New Haven. He was severely
injured then. II is believed that on this trip
he was trying to make a record for the trip
between New Haven and New York.
PouGHKEEPsIE. Aug. l5.-Mrs. McCor-
mac was formerly the wife Of Charles f.
Converse. a well TO do dry goods merchant,
a partner OF the firm of Donald Converse
Il Maynard OF Poughkeepsie. She was his
second wife, his first wife having died four
years ago. McCormac was married the
last time in 1905. Mrs McCormao was a
graduate OF Vassar College.
Converse and his wife, who bought the
McCormac farm, afterward abandoned il
keepsie. which McCormac owned. The
latter followed them there and took up
quarters on the same floor. A divorce
followed. There was one child by the
marriage son OF McCormac by his
first wife is now being educated in Con-
necticut
McCormac, who is a native of Pough-
keepsie, has had a somewhat odd history
His father was DIR. j. II. McCormac Of that
place, who died in 1901 and left much prop
erty His mother also died in the same
year. After their death he sold the home
stead, which he had inherited. and built a
barn in remote locality, where he kept a
number OF trotting horses using part of
the barn for living quarters. He had a
private track for exercising his horses but
finally got tired of them and bought an au-
tomobile After he had his first accident
he gave up the automobile and went back
to the horses.
Because Boston hotel proprietor resold
him horse that was his favorite during his
fathers lifetime he inserted clause in his
will leaving the man all his horses and
s2S 900 cash McCormac has invested much
of his money in life annuities. Several
years ago he caused the announcement 10 be
made that hs was engaged to New England
girl and later acknowledged that the en-
gagement was pure fiction.