Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-08
BOY HURLED TO
INSTANT DEATH
BY MOTORCYCLE
VENTURES OUT ON TRACK TO
VIEW ACCIDENT
is MANcLEp AWFuLLY, WHILE
RIDER IS BADLY HURT
Lads Swarm Over Fence, Attracted
by Previous Mishap, and Lester
Webb Is Caught by Speed
Ing Machine

While driving a motorcycle at a
speed of fifty-flve miles an hour IN tne
preliminary practise for the Admis-
sion day races at Agricultural park
yesterday afternoon Charles Bake
known on the track as Fearless
Bake" ran over and instantly killed
Lester Webb, seven-year-old boy VINO
climbed the fence and ran out on the
track when Ben b. Bresee, who was In
front of Bake, fell from his motorcycle.
Bake sustained fracture OF the right
collar bone, severe bruises and propaoiy
internal injuries.
Six riders were following each other
closely and making terrihcally fast
time when the vacuum cylinder or the
machine Bresee was riding DieW out
and he was thrown to the ground. 10
the crowd of boys, who had been
warned repeatedly to keep back of the
fence, 1t looked like an accident, and
many of them rushed out on the track
regardless of cries of warning from
those who knew that other motorcycles
would come around the curve In mo-
ment.
Little Lester Webb, a pretty blue
eyed boy, whose parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Webb, live at 1888 West Santa Bar
bara street, could not resist the excite
ment of the moment Pushing his
brothers bicycle before him he and
Tommy Webb ran with the others to
see what had happened to Bresee. Be-
fore he could reach the spot the motor
cycles came around the curve. They
had been practising for speed all after
noon and had made records of mile
in from IS 1-5 seconds up to 1:10. The
first rider was Bake, closely followed
by Paul Durkum.
At the speed at which they were going
1t was impossible for Bake to turn, as
the crowd of boys spread out over the
track. All OF them but Lester Webb
sprang to safety as soon as they saw
Bake. The boy, hindered as he was by
his bicycle, which he would not let go
of, tried to escape when 1t was too late.
Bake was thrown thirty feet but the
boy lay still where he had fallen.
The track was cleared instantly while
the others flashed by. The top of the
boys head was completely crushed,
both legs were broken and his left arm
was fractured. Bake lay on the
ground unconscious and everything
was done for him. while waiting for
the automobile from the University po-
lice station that took him to the re-
ceiving hospital.
Balks Held BIameless
Those who witnessed the accident alb
solve Bake of all blame. 1T was al
most impossible to keep the boys off
the track" said one of the officials. 'I
was kept busy forcing them back as
they surged forward in their eagerness
to see the riders. When Bresee fell
they simply swarmed over the fence"
When Mrs. Webb, the mother, was
told of the death of Lester she threw
up her hands and fell to the floor. All
that she could say was why didn't
Tommy take care of him?"
Tommy is the -year-old brother
who went with Lester to spend the
holiday watching the motorcyclists. He
was seen at the park holding his little
brother by the hand and keeping close
to the rail. When the accident oc-
curred 1t is thought that both boys ran
out across the track, but up to late
hour last night Tommy Webb had not
appeared at home. 1t is believed that
he was so overcome by the death of
his brother than he wandered away
alone, not knowing where he went
The Webbs live in little bungalow
at 1888 Santa Barbara street. John
Webb is a mechanical engineer. There
are two boys beside Lester, Tommy and
George. But Lester, who was clean,
manly little fellow, was the pet of the
family and of the neighborhood.
Balke, whose injuries are serious was
revived at the receiving hospital after
a record run by the police automobile.
He has a.good chance of recovery un-
less considerations set in.
He is a messenger boy for the Dia-
mond Rubber company, is seventeen
years old and has been racing his mo-
torcycle, a three and a half cylinder
Thor, for just a year. In that time he
has won many races In Riverside,
Fresno and San Bernardino.
The body of Webb was removed to
the Bresee undertaking establishment
The date for the inquest has not yet
been set.