Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-25
HARPER IN
MOTORCAR
COLLISION
With 3 Ribs and Arm
Broken, Executive
Walks Home
2 MACHINES COLLIDE
I'll Eat Lots of Turkey
Tomorrow Victim
Says Jokingly
MAKES LIGHT OF PAIN
Autos Crash at Corner,
Occupants Near
Being Killed
2 MACHINES COLLIDE
MAKES LIGHT OF PAIN
NJ AYOR A. c. HARPER was

M AYOR A. {. HARPER was
vi thrown from an automo-
IA bile in collision at 0.30
O'Clock last night at Twenty
fourth and Hoover streets, and
pluckily walked to his home, SIX
blocks away, after regaining con-
sciousness, to ascertain afterward
that he had three broken ribs and
severely sprained elbow AZ
mementos of narrow escape
from death.
He was being taken home in
the sixty horsepower roadster OF
Frank SAWYER and had his arms
full of Christmas bundles. Sam
uel d. Sturgis of 2620 Juliet
street was driving his car north
on Hoover street. AT Twenty
fourth street where Union ave
nue. and Hoover street come to-
gether, making a "hatiron cor
ner, the two automobiles met, be-
cause the right-hand side Of the
street for one was also the right
hand side for the other. Mr.
Sturgis was driving his own car,
twenty horsepower runabout,
and was accompanied by his II
year-old son, Samuel ID. Stur-
gis. jr.
His automobile struck the other.
head on, and the latter. which had
been veered sharply to avoid the coli
lision, was scraped along the side. The
shock threw Mayor Harper clear from
the car and he fell on his left side.
twisting his arm under him, on the
asphalt pavement. Mr.. Sturgis and
his son were both thrown out on the
street. but the chauffeur of the Sawyer
car, the only other occupant besides
the mayor, stuck to his seat.
Mayor Unconscious
Mayor Harper was made unconscious
| and was quickly carried into the drug
store on the corner. DR.. J. r. I. Jen-
lxins of 2aO0 Hoover street, revived him,
when the mayor asked for drink Of
water, gathered up his packages ana
insisted on walking home without
waiting for another automobile, which
had been telephoned for, At his house,
| 1928 West Twenty-eighth street, DR..
Jenkins and his son, DIR. j. Evan Jen-
| kins. made an X-ray examination,
which disclosed very distinct fracture
of two ribs and lesser break Of a
third. Mayor Harper's left elbow was
badly sprained, causing him intense
pain and making in reality a worse in
| jury than a fracture.
u got off pretty luckily. / think,
| said the mayor, land tomorrow | shall
eat as much turkey as any of us.
Mr. Sturgis and his son received a
number of bruises, Sut neither was
badly injured. They We're compelled
| to leave their machine at the scene
OF the accident, as the axle was too
badly damaged to permit taking II
home last night The Sawyer car was
towed to garage an hour after the
accident.
Mayor Harper was chatting at the
citv hall entrance with Police commis
sioner Tufts and Mr.. Sawyer who
lives at Independence, KAN, and has
| large oil interests in Oklahoma, but
is passing the winter in Los Angeles.
He teIephoned for his automobile and
directed his driver to take Mayor Har-
per and Commissioner Tufts to their
homes. Mr. Tufts was left at the Cali
fornia club before the car was turned
| toward the mayors residence.
Mayor Harper had a quite narrow
escape" said DR.. j. f. I. jenkins last
] niplt. III ne ndu Idllel upon HIS Hcao
instead of his body the skull would
/ have been fractured AS it was, he will
not be kept from his Office by his in
juries, although they win bother him
for some time. His left elbow re-
ceived a severe sprain, which is very
painful and win cause considerable
suffering, but his injuries will not Ing
terfere with his ability to walk around
and even to go down town within q
day or so. He has also a number Of
bruises on the left side and left hand.
If the Sturgis car had been heavier
one and had forced the other over
Mayor Harper could not have escaped
receiving the effect of its fall Gaso-
line and water we're thrown out of the
automobile tanks by the force of the
collision and Mayor Harper received
some gasoline on his clothing, but the
liberated fuel fortunately did not take
fire.
The mayor donned a bath robe and
sat up while waiting for the X-ray ma
chine last night. He was disposed 70
make light of the accident, saying that
il might have had more serious re-
suits and that he could make Merry
Christmas out of his escape.
Mr. Sturgis last night deplored the
accident, but expressed the belief that
It was unavoidable and might easily
have proved fatal,