Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-03
AUTO CRUSHES
OUT LIFE OF
SCHOOLBOY
HOMER LAUGHLIN'S CAR KILLS
"POLY" STUDENT
SOCIETY WOMAN RUsHEs VICTIM
TO HOSPITAL
Youth Riding Home on Bicycle Meets
Death Under the Wheels
of Big Touring
Machine
CHARLES LESLIE DI WALL, Is

HARLES LESLIE DI VAIL, 10
years old, = first year student at
~ the Polytechnic high school, Wa9
run over and almost instantly nttS, n
yesterday afternoon at Washliis,lu.,il
ana Flower streets by an automobile
in which were Mrs. Homer Laust, ,i;,'
jr., and Miss Gwendolyn LaushliH'
prominent in society, and the chauL-
feur, w. r. Lafater. ,.a4
The lad had mounted his wheel direct,
ly in front of the school bulidlng anu
was on his way home. Ire WaVeo 5 nlS
hand to several of his schoolmates, ana
when he turned again the motor cal
was directly in his path.
The delay cost him his life.
The heavy machine was stopped az
most instantly, but its rear Wneel
rested across the chest of the Vlctlin'
Death, as revealed by an autopsy az
terwards was caused by RID pelns
forced into the heart, rupturing II.
According to a witness young Dl van
was riding west on Washington ana
the automobile was being driven east
on Washington, and turned as If to go
into Fower street. The boy was Watch,
ing the approach of the motor car, anu
evidently thought the driver intended
to turn into the intersecting street.
When the student turned to go around
the auto the chauffeur turned back 10
Washington, the car striking the iau;
throwing him from the bicycle ana
crushing him under the heavy wheels'
Women in Auto
In the car at the time were MRS.
Laughlin and Miss Laughlin. -,
They assisted the chauffeur, as ulu
several students who ran out.
Di Vail was carefully bundled INTO
the auto and driven full speed TO the
L. tfn1 It1f
tervened. The body was then moVeo
to Pierce Bros establishment.
Mrs. Laughlin Immediately after the
accident ordered q cab sent 10 tne
boys home to bring his family 10 the
hospital, left directions that everything
possible be done, and sent word tnat
she would call on the parents as soon
as possible, as she was TOO overcome
with grief to do so at once.
Principal Francis of the POLYTECHNIC
hurried to the hospital and to the un.
dertakers' in a vain emort 70 pc vi
some service, and then did all he could
toward comforting Mr.. and Mrs. III
Vail who reached Pierce Bros place
soon after the body was removed there.
Coroner Hartwell had been tele-
phoned to and was on hand with Dr.
Dav at the official autopsy, afterwards
calling an inquest for 10 o'clock Mon
day morning.
Neither Could Stop
Spectators say that the chauffeur and
the bicyclist were going at fairly
rapid rates of speed, and that neither
could stop quickly enough to avert an
accident.
The coroner, Principal Francis and
others busted themselves afterwards IN
getting witnesses names, while Rev. j.
% Habbick of the Redeemer Presby-
terian church, with which the Di vans
are connected, offered consolation 10
the grief-stricken family, whose nome
is at 1884 Leighton avenue, near Agrl-
cultural park . IL,
Last night Homer Laughlin, jr., his
wife and his sister, drove to the
Di yalrs home TO offer their sympathy
and to express a desire to make ali
the reparation in their power, although
they said the blame seemed forest as
much on the bicyclist as on the chaI-
feur.
Almost Frustrated
Mrs. Homer Laughlin, sr, died sew
eral months ago and Miss Laughlln,
her daughter, has been in nervous
condition since then, hence the acci-
dent almost Frustrated her.
Their auto was left undisturbed last
night at the garage of the Laughllns,
where the dust and dirt OF carrying
the unfortunte lad is visible, In direct
soon after the accident. to the erect
that the automobilists hurried ON with
out stopping.
A Young woman who lives at the
Netherwood apartments with her par
ents possibly unwittingly started this
rumor, say people near the sehool; as
she was going into Cohn's grocery just
as the accident happened and was so
frightened that she didn't even turn
her head, She told the clerks that
she had seen the auto strike the boys
wheel and saw the auto going, but she
did not add that she didn't turn her
head again to see whether 1T had
Morbid Visitors
Many morbid visitors tried to get
into the Laughlin grounds at 666 West
Adams street last night and 1t was
necessary to close the big iron gates.
others tried to get relics OF the
broken bicycle.
Jack Hendrickson, in charge of the
watchmen in the Chester place neigh
borhood. said last night that out of
forty chauffeurs in his district he
knew of no more careful driver than
Lafater.
"As near as we can learn, the lad
waved a handful of books at some
students on the sidewalk" said Watch
man Hendrickson, instead of guiding
or slowing his wheel and there he
made his fatal mistake"
The victim was of strong physique
and large for his age. He had gradu-
ated from the Thirty-ninth street
school only last June. He was promi-
nent among the, Redeemer Endeavor-
ers and popular in his neighborhood
with ball teams and other boys clubs. |
During his vacation he had worked
az Hubinger's University station mar
ket, and through that connection be-
came generally known in the Univer-
sity section.
The victim is son of James r. Di
Vail, a carpenter who owns his own
home. The family came here several
southwestern corner of q Wisconsin,
there being three boys in the family.
Boy Injured by Auto