New-York tribune., 1909-07-22
LEAVE VICTIM TO, BURN
PINNED UNDER IN AUTO.
Han Pulled Out Dead as Boys Who
Struck Him Run 1f5cay.

-o bo,s on a wild. midnight ride in Dor
rcved" automobile killed a man. destroyed ''e
machine and barely escaped Tith their hNes III Il
wreck early yesterday on Jerome avenue where
a. CROSSES the CITY line into Yonkers The young
men ran away urhurt. leaving their victim. still
gasping and alive. pinned under the hurnng car
They are James Plunkett. cf No. 2919 Eighth ave
nue. and Cleveland Collins. Of No rs Brachurst
avenue Manhattan. both nineteen years old. At a
late hour last night the police had been unable to
lay hands them
James Finn the man who was killed. was ne
rnotorrlan Of 1onkers car which had just
reached the city line TO make connections with
she Jerome avenue cars in The Bronx. The read
was dark for it 1:10 O'Clock. and there are
woods on both sides of the way w. A Courtney
the conductor, had just swung the trolley pole
about and gone back to the rear for the headlight
Finn was walking slowly toward the front of the
The automobile. going north. rushed up over
low rise in the road fifty yards below and tore
down them. Courtney it and cried out
Finn turned startled. and took quick step tow
s-d the car. The machine caught him and drove
him before it, swerveG sharply TO the right
plunged across the road and struck heavy
wooden pole. The machine turEed end for end
with the shock and caught fire The pole was
broken of short.
Courtney hurried up. with two other men who
had stood near the car. The two young men VINO
had been in the automobile came scramhling out
of the bushes and stood in the read brushing them
selves of. Finn lay helpless beneath the machine
with only his feet protruding. Courtney left the
Others TO help him ost and sprang on the ear to
run for help. one OF lhe boys turned to the other
snd asked nervously:
Coin TO beat it,
NO was the answer.
We'll. am. Come on
Both took TO their heels and fea toward the city
Herman SchalI. the Yonkers police force, cam"
running at a shouted word from Courtney as ne
rushed past with the car. Schall saw the boys run
but dared not leave Finn under the automobile
The gasolene was burning fercely. and the tank
might have exploded At any moment as he fell 'c
work with the other TWO to release the motor
man The man struggled once for breath, ana 1eiI
back unconscious a minute later The tank ehll'lu
itself with grsh Of fame that drove the men TO
the further side Of the road
4 fire crew came with the ambulance and put
ou- the blaze when the gasolene had burned out
Finn died while the ambulance surgeon worked
over him He was married. and lived at 20 III
ssblurton avenue. Yonkers. The carmen made a
grim Joke Of the fact that he was struck III Ne"
York and killed in Gonkers. for the machine swept
him nearly a hundred feet. clear across the ci's
line which l. also the division line OF the TWO
trolley roads
After the wreck the police traced the route OF
she speeding automobile The two lads had stopped
Tor drinks at roadhouse at Jerome avenue anu
a1sth street and had past trolley car that
a1sd lust left city line. running at a terIlhc
mace Young Plunkett, who WAS the driver Gld not
.,et,,rr hcrne Collins. a timekeeper in the Penn
sylvania Railroad tunnels. reached his fafnly III
The early morning hours and left again hurfleuS
at O'Clock. The automobile was owned pH f1d-
,,-ara A Kertscher of the Kertscher Company
Cabinet Works at Nc IS Lawrence street, VINO
lives at the Hazlehurst apartment house at lelSt
street and Fort Washington avenue He said that
72lunketr who was his chauffeur, had taken the
car without permission.