The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-28
Condition Of Track Response
BILE for the First Two
Deaths.
ASKS GRAND JURY PROBE
OFFICIAL oTATEo THAT CON-
PANY KNEW WOULD De
DEATHS AND INJURIES, PRO-
viDiNo FOR FIELD HOSPITAL.

OlACAWcHs N uuOln8 nanOeQ OOWn
yesterday holds the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway company responsible and
recommends grand jury investigation
for the deaths OF William BOurque and
Harry Holcomb. who were killed at
the track on August 10. A poorly
made roadway. declared unfit for rae
ing, and drain ditch at its edge about
two feet wide and twenty inches deep.
0Se declared to have robbed the two
men Of chance for their lives. The
deaths Of Bourque and Holcomb were
the first Of the tragedies to be recorded
at the Speedway. Both men were in
the same car which was owned by the
Knox Manufacturing company of
Springfield. Mass, in whose employ
they were racing The machine swerv-
ed from the roadway. struck the open
ditch and was overturned. Both men
were killed almost instantly.
The coroner's finding is as follows:
ri. John J. Blackwell. coroner of Ma
rfon county, having examined all the
witnesses and heard all the testimony
IN the cases of the deaths of Harry
Holcomb and William Bourque, who
came to their end on the 10th day of
August, 1900, and the race track owned
by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
company from an automobile acct
dent. Said accident was caused: First,
by the race course not being in condi-
tion, and secondly that the machine
swerved into an open ditch twenty
inches wide and about two feet deep.
that was open for the reception of TIL
ing to drain the low ground. This ditch
was on the very edge of the track
and as soon as the machine struck the
ditch 1t went to pieces. turned turtle
and killed Harry Holcomb and VIII
liam Bourque.
Track Not In Condition.
Il find by my investigation that the
roadway was not in condition for fast
racing by automobiles; the broken
stone that was placed on parts of the
roadway and especially for 200 feet
where Harry Holcomb and William
BourQue met their deaths. was put on
only q few days before and was not
properly rolled or tamped. There was
q coating of asphalt placed on top of
the broken stones in order to try to &C.
ment the stones together, but after the
r,"chines had been working on the
track for short time noticed that
the stone worked up through and 1t
demonstrated to me that there was no
foundation for this roadway and the
hard usage and test 1t was put to-.
II am further satisfied that II this
open ditch had not been in the position
and place in which 1t was the two men
could have ridden their machine and
stuck to the track. AS 1t was, they did
not have one chance for their lives at
ter they struck the ditch. examined
the machine and found it apparently
in good condition excepting where it
was knocked to pieces when it struck
the ditch.
Prepared for Accidents.
1T is clear to my mind that the In
dianapolis Motor Speedway company
knew there was going to be a loss of
life and limb. The Surroundings indi-
Gated everything OF that kind. They
were prepared with hospital ambu-
lance and every convenience to take
care Of the dead or dying. Therefore
from evidence here shown and testi-
mony taken hold the officers and
manager OF the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway company responsible for the
deaths of Harry Holcomb and William
BourQue, and when the grand jury
holds its next session will recommend
an investigation of the whole affair"
Carl G.. Fisher of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway company was one OF
the witnesses before Coroner Black
we'll Fisher admitted in his testi-
mony the poor condition of the track.
Fisher also testified to having made
an examination of the broken machine
after the accident. stating that he had
found the axle bed plates broken. one
OF them especially being badly crys-
affixed. Nothing in the testimony Of
fered stated the exact cause of the
swerve taken by the machine to run
into the ditch. Unless the mechanical
detect in the axle plate accounts for 1t
the real cause will never be known,
inasmuch as the two men killed are
the only ones who might have testi-
fed.
CURED HAY FEVER AND SUMNER
COLD
a. s. Nusbaum. Batesville. Indiana,
writes: Last year suffered for three
months with . summer cold 30 dis
trsssing that It interfered with my bus
iaoss had many Of the symptoms
Of hay fever and doctors prescrip-
ton did not reach my case. and took