Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-05
DARE DEVIL" IN
WRECK GOING
20 MILES HOUR
CRASHES INTO MACHINE TURN
ING WRONG WAY
MACHINE CONTINUES WITHOUT
RIDER THROUGH FENCE
Lad of Fourteen Shows Marvellous
Nerve-onookers Hurt-Motor
Rider Has Broken Arm.
Derkum Injured ...

| Paul j. c. Derkum, known as Dare
devil Derkum,' while riding his motor
cycle at the rate of seventy miles al
/ hour on the track at Ascot park yes
! terday afternoon in practice for the an
nual meet of the Los Angeles Motor
cycle club to be held Sunday, struck c,
II. Jackson, a rider going at sixty miles
an hour rate, throwing both men from
their motorcycles. The machine rid
den by Derkum continued along the
track, crashed through a fence, strik-
ing a boy, Paul Zinc, IA years old, and
knocking him TO the ground. Three
men who were near the boy also were
struck by the riderless motorcycle.
The injured:
Paul ]. c. Derkum, % years old, 1857
West Twenty-fourth street; four-incn
laceration fright arm, general bruises.
Paul Zinc, IA years old, 941 East
Fifty-sxth street, fractured right leg
near high. laceration right thigh and
numerous bruises on body.
c. II. Jackson, 20 years old of i62
East Twelfth street received a frac-
tured arm near the elbow and slight
decorations on the face.
At the moment that the accident oc-
CURED Derkum was passing the grand
stand. He was gong at rate or
seventy miles an hour and was rapidly
overtaking Jackson. who was going at
a rate of about sixty miles an hour.
There were a number of persons on the
track who had no business there, and
someone tagged Jackson. Turning TO
see what was wanted he turned to the
right instead of to the left, with Der
KUN coming down the stretch on him
at the terrific gait at which he was
travelling.
Derkum saw Jackson turn, and see
ing that a collision must result tried
a., IN, I,e q
son, for the reason that he could not
cut in behind him. AS he did so he
struck Jackson's machine a glancing
blow.
jackson and his motorcycle We're
thrown high into the air, and both
man and machine rolled down to the
bottom of the incline. The impact
threw Derl1um off his motorcycle, He
fell to the track and rolled to the
bottom. The motorcycle ridden by
Derkum continued on the track, then
crashed through where three men and
a boy were standing within the en-
closure They attempted to get out
of the way. The lad was on the fence,
in the act of leaping outside, when he
was hit by the machine He was
knocked to the ground and the others
were struck at an angle by the same
vehicle.
Derkum. Jackson and the lad were
taken to the receiving hospital.
The names of the three men or the
extent of their injuries could not be
ascertained.
The marvellous nerve of the lad Zinc
is shown in the fact that although he
had a severe injury to his thigh re-
curing four stitches, the little fellow
never let a whimper out of him. but
talked with the. surgeon all of the
time the operation was being per-
formed without an anaesthetic being
given him, and the only thing that
worried him, apparently was when he
was being transferred from the auto
mobile of S. c. Bishop. who rendered
the injured most valuable assistance
to the ambulance, said, Gee, but this
will worry mamma"
Derkum has had the wounds of his
arm dressed and will ride the race of
his life today at Ascot park in the
motorcycle event, which by the way
is a national event.