The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-26
Negro Chauffeur Did Not Sop
Machine Liter Striking
His Victim
MAN STEPPED OFF OF
CAR IN FRONT OF AUTO
John ID. Battle, Government Engineer,
Has Both Legs Broken in Acci-
dent-Is Dragged Half Block
BY the Machine

nue. G anu Twentieth street yesterday
evening about O'Clock, John d. Battle
of Tuscaloosa, a civil engineer and gov
erninept inspector for the Panama canal,
was hit by an automobile belonging to
Crawford Johnson, president of the Bir-
mingham Coca-Cola Bottling company,
and Vas dragged a half block Both bones
of bo.h legs were broken between the
ankle and the knee, his left ankle was
dislocated and lie received many small
wounds arc cuts all over his body. There
was no one in the car except the negro
chauffeur, Aleck Davis, and another ne
gro boy.
Mr. Hattie has been in the city for
week or two in the interest of the govern
ment. He was inspecting some supplies
that were TO be shipped from Birmingham
to Panama for use In the construction of
the isthmian canal. He had about COM
pleted his work and had intended to send
In his report to the government today.
1t is understood that some of the ma
:eria. beils purchased for the canal was
to be from the Beggs- Montgomery Man
ufacturng company, and that last night
Mr.. Battle was going out to the resi-
dence of Mr.. l,eggs to finish some of the
business transactions which come under
Mr.. Battles supervision as government
inpector.
Struck without Warning
AS Mr.. Battle stepped from the car at
Avenue G and Twentieth the automobile,
which seemed to be running without
particle of noise and at high speed, struck
him without warning. Whether the force
of the collision threw Mr.. Battle nearly a
half block OF whether he was dragged by
the car is not known. At any rate he was
picked up almost half block away in an
unconscious condition. He was found in
front of the C. C. Nixon automobile gar
age. which is midway between Avenues
+ and G.
A ct was borrowed from the Hillman
hospital, which is close to where the ac-
cident occurred. and Mr.. Battle was car
ried to the Davis infirmary. He was
placed under the influence of the anaes-
thetic and his broken limbs were set and
his wounds dressed. DR.. J. d. S. Davis
said last right that he was getting along
very nicely. ~ think there are no internal
injuries" said the doctor. I'VE made an
X-ray examination and discovered moth
Ing except the broken legs and the frac-
tured ankle. Mr.. Battle is just now COM
ing out of the influence of the anaesthetic
and think he will be conscious in a short
time.
his wife at Tuscaloosa and she said she
would come to the bedside of her injured
husband at once. 1 think that Mr.. Bat
tie is not fatally injured and that he will
not lose the use of his limbs. Something
may develop, however, in the next "a
hours
Machine Did Not Stop
The machine was going to the Southern
garage, 1t is claimed, and did not stop
w RatfIa ST.
tinued on down Twentieth street and shot
up Avenue F and disappeared 1t was
found out later that it was Mr.. John
sons car and that it was driven by his
chauffeur, Aleck Davis.
Mr.. Johnson said last night in speaking
of the accident: IT did not know of
the accident until my chauffeur called
me up tonight and said that he had struck
a man at Avenue and Twentieth. My
folk were coming down from Chattanooga
tonight and after going for them 7 went
to the hospital to see the man. 1t was
not known then whose car. 1t was that
struck Mr.. Battle. I regret the accident
very much. OF course, I am in no way
responsible for it, but it was my car and
I feel very sorry that the accident hap
pened. I called at the inf1rmary to see
the man and afterwards inquired over
the telephone about his condition.
johnson Talks of Accident
my chauffeur's name is Aleck Davis
When he told me of the accident he said
that as he was crossing Avenue g man
got In front of the car and attempted
to beat him across. He said that just
at this moment the glass windshield on
the front of the car was broken from
some cause or other and that the flying
glass got into his eye. OF course, he
got excited and the glass evidently hurt
him very much. This was the reason that
he ran into Mr.. Battle, he says. The
chauffeur said that he ran the machine
to the conner before he could get 1t
stopped. He had the glass taken out OF
his eye and then returned to see who he
had hit and how bad the accident was.
He told mo the man was carried to the
Davis infirmary and Immediately called
up there. 1 am very glad to hear that
Mr.. Battle is not injured any worse than
he Is, for I feared that 1t might be
fatal.
1.-THE car hit the man at an angle, CIV
ing him q CHANGING stroke. If he had
been hit fairly the result would doubt
less have been more serious. This Is the
first accident that my chauffeur has been
blamed too much. He has been working
for me for u months and always appears
to be a careful driver
Mrs. w. A. Battle, who lives at 1882
South Eighteenth street. is an aunt of the
injured man. Mrs. Battle said last night:
Yes. I have heard of the accident and
have just come from the infirmary where
my nephew was taken. He Is in the oper-
ating room now and the full extent of his
injuries Is not known. He has been in
town for some time at his work as gov