Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-23
GENERAL BELL SEVERELY IN.
JURED AND WIFE OF ANOTHER
OFFICER is KILLED
BELL AT FIRST THOUGHT
TO BE FATALLY HURT
Trolley Car Strikes Auto Near WASH
inston While Bell Was Taking Lady
Friend TO Railway Station-Motor-
man is Exonerated From Blame For
tho Accident.

Washington. March 2s.--In an auto
mobile accident near Fort Meyer. Va.
today. Maj Gen. J. Franklin Bell,
chief of staff OF the army was serious
ly injured. and Mrs. Herbert J. Slocum,
wife Of Major Siocum. OF the Seventh
cavalry was killed.
The accident occurred between Fort
Meyer and this city. At the foot OF a
hill quarter of a mile from Fort
Meyar at $50 this morning. at point
where the road crosses the tracks of
the Washington, Arlington and Falls
Church railway. the automobile was
struck by n fast moving trolley car.
Mrs. Herber j. Slocum was SO badly
Injured that she lived only fifteen min
utes after the accident.
According to the official report Bell
received bad scalp wound and other
| injuries. the extent of which were In
| dougt. He was taken to the post hos
pital at Fort Myer. where 1t was un-
| nounced the injuries were not danger
Gus.
Motorman Not to Blame.
Bell had n rib broken. n bad scalp
chauffeur was uninjured. Bell was re-
moved. first to the post hospital Mt
| Fort Meyer. and afterwards to his res
| idence at the fort.
| Mrs. Slocum lived only few mo-
| ments. Her husband Is attached 10 the
headquarters OF the department OF the
| east at Governors Island. New York.
She was visiting relatives N this city
and had passed the night with General
and Mrs. Bell. General Bell absoived
| the trolley car mot0rman from all
| blame for the accident.
| Mrs. Slocum was visiting her sister.
Mrs. II. l.. Green. Mt the Wyoming
\ apartment house In this city. but yes-
teriay went TO Fort Meyer to visit Mr..
and Mrs. Bell, with whom she and her
husband We're on terms OF intimate
friendship. 1t was on the way b-eA
to the wyoming that the fatal collisions
occurred
Auto Car Demolished.
! Crossing the Georgetown bridge neai
| Fort Meyer, the car turned north In
! Wisconsin avenue and was about tc
turn easterly along the northerly
boundary OF the city, when at Gar
field street the collision occurred. The
fast moving trolley car completely de-
moHshed the automobile. The ooS
pants were thrown thru the air. Mrs
ISlocum struck on her head. 1t was
| Immediately seen that her condition
| was serious and she was placed aboard
| the trolley car to be hurried to taa
hospital. After having gone some dis
tance in the car she was transferred
| to an automobile. and the driver iiur-
ried with all speed to Georgetown Un~
iversity hospital. When the hospital
,al 3 mr. III
| Mrs. Slocum dead.
Bell Seriously Hurt.
| Bell also appeared to be seriously Y
| hurt. He was placed in passing au-
tomobile and hurried to the Post hos
pital at Fort Meyer. AT the hospits..
| the surgeons found the general suffer-
| ing from contusions of the chest and
| a slight scalp wound The post sur
| geon. NAL John II. Allen. said at frss
| that no bones were broken and that
| so far as had been ascertained there
were no internal injuries. Later exam
| ination.> however. disclosed that one or
the generals ribs was broken. After
| his wounds were dressed the genera
| was removed in an automobile to his
homo near the hospital. AT last re-
| ports he was reasonably comfortable
Chauffeur Ward was unhurt. but was
soon arrested together Will ehe hiutoi
man and conductor OF the trolley car,
Mrs. SIocum Crushed.
/ According to the account or the &c
cident given by Chauffeur Ward the
machine was about two-thirds across
the track when the suburban car
struck it, The automobile was huflec
about five feet against trolley pois
and 1t finally turned over. Bell WA
thrown outward and pinned under sh.
front of the car, but extricated HIM
self. Nfrs. SS!,cc.::ss:: was crushed undeF
the body OF the car. Bleeding about
the hands and head. Bell directed tho
passengers of the trolley car and oth-
Eers in lifting the automobile from the
injured woman. Mrs Slocum was then
hurried to the hospital
l