St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-01
FOUR GO Down in
MUDDY Waters
New Orleans the Scene Of Fearful Automobile
Accident at 2 o'clock Saturday Morning.
one VICTIM FROM OPELOUSAS
huge Machine Crashed Through Fence anu
Brought Every Member Of Party
10 Watery Death.

New Orleans, Sept. 26.-Home'
ward bound after a wild night OF DIS.
sipation, four people, two men and
two young women of the scarlet let
ter, speeding like the wind, in a bic
red touring car, plunged over the EN-,
bankment into the New Basin Canal,
ct a point between the Terminal
Company's bridge and the Metairle
Ridge, where the new shellroad makes
a turn, and the murky waters stiied
their cries for help as they sank to
their death. The victims are:
Thomas Boettler, aged 45, auto
owner, 1903 Canal Street.
w. B. Freeman, aged 30 years,
drummer Lazell, Daley & Co., New
York.
Marian GibliD, alias Smith, aged
about 10.
Dot Hall, alias Daisy Hawkins,
aged about 20.
As nearly as can be ascertained,
the tragic end of the joy ride came
about 2:30 o'clock Saturday morning.
William johnson, who owns a little
shipyard on the banks Of the New
Basin, near the Terminal Company's
bridge, on the city side, was lying in
bed restless, when he heard a ma
chine moving toward the city with
great speed. He made some COM
ment to himself about the foolhardy
Joy riders, but barely had the words
escaped him when he heard a crash
and a splash, and then an agonizing
scream. He rushed out, and saw a
man struggling in the water. He
tried to get bis skitf united to go to
the rescue, but before he could pad
die out to the spot the unfortunate
had sunk out of sight, and there was
not d ripple on the water.
johnson Immediately rushed to the
Tenth Precinct Station, where he
notified the police of the tragedy,
and then steps were taken to ascer-
tain the identity Of the party.
After a day Of many reports con-
corning her nativity and her doiDgs
in New Orleans, the Saturday night
hours found Marguerite Giblin identi-
fed as Margaret Eldrich of Vincent,
La, a small towE near the city Of Lake
Charles. Later it was ascertained
that she is a native Of Opelousas.
Dorathy Hall is the correct name
of the unfortunate girl who was con-
founded as Daisy Hawkins. 1t hap
pens that Mrs. Hawkins, who is at
present in an orphansge uptown,
knows the girl well. She said that
Dorothy, when she was one year and
a half old, was placed in an orphan
age in Baton Rouge, where Mrs.
Hawkins was the matron, and the
child was reared there until she was
8 years old. Mrs. Hawkins went to
another o~rphanage in Lake Charles.
and took the little g r with her.
Dorothy remained there until she was
about II years old, and then left for
Oklahoma City, where she has a sis
ter, Mrs. lesson, who is married and
doing we'll in that city.
w. c. Freeman, the man who was
host on the fatal ride, was about 90
years of age and travelled for the
wholesale perfume and drug house of
Lazell. DALEY & CO., of 235 MiIlian
Street, New York City. He made
four trips a year to New Orleans
and had become very we'll known
among the local drug houses.
Thomas Boettler came to this citv
from Kent, Ohio, about six years 400.
and bought out the OAK Hotel i
the corner of Burgundy and Canal
streets, where the Audubon BUILDING
now stands. When the Old buiIdino
was demolished to make way for the
present one Boettler retired from the
hotel business, and, buying several
automobiles, entered into the Iivsrv
business.
GIRL is NATIVE OF opErn1rsAs