The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-09-20
Auto Drivers Up
To Defend Their
Right To Operate
Many Cases of Accidents ane
Alleged Bad Driving Re-
viewed by Secretary

II
case OF a carriage-automob collision
in Norwalk on August %, followed b.
runaway and the upset of two ED
erly people, and the facts in the cas-
Of narrowly-averted accident be.
tween motor cars on the Wilson Poir,.
road, on August 20 were sought b,
Secretary of the State, Matthew III
Rogers yesterday afternoon. Botk
cases were of minor Importance as
regards results, yet interesting, and or
the border, between recklessness and
oarelessness.. In the carriage which
and Mrs. Hill of Westport, who were
injured as result. In the automo~
pile which was struck in the other
collis1on were party of young men
and hotel Mattresses returning from
new canaan dance Both cases were
closed with decisions reserved.
Policeman Charles Page of Nor
walk testifying in the first of the two
cases heard, which happened on East
avenue, in NOrwalk, said there werss
no marks on the carriage on tho
highway. The road had not been re-
condition at the time Glass whfcn
he found in the roadway, he said.
probably belonged to the automobiles
front lamp. The accident happened
midway between two arclights. Lat
er, at the police station, the frax-
plate like those of the headlights.
No impeachment INSTRUCTED the cars
passage through point near the
curb. The horse ran away with the
carriage, throwing out tho occupants
SO as to injure them.
Mr.. Hill of Weetport said he was
driving on August 20 in Norwalk.
when something struck the carriage.
turning it part around, and throwing
him and his wife out. He hit on his
head and was knocked unconscious,
His wife, too, was injured. He said he
was afraid of them things anyway"
and he was walking his horse on the
right hand side of the rond. The dam
ages to his carriage were on the left
hand side.
Mrs. Hill said her husband was
driving on the right side. She said
she went out of the carriage like .
bird flying She was near the street
car track when she landed.
Samuel Lyons of Norwalk, who was
on East avenue where the accident
occurred, said he was coming up tho
avenue when he found Mr.. and Mra
Hill and their bundles scattered in the
highway. He was in g. car. Charles
H. Billworth of Norwalk. riding with
Mr.. Lyons, told what assistance he
and others gave the two victims. The
colliding automobile stopped about 10
feet from the site of the accident TT
right headllght was dark.
H. l.. Moeller of South NorwaIk, ar
electrician, who was driving the car
which collided with the carriage, said
he did not quite make the turn out OF
the track which he was straddling. II
seemed to him that the horse baked.
He had helped pick up the man and
woman. He thought carriages usually
followed the curb, and he accounted
for being on the wrong side of the
road by his allowing room for any
wagons to pass. The secretary closed
the hearing, reserying decision. Mr..
Rogers complimented Policeman Page
on the clear layout of his map to exc
plain how the accident happened
Accident No. 2 before the secre<
tary yesterday afternoon occurred on
the Wilson Point road near South
NorWalk. Harry Lynch of Bethel, .
chauffeur, the first witness testified
that he was operating a car on Aus
49, coming from a dance at Groton
through Norwa1k to New Canaan. He
reached Groton Point at $3.50 o'clock,
and it was on his return that the ac-
cident occurred. His car was going
twenty or thirty miles an hour. The
other car, did not signal. and was run
ming with open muffler.. The case
was reported to- the police station,
and during a search With the officers
in his car, nothing was seen Of the
other car. He testified that he was
on the proper side of the street. His
cars wheels had chains, and the car
could not skid without his knowing
it. The other car struck his car with
a scrape, and he had caught its num-
Der. Six were with him in the car
some of whom worked in hotel
Another occupant in the car, John
Dutton, invited by one of the girls 70
go with them to the dance, said hs
was not familiar with the ground. and
as he was busy talking with the girss
he did not observe the approach OF
the other car. He said he was no
Judge of speed, and did not know how
fast either car was going.
Other witnesses for the state were
CIV Martin, an artesian well digger.
and two witnesses who live in New
Canaan Joseph Conn. of Stamford.
who was driving the other car, said
his car did not skid when the accident
happened The car did lot receive
heavy damages He had never had
any accidents before. He was arrest
ed once for speeding.