The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-07-20

on Miss Bowman's neck where the
back of the car seat had pressed its
weight shows that she must have
been suffocated to death.
None of the other occupants of the
car received serious injuries. The
ladies were in a state of hysteria
when removed. The child had sobbed
itself into a frightened sleep and was
still.
1t is the most disastrous automobile
accident in the history of Western
North Carolina. 1t is not recalled
that another death from this cause is
on record in Henderson county.
The body of Mr.. Belts was sent to
his home, Trenton, s.. c., this morn
ing. The remains of Miss Bowman
will be taken to her home tomorrow.
Rufe Drake, the first man to como
to the assistance of the party, said to
! a Herald a
cit was about half past eleven last
night when 1 heard some one crying
for help. / was aroused first by the
barking of the dogs on the place. At
first / paid no attention to their fuss,
but they kept it up and / dressed and
went out.
"The moon was high in the heavens
and there was not a leaf stirringA /
listened with all my ears and then
came the cry again. shall new for
get it until that day when 1 hear the
cry of the angel Gabriel.
Help; Help! For Gods sake bring
help!' came the shrek of a mans
voice in awful agony.
81 dashed forward at the top Of my
speed, stopping but an instant to- To-
cate surely the call.
Through the trees came the cry
louder and louder until it seemed to
me the very air ~quivered with that
awful cry-and I can hear it now and
always shall.
Help! Help! For Gods sake
help!
Il stumbled along, and breathless
and painting, soon found the machine
with a young man. and a girl trying
to lift it's tremendous weight. Mr..
Powell got there almost as soon as L
but we found we were. helpless. Mr..
Powell went after more assistance
while l got into the woods and found
saplings to use as levers. 1t was hard
work but 1 seemed to be as strong as
three men. / FASTENED back with the
poles and Powell and half a dozen
OJAOI HOu Will III CdUlo a lew Il'Iu- |
utes later. The machine had torn
down a four-strand barbed wire fence
and the front end was resting on a
rock, We PRED and lifted until we
got the machine high enough for the
women in the back to crawl and be
dragged out. It was a harder task to
get Mr.. Belts and Miss Bowman from
under the front of the car and they
WnPo both Hood "hnn Mo G9H ~o& kh1~ l.
out. / reckon it took us about one
hour and a half to finally release their
bodies. Mr. Belts face was all COW
cred with blood and and a little stream
of blood was coming from his mouth.
Miss Bowman did not seem to be in
iu-ed and at first we thought she was
alive.
I'VE picked them up and laid them
side by side on the grassy slope of the
hill there and as the moon shone fully
life was gone. But it was.
I'VE all worked as hard as men
ever worked, to get them out. / tell
o it was Observation-Disclosures
BILE. We could see their bodies in the
blackness of the overturned car. Out
side was the great sky with stars
cleaning and the wind whispering,
while underneath the big car, crum-
pied up in the dreadful blackness of
their living tomb, we're two lives hor-
ribly snuffed out"
, Not Engaged.
The sensational reports published
in some incorrectly informed out-of-
town papers to the effect that Miss
Bowman and Mr.. B. w. Belts were
engaged to be married, are absolutely
untrue.
1t may be stated on the best of au-
thorfty that while the accident was
horrible enough In ali it's particulars,
the additional horror of two young
lives DON to be united and horribly
snuffed out did not exist.
Mr.. Belts and Miss Bowman were
not engaged.
Miss Bowman Most Popular.
Miss Lemie Bowman, who was taken
from the car Of death that night
reverent hands, has been a visitor here
during the past three months, and has
been counted as one Of the most
charmingly ~interecting and attractive
girls ever in HendersonvilIe.
She has been prominent in all of
the important social functions which
has marked the ushering in of the
season here, and has made unnum-
bered scores of sincere friends. She
was about 20 years of age. She is
survived by her parents and one sis
ter, Miss Mable, with her in the car
when it capsized but who escaped Sc
rious injury.
Dead Man Come Here on the 10th.
Mr.. B.. w. Belts, Jr, arrived in Hen
Jacksonville, Monday night, July 10th.
He was a member of a congenial
house party at Mrs. Bowman's-who
has leased the, residence of the late
Mr.. J. Williams for the season.
Mr.. Belts was Is years Of age and
unmarried. He leaves two sisters,
one of them married. Both his par
ents are dead. He was a prominent
business man of Trenton, s.. c., and
bad extensive farming interests be-
sides. II