Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-07-28
DOUBLE
TRAGEDY
Two Prominent Codington County
Farmers are Dead as the
azf Result Of Auto Accident.
COOK sUCCOMBs TO REMoRsE
The Accidental Death of His Friend
Was More than His Nervous
System Could Stand.

OySt6u Suul0 Dtduu.
A most shocking double tragedy oc-
CURED near this city Monday eve
ming and Tuesday morning and two
wellto-do and highly respected farm
ers of this county are dead as the
result.
Maurice H. Lewis resided about
six miles south of Watertown and
was a pioneer resident of the county.
1t appears that he came to the city
last Monday with horse and buggy
and was around the citv all day at
tending to business and visiting with
his friends.
John Cook, also a substantial far
mer residing about three miles south
OF the city on the Carpenter road was
in the city. The men have always
been lgdod friends and they were
seen around town together that day.
Friends of Mr.. Lewis say that he had
been drinking little during the day
hut that he was not under the influ-
ence of liquor and fearing that he
might imbibe too freely Mr.. Cook
was asked to take him home in his
automobile. After some persuasion
by M. Cook and Mr.. Lewis friends
he finally consented to let Mr., Cook
take him home In HIS &automobile.
The two men We're seen getting in
the machine as theysgas the city by
Barney Cunningham SSno is broth
er-in-law of Mr.. Lewis and he says
that both men seemed perfectly So
Der and one could not detect from
their actions that they had been
drinking at all.
Mr.. Lewis Jumps Out OF Auto.
The accident happened just at
the corner a half mile west of the
John Carter farm south of the city,
as the road turns south. 1t appears
that Mr.. Cook was driving his car at
moderate speed when he heard
MIR. Lewis, who was sitting in the
rear seat, say: Il am going to jump
out!" At that instant he turned and
saw him getting out of the car over
the side door, .- .t r.
Mr.. Cook made grab for him and
canght him by une foot as he was go
ing ont OF the car but could not stop
him. In doing this Mr. Cook lost
control of the car for moment and
it ran up on fhe bank and into a barb
ed-wire fence and some posts before
he could stop it. Cook ran back and
locked AT his friend who was lying
On the ground unconscious and pick
ed him up and placed him n the car
When he attempted to start THE
car he found that there was a lot ni
barbed-wire wrapped around the axle
and he was compelled to use coal
chisel to get the wire off.
Thinking that his friend was still
alive he cranked up the car and start
ed for town as fast as he could drive
On the road in he was overtaken by
H. f. w. Schaller. Mr.. Cook stopped
his car and told Mr. Schaller about
the accident. Mr. Schaller took onf
look at Mr.. Lewis and said: y be
lieve he is dead, but you had De1tel
hurry into town and get a doctor as
l may be mistaken
Mr.. Cook then ran the car into tbs
city an fast as he could with NJ;
Schaller following closely behind il
his auto. He pulled up in front o.
the Granite block hoping to find e
doctor and it was only few minutes
until several hundred people hai
gathered around him and asked al
kinds of questions regarding the ac
cident. A doctor finally appeared OF
& the scene and pronounced Mr., Lewis
dead and ordered the body taken tt
the Cozy Home undertaking rooms
II is thought that Mr.. Lewis necl
was broken from the fall.
The county coroner viewed the re
nains the same evening and decided
that it was not necessary to hold al
inquest on the body as It was sci
! evident that his death was purely &C
cidental and that Mr.. Cook was in n.
way to blame.
Messages telling Of the death o
Mr.. Lewis were sent MONDAY night t.