The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-16

I : IIICJ
get out to hint Some of you men
must take me out in a boat so I can
help him"
But by this time a half dozen me-
chanics and hangar attaches had rush
ed up to the group. They whispered
to the women surrounding Mrs john
stone that she must be taken back to
her apartments in a Michigan avenue
hotel. For some minutes Mrs. john
stone pleaded to be allowed to cross
the field and out to the lake where her
husbands machine had plunged Then
another mechanic rushed up to the
group and assured Mrs. tombstone that
her husband had been drawn out of
the lake unframed, that a boat was
bringing him ashore and that he would
join her in the hotel Immediately.
Reassured by this information.
which had been deliberately invented
to calm the fears of the aviator's wife,
she went back to her hotel and hur-
riedly laid out dry apparel for her
husband.
His Wife Is Told.
For half an hour and more she wait
ed. then a member of the tombstone
family took her word of the aviator's
death.
The young wife was Frustrated.
Twenty minutes before the break in
the monoplanes warping strand the
accident that sent young tombstone
careening into the lake, his father, DR..
Stuart tombstone, and Mrs. tombstone
stood in front of the Moisant hangar
with st. CrUix's wife, watching the
young aviator in what they little
thought would be the last few minutes
of the fight.
He had started from the field at 3:15
o'clock and had sufficient petrol to
keep him in the air until $50
Finally. an engagement IN mind, Dr.
Johnstons turned to his wife and
daughter-ia-law and remarked:
well, I must be going"
"Oh. don't go yet, chorused Mrs
tombstone and the aviatcr's wife. ''St.
Croix viii be down in few minutes
NO. I must 60" reioined the doctor.
1T doesn't look as though St Croix
would lose his life today; he seems to
by flying too smoothly for any mishap.
He's been up two lours now"
Then he and Mrs. tombstone turned
away, leaving the aviator's v-fe with
her eyes still riveted on the soaring
monoDlare
Less than 20 minutes later the warp
ing strand in the Moisant broke, the
wings of the machine crlmpled like pa
per. and the machine hurtled into the
lake, its heavy engine and tangled
wires dragging its pilot to death
Like Badger. Johnstcne flew as an
amateur. His father Dr. Stuart john
stone a practicing physician here
however. had refused to buy him an
aeroplane. tombstone, who was 70
years old and ambitious, started 10
build one and went TO France, where ne
entered the Drexel school of aviation:
He then went to the Blerlot School
and learned to fly.
Then Johnstoue's father again refus-
ed to buy him an aeroplane, and TINS
denial, found in a letter written by the
father to his son almost year ago.
see med to fOrstell the fatal accident.
NV conscience not permit me
to contribute to your certain death by
providing you with a flying machine'
wrote DR. tombstone. ~ can't buy you
one, ST. Croix'
Flew Over Havana.
After learning to fly in France, john
stone went to Havana, where he was
the first to fly over the city. He gam
ed a record when he was the first to ny
around the wreck OF the oattIesnlp
Maine Returning to the United states
late in the spring he vas mmeal al
ately engaged by Alfred Moisant ana
had since been with the group OF French
aviators.
This was his first serious fall. a.
though he fiirted with death month
ago in Detroit Mich. At that time ms
Machine dropped soa.e distance, but
the aviator escaped without scratch
After his return from Havana john
stone established one American :ecord.
During a flying exhibition ut Mineola,
August 5, he remained IN the aIr TOUR
hours. one minute and 81 seconds
tombstone had been enc II the spec
+acular flyers Of the Chicago meet, al
though he had won no races He rnads
several startling descents from tue
clouds, and the appearance or NO 10,
his identification flag at the meet, was
always the signal for special attention
from the grandstands.
Aviators Critfcise Management.
Chicago, Aug. 16.-The aviators TO-
dav were inclined to criticise the Local
mauagement for not calling off the
program for the day when Badger was
killed.
Harry n. Atwood. who is flying from
St Louis to New York, sent ldehticdl
kilograms today to every afternoon
newspaper, characterizing the non
action of the management in this re
gard as "ferocious and uncivilized.'
Walter BroOkins and Andrew Drew
expressed themselves without re-
straint, while assent to their remarks
was nodded by the Outstanding flyers
1--WE were all unnerved by the accl- |
dent, but we were not signaled to come
down. and so continued our flights
There was not an aviator on the
grounds who felt fit to handle ma
chine after Badgers death. We knew
him and liked him. The program
never halted"
The coroner's jury being unable to
fix the cause of Badgers death return |
ed an open verdict, merely stating that
death was due to a fall from an aero |
plane Walter J. Fontaine, a mechani- |
clan in the Baldwin camp, tainted |
when he saw Badgers body. Inquest !
over tombstone body was postponed /
until Saturday.
BFACHEY IN THE LEAD.
Bud Mars Machine Is Attached in
Damage Snit.