Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-21
STRANC SUICIDE
THEORY SECUTED
We'll, This Is My Last Day,
Significant Remark Dropped
by Racer During Day.
CALL HOME BY EMPLOYER
Meets Death When His Car Turns
Turtle While Moving Four
Miles an Hour.

Milwaukee, Wis, July 21.-Louis
Strang, the automobile racing driver,
killed near Blue River, Wis, yester-
day afternoon, met the kind of death
he had predicted. He said last Sun
day at the Riyerview motordrome il
Chicago:
I'll never get killed in a race. If
get it at all it will be on the road
The driver died because he stuck to
his car. The auto was running only
about four miles an hour. Strang
turned aside to let a farmers team
pass. The bank suddenly gave way
and the car slid down the embank-
ment, turning turtle. Strang, reluct-
ant to jump went under TO his death.
The embankment was scarcely more
than five feet high. Friends scout the
theory of suicide.
SAY HE INVITED DEATH.
An element of romance and mystery
is added to the fatality from the fact
that associates of Strang on the tour
think he was deliberately inviting
death. Since leaving Milwaukee on
Monday Strang is said to have been
so reckless that others who started in
his car refused to ride with him.
Strang was sued for divorce by his
wife about two years ago.
In the car with Strang were j. w.
Tufts. Milwaukee; Joe Jaegerberger,
and l. A. Clark of Lancaster, Wis.
They all leaped to safety, but Strang
seemed to have lost his head or wei
coined death. Earlier in the day he
had received message from the Case
company at Racine to report at the
home office, and as he read the wire,
he said:
We'll, this is my last day
Whether the words were significant
will never be known.
WEAK ARM PROBABLE CAUSE.
Strang broke an arm about the mid
die of June during a race in KenOsha
and is said not TO have been strong
enough 10 attempt the wearisome grind
of the state run this week 1t is
thought this weak arm may have con-
tributed 10 lack of control of the car.
Lewis Strang was &c years old and
was born in New York, but had been
connected with the Case company and
manager of their team for a number
of years
He had driven in auto races since
1905 and was a particular favorite in
Wisconsin. He was known as a fear
less driver and one not averse to TAX
ing chances but seemed to be immune
He sustained his first accident in June,
when driving with a number of other
ri "a in KpnnEha That
when he broke his arm when his car
plunged through a fence. He also sus-
tanned a dislocated ankle and slight in
teTnal injuries.
Strang was not an entrant in the
reliability run. but offered the tech
meal committee his Case car and vol
unteered to drive it,
WINNER IN MANY BIG RACES.
Strangs first drive was in Elkwood
park track, and he has driven in prac-
tically every race of importance since
1907.
In 1907 he was the winner of the
Ala, and made mile record in Nash
vile.
He was winner in 1908 at Savan-
nah in a road race; also at Lowell,
Mass, Brighton Beach, and Savan-
nah, Ga.
In 1909 he was a winner at Ormond
Beach, making 100 miles in 81 minutes.
In 1910, on the Indianapolis motor
speedway, he made a quarter mile rec
ord in eight seconds, making 119 miles |
an hour.
II haan fhaf
Gently was negotiating with the Fiat
Automobile company for a new 300 /
horse power car with which he hoped !
TO rival the noted cars driven by Har- !
roun and Burman.