The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-06

saw the curtains on the car that 1t was
nlled with men who were not his
friends. Anyway before I had an op-
portuntty to realize what was going on,
he had run to the machine and, after
throwing the curtains back, had in
Ispected its interior to see that it was
} empty. Before I had time to think
twice or before I had time to recog-
nize persons in the crowd, the man
adorned with the handouts was seated
and being followed quickly by two de-
tect1Ves / was ordered to drive west
and run over street cars if necessary
In getting out of the city in a hurry.
we went west on Washington
street. After had left the city limits
and the open country was seen before
us. was Informed to drive west; that
was to choosethe roads. and to drive
stops unless they were absolutely nee
essary. I had gasoline and oil and
water In my machine to carry us 800
miles, and I knew we could make the
trip barring punctures.
II really could not tell what cities
we passed on the way. drove so fast
I did not have time to notice where we
We're going, only knew Va were
headed west. At no time during the
trip did 1 hear conversation between
Mcnamara and the detectives. The
machine was making too much noise
and the wind was whistHng past our
ears too fast for us to hear. Neither
did have time to devote much thought
was. for I was busy in controlling the
; machine, avoiding bumps and round
ling curves in the road,
| Some time after we had left here
one of the men opened suit case.
/, thought it belonged to the prisoner.
. 1t was filed with a young battery and
there was enough ammunition in 1t for
an army. There was Winchester
rifle in the grip. several large auto
Imatic pistols, and it looked to me like
at least 200 rounds of ammunition
When I saw all the gunpowder para
; lphernalia I decided that a man could
only die once and that might as well
keep that machine in the road while
had the chance.
'"Those guns looked to me like
trouble. I thought If trouble had not
been expected the detectives were GER
tainly foolish to carry so much excess
baggage.
II can not help but say a few good
| words for the machine that took us
| the trip. We had unusually good luck
The trip was made without a stop, and
| we were exceedingly lucky to go so far
| at the rate of forty miles an hour
coming back to fix tire, but that was
the only trouble I had on the trip. I
took my time coming home. 1 was
asked to do this by the detectives.
L
talk, and. above all things, they did
not want me to say where Mcnamara
was taken from the machine. Burns
may be willing to make this place
known, but, that's up to him and not
me-"
Just as some folks seem to have the
faculty for doing the wrong thing, so
some owners of automobile appear to
possess a. talent for picking out the
: rr%1, H,n an 1acf
roads for long trip in a good car de-
! serving of judicious handling. A recent
trip from Oklahoma to the Pacific
coast in a 1910 four cylinder roadster
owned by E. R.. Reed OF Newkirk,
Okla, affords a case in point Accom-
panied by c. M Morgan and A c..
Hunt, he left Newkirk the latter part
of January and reached Los Angeles
last month. I'VE camped out in the
daytime for our meals most of the
way" Reed had written his friends.
whenever we brought the car to a
stop all three of us went into action.
/ built the fire and made the coffee,
Morgan prepared the grub, and Hunt
er went cunning for small game. AS
result the eating was fine"
Alvan T. Fuller, of Boston. has sold
1.-TWO cars to W. c. Forbes, governor
general of the Philippine Islands.
-
have already occurred in the early
spring touring, and these lamentable
incidents again turn our attention to
the trolley death traps and the urgent
need of strict legislation" says Walter
E. Flanders, general manager of the
EMF Company makers of the EN-
F "30" and Flanders $50" 1.-The
grade crossing laws throughout the
country are entirely inadequate. In
many states there are laws regulating
steam railroads, but there are few
commonwealths that regulate the
speed of trolley cars at grade crossings
and other places where the lives of
motorists are in jeopardy. There is no
plausible reason why there should not
be as strict laws governing the electric
car service in the open country as are
those dealing with steam trains. Ger
tainly the travelling public should have
= as much protection from one as the
) other. The antiquated 'Stop-Look-
Listen signs are inadequate. Often
times they are hidden from view
around a. curve or behind trees and
Ishrubbery. F1agmen should be at all
4 high speed crossings from six O'Clock
& in the morning until midnight. There
should be some signal, such as loud
8 sounding gong, to denote the approach
5 of a car. At night lanterns should be
fused as signals which might be seen
4 from a distance by approaching travel
Il ers. There should be stronger protec-
ton on Sundays, when there is large
Il increase in traffic by motorists, pedes-
a ltrians and horse drivers. All these are
\ / vitality interested in protection at the
grade crossing death traps, which ex-
tend from coast to coast 1t seems to
me that the various automobile clubs
81 and associations could accomplish
nothing more important than the pro-
q lection of motorists at such places