Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-28
C0NNERAT RACED
DEATH, ASSERTS
ENGINEER
Locomotive Driver Declares He
Gave Motorist Ample Warn
ing Before Crash Came.

The body of r Vincent Connerat
who was killed by a fast passenger train
on the Central OF Georgia railroad yes
terday afternoon. a few miles north of
Jonesboro, lies at the undertaking es-
adjustment of Barclay & Brandon to-
day. and Mr. Connerats father an6
brother are hurrying from Savannah t.
Atlanta to take charge of the funera-
arrangements The body probably viii.
be sent to Savannah for interment At
lanta automobile dealers will meet to-
day and appoint an escort Of honor foi
the man who was among the most
prominent figures in the local motor
colony.
Car Knocked Sixty Feet.
Mr.. Connerat was driving his little
gray roadster down the splendid road
which parallels the Central track from
Jonesboro toward Atlanta on the rails
behind him came the fast train. thln-
dering toward the city. Just ahead the
dirt road turned sharply to the left anG
crossed the track The motorist eV1-
IDENTIFY thought he could send his car
acros, the rails before the train could
reach the crossing. but he miscalculated
by second
The pilot struck the gray car be
tween front wheel and rear, lifted il
from the track and swept il sixty feet
Then the grea locomotive climbed over
the battered wreck of the automobile
and ground it into splinters. with the
body of ifS driver up6pyuaatb yWI,a,,
the train was stopped, half mile be
yond the crossing, the mutilated BODY
of Connerat was with difficulty torn
from the tangled wrecliage OF his car
There was no more widely known au
tomobile dealer in Atlanta than R V
Connerat. He was one Of the pioneers
in the business. and under his direction
the Buick Company had built up an en-
vlable business in the South. He was a
fearless and speedy driver. as he hal
proved on all the important automobile
tours in Southern territory, but he was
known as a careful one. and accidents
were rare when he was at the wheel
Those who know him say there must
have been some good reason for his at
tempting the race with the locomotive
on low gear. and always to wait for
trains to pass.
| Friends Identity Body.
| l.. S. Crane and Wylie West. two To-
| cal automobile dealers and intimate
| friends of Connerat, were driving to At
lanta over the same road, and were but
mile or two behind the unfortunate
man. They came up just as the train
crew was eXtricating the wreckage, and,
after few moments they recognized
| the bruised body az that Of their friend
whom they had seen in his car but a
short time before They telephoned the
news to Miss Anna Connerat, a sister.
who is a guest at her brothers. home,
No. . West Fourteenth street. The news
was kept from Mrs Connerat as long
| as possible. Joseph w. Hill and few
other intimate friends went to the Ter
minal station TO meet the body, which
had been brought TO the city on the
| train which had struck the car.
Engineer Saw Motorist
Engineer T. B. Ragsdale. who was
running the train, said he saw Con-
nerat Just before the collision.
He was driving at about fifty miles
an hour, and my engine was making a
least that, as II was down grade and
| there was nothing ahead of me-" said
the engineer. II saw the man in the
auto drawing ahead of me on the par
allel road, and felt thst he was racing
for the crossing. / whistled for the
crossing and then blew the COW signal.
When / saw him still running for the
crossing, damned on the brakes If !
had not he would have struck my en-
CINE broadside. near the drivers. and
would have sent us from the track.
Only the great weight of the engine
| held 1t on the track. as II was
| MIR. Connerat left his home last week
and II was thought he was In Jackson
Vile. He was accustomed to travel
everywhere in his car. and had been
visiting the Macon agent for his com
pany on his way back to Atlanta. Bob
Pagan the Macon agent, said Mr.. Con
nerat was alone when he left Macon. 1t
was at first reported that another man
was seen in the car just before the
crash but no other body was found in
the wreckage.
Pioneer Auto Man.
Mr.. Connerat was AZ years old and
native of Savannah, where he engaged
in the automobile business when mo-
tors were in their infancy. He came to
Atlanta more than three years ago to
take charge OF the Buick agency at that
time the third largest in the country.
He married Miss Catherine Hillyer a
daughter of Rev John Hillyer, and they
had two children. aged four and two
years. He was a son of f. H. Connerat,
| and brother of William Connerat
both of Savannah. He was a member
~ several clubs in both cities. He was
fond of outdoor sports and at one time
was the champion bicycle rider of tin
| South.
| Alfred c. Newell, insurance man. de-
] ..la rod tndn.. L,nr,ra-a. 49,.