Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-09

Newark. Nj, Sept. s.--Eddie Hashi
of Waco, Texas, holder of several
worlds records for motor cycle rae
ing, plunged over the rail of the
course at the new Newark Motor
drome into crowd. late this after
noon, causing the death of six per
sons, including himself. while six are
diving and IS are badly injured.
The only two of the six dead who
had been positively identified, up TO
a late hour tonight. were Hasha and
Johnny Albright, a Denver motor cy-
ciist, who was riding third in the
race. The other four dead were boys
and young men among the spectators.
Five thousand spectators We're wit
Messing the finish of a 4-mile free
for-all race when the daring Texan
rider, doing 80 miles an hour, took
his fatal plunge. He was riding high
ON the bank of the track when the
wheel of his heavy machine swerved
and struck the upper rail. He was
pitched head first so feet into the
air. He must have been instantly kill
ed His body was shapeless from
broken bones when ii was picked up
almost at the feet of his wife. seated
among men and boys in the bleachers
Albright was thrown head first in
the other direction into the enclosure
of the track, when the champions
wheel came sliding down the steep
bank and struck him. He was picked
up for dead, but he lived in an nncon-
scious state more than two hours aft
eI removal TO a hospital He finally
succumbed to hemorrhage of the
lungs.
The spectators injured were main
ly men and boys who were leaning
over the rail yelling encouragement
to the riders when Hasha came tearing
into their midst. Some of the specta
tors were hurled high into the air
and landed in the laps of those seat
ed behind. A panic among the spec
tators followed the tragedy.
The stadium where the accident oc-
CURED is in yailsburg. suburb of
this city, where bicycle racing has
been popular sport, this year. The
season has been marked by number
OF accidents both here and at Brigh
ion Beach, ". Y. but never in the
history of local racing has such a
death list been recorded as was today
Six riders started in The free-for
all. which was the last event on the
program II was a handicap event.
with Hasha and Ray Seymour of Los
Angeles. an old rival, for premier
honors of the motordome, each
starting from scratch. Ray Peck, an
other Los Angeles rider, started at
the quarter mile mark, and Albright
the Denver rider and Frank King and
John King of Newark were each given
two full laps handicap. The track is
a quarter mile and circular
At the crack of. the pistol, Hasha
leaped into the lead of Seymour At
ter six rounds of the course, during
which his rival had eaten his smoke,
the pair evened up and IN another lap
Seymour passed Hasha with ter
rife burst of speed. By varying mar
gins Seymour kept the lead until the
last few laps. The railing was lined
four deep with men and boys urging
Nasha to overtake his rival. Just at
the commencement of the last lap the
champion crouched low on his handle
bars ia an attempt to oyertake Sey-
psuur The leader run high on the
track, leaving a narrow space Tor
Hasha 10 pass but he tried it. Ii was
then ne struck the rail. Whether he
really lost control of the machine or
merely misiudsed the nearness of his