Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-28
SAYS CONNERAT
RACED To DEATH
Locomotive Driver Declares He
Gave MotoriSt Ample Warn
ing Before Crash Came.

Inc BODY or X. Vincent COnnerat
who was killed by fast passenger train
on the Central OF Georgia railroad YES
terdaN afternoon. a few miles north OF
Jonesooro. lies at the undertaking es
Enlistment OF Barclay K Brandon 10.
day, and MIR. Connerat's father and
brother are hurrying from Savannah to
Atlanta To take Charge Of the funeral
arrangements. The body probably will.
be sent to Savannah for interment At
lanta automobile dealers will meet to-
day and appoint an escort of honor for
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. thun-
dering toward the city Just ahead the
dirt road turned sharply to the left and
crossed the track. The motorist evil
IDENTIFY thought he could send his car
across the rails before the train could
reach the crossing but he miscalculated
by a second.
The pilot struck the gray car be-
tween front wheel and rear, lifted il
from the track and swept it sixty feet.
Then the great locomotive climbed over
the battered wreck of the automobile
and ground it into splinters, with the
body of its driver underneath. When
the train was stopped, half mile be-
yond the crossing, the mutilated BODY
Of Connerat was with difficulty torn
from the tangled wreckage 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 had
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,
for it was his custom to cross the tracks
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
q mile or two behind the unfortunate
man. They came up just as the train
crew was extricating the wreckage, and
after a few moments they recognized
the bruised body as 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 a 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 nifty miles
an hour, and my engine was making at
least that. ae 1t was down grade and
there was nothing ahead of me-" said
the engineer. u saw the man in the
auto drawing ahead of me on the par
allel road and felt that he was racing
for the crossing. ] whistled for the
crossing and then blew the COW signal.
When | saw him still running for the
crossing, / jammed on the brakes If 1
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 it on the track. as it was"
Mr.. Connerat left his home last week
and it 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. It
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 40 years old and a
native of Savannah, where he engaged
in the automobile business when mo-
tors were in their infancy. lie 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,
daughter Of Rev. John Hillyer, and they
had two children. aged four and two
wears He was Il son of +. II. Connerat
and brother Of William ConneraL
both Of Savannah. He was member
Of several clubs in both cities. lie was
fond OF outdoor sports, ana a one time
was the champion bicycle rider of ths