The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-18
MERIDEN BANKERS
 AUTO RIDE FATAL
President J. S. Norton of Home National Killed When Truck Hits Motor. Car--Wife Serious ly Hurt

Meriden, June 1s-J1rr1l1s s. Norton. president of the Home National Bank and one of the prominent men in this city, was crushed to death yesterday afternoon when a heavily laden brew cry truck, which was running wild down hill, caught the automobile in which he was riding and smashed 1t against a telegraph pole. Mrs. Nor- ton was so seriously injured that phy- sicians in the Meriden hospital say she cannot live. w. S. Dudley, fl, charge of salesmen for the Interna- tional Silver company, and Mrs. Dud- ley were injured seriously. although not mortaIly.
 MT. and Mrs. Dudley had Mir and Mrs. Norton their guests and were taking them in Mir. Dud1ey's automo- bile, of the touring type for a rfde-to- wards Hubbard Park. They were as- cending the steep hill on the Southing- ton road, just outside of Mertden, when a. large truck, loaded with bar rels of beer, appeared on the brow of the hill and started down.
 It had gone only a few feet when MT. Dudley saw the driver Of the truck, James c. McMahon, violently waving this hands at him and turning his steering wheel As the truck did not respond to the wheel MT. Dudley saw at once that McMahon was sig nally that his truck was out of con- tro1 In another second this belief was confirmed when the heavy truck ca reened from one side of the road to the other
 The brewery truck was gaining speed rapidly and Mir Dudley had no Even if he had done so he figured the truck, making such high speed, would overtake him before he reached the bottom and could turn out Of the way.
 His only alternative was to run the automobile up the ernbanknnent at the side of the road. Mir. Dudley steered his automobile off the roadway down into the draining gutter and part way upon the entertainment. It stopped, without sufficient power to carry it three feet farther, where it would have been safe.
 MT Dudley later said there seemed to be thousand chances to one that the brewery truck would continue on down the hill, avoiding his party. But the truck took the one chance in the thou sand, and diTed off the roadway direct ly at the. automobile. It struck the rear part and crushed the automobile against the telegraph pole, practically cutting it in two.
 MT. and Mrs Norton, who were in the tonneau. were. crushed between the brewery truck and the pole. MT and Mrs. Dudley were thrown out and, a1- though bruised and cut and suffering from shock, they hurried to the aid of their guests.
 It was appar ent that MT. Norton had been killed instantly. Mrs. Norton was unconscious. McMaihon, who was thrown from his truck and buried among mum barrels of beer, aid ed in taking Mrs. Norton from the wreckage. Other automobile parties arrived and an ambulance was called from the Meriden hospital. where Mrs Norton was sent. There it was found that her jawbone had penetrated her skull.
 Mrs. Dudley also was attended at the hospital and sent to her home in Wa terbury with MT. Dudley, whose cuts and bruisee were attended to by a Meriden physician.
 McMalhon said that he lost control of his automobile truck at the top of the 91iH when he struck a stone After that he was unable to turn off the power Or to steer it. He was arrest