Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-19
Wife of Georgetown Druggist
One of Four Women to Die
in Automobile.
PLEASURE. PARTY DROVE
BEFORE RAILROAD TRAIN
Engine Was Pushing Box Car on
Most Dangerous Crossing in
Northern Part of State.
Specia, Dispatch 10 The Star.

Speclai Dispatch TO The Star.
LA PORTE. Ind, October ls-Four
persons were killed and one seriously
injured at a crossing OF the Pere Mar
Quette railroad several miles north of
here this afternoon. when an automo-
bile in which they were driving was
steered on the tracks in the path of
a freight train.
The dead:
Mrs. Edwin w. Shurz, Mrs. Fannie p.
Heinze, Mrs. Carlton Shafer and Mrs.
William ID. Brace, the latter of Wash
ington, ID. c.
Seriously injured:
Edwin w. Shurz
The automobile was driven by Ed
win W. Shurz. who is treasurer of the
Hobart NJ. Cable Piano Company, and
was occupied by his wife and their
three guests. Mrs. Heinze and Mrs.
Shafer of this city and Mrs Brace,
who is the wife of Washington drug
gist
Unconscious Of Train.
The party was wholly unconscious Of
tie near approach of the freight train, as
the automc bile. on a pleasure trip, start
ed to cross the railroad tracks, according
TO statement made by MIR. Shurz. the
engineer o. the rtain had applied the
emergency brakes as he approached the
crossing, due to the tact that ne was run
ming down grade, but tie train struck
the automobile when II was in the center
OF the track, tearing 1t into hundreds Of
piSces, at the same time dragging Mis-.
Shurz and Mrs. Shafer under II. the
wheels crushing their neads, dismember-
ing tie two bodies and cutting them into
Sfla pSieSS mass.
! Mrs Heinze was hurled TO one side of
| the track, her head being crushed, while
the body OF Mrs. Brace was also thrown
! to the side of the track. Internal in
jur.es caused the Iatter's death tonight
at the hospital.
Mr. Shufz though seriously injured in
ternaly, managed to find his way TO
farmhouse /, haif mile away, where, doc
/ tors were summoned, neur.y all OF the
physicians in Il is city rushing TO the
scene CT the tragedy, though powerless to
. furnish much aid.
Box Car Ahead of Engine.
| At the place of the accident the rail.
| road and the highway are cut low, leav'
ing high embankments on both sides and
making view of the track impossible
| Schurz was driving at moderate speed
but failed to see the train., the engine OF
! which was pushing a box car ahead. this
being necessary because a drHNbar had
pulled out The box car struck the ma
chine sqnarely. Schur8 was thrown out
! and clear OF the track. Tonight he Is
PROSTATE with grief. in addition to being
| badly injured, and he may die.
I Mrs. Schurz was formerly Miss Edith
. Morrison and wealthy. She and Mr.
1 Schurz were married about year ago.
She was a graduate of DIR. Graham Tay.
: lors School of Social Welfare. In Chi
! cago. |
| Mrs. Heinz.e was the former wife OF
Prof Victor Heinze, pianist, of Berlin
Germany, formerly Of Chicago.
Widow Of Former Ba1timorean.
Mrs Shafer was prominent in literary
| circles Her husband was the late Carl
| ton Shafer, an Indiana lawyer, formerly
| of Baltimore Md.
| Mrs. Shafer and Mrs. Heinze Were
| daughters of the late DR.. George l.. An
/ drews, who was a member of the sani-
| tary commission during the civil war.
/ The accident happened at what is known
as the most dangerous grade crossing In
northern Indiana.