Perth Amboy evening news., 1914-10-19
MAN BROWNS AS
AUTO PLUNGES
into STREAM
cranbury Resident Meets
Death in Old Bridge-Three
Saved as Car Runs Into
Branch of the South River.
Special TO the EVENING NEWS.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
Old Bridge, Oct. 19:-Joseph Slo-
bicki, fifty-two years old, Of Gran
bury Station, near Hightstown, was
drowned at 10 o'clock Saturday
night in a branch of the South river,
near this place. The accident oc-
Cured when the automobile which
Slobiski was driving left the road
and plunged over an embankment,
turning turtle into the river. son
and cousin were in the car when
the accident happened, but, owing to
the fact that the car did not have a
top, they were thrown clear of the
machine and were able to swim
ashore The father was behind the
wheel and did not have chance.
His body was raked out Of the river
a half hour later by Walter Smith, OF
this place, and was worked upon by
DR.. l. C. Crandall, local physician.
Because Of the lack of an eye wit
ness there are disconnecting stories
of the cause Of the accident. The
party of three were driving from New
York to Crantury in the auto, run
about, which was owned by Sloboski.
The latter had a paperhanging and
painting business in New York and
had been driving to his Cranbury
home for the week end. A few hun
dred feet before the approach to the
bridge, the party stopped at the gen.
eral store Of Adolf Shoeffler and
made inquiries for gasoline. They
were directed to a store in the CEN
ter of town and started in that di-
rection. Mr.. Shoeffler later heard
the crash as the machine hit the
abutments, and ran down to render
first aid.
1t has been said that the car was
making fast time, etc, but this Is
denied by the family. 1t is certain
that the car was running under the
light of two small oil lamps, and this
may account for the accident. 1t
was reported, too, that woman was
wheeling a baby carriage on the
bridge, going in the opposite direc-
ton, and that the car had turned out
for her. Marks In the road showed
that the machine had been running
on the side of the road, and from
which side it had toppled over into
the river. for a number of yards be-
fore the bridge was reached The
approach to the bridge is narrow and
is not guarded by any rail. The
abutment is about foot high, but
proved too short to stop the carS 1t
evidently had hit the wall and had
turned turtle, dropping wrong side
up into the stream, In an effort to
find the fathers body the car was
righted by Old Bridge men, but the
60 ydc rtb q p
down stream In a deep whirlpool.
Slobiski had cut over his right eye,
which was the only mark On the
body.
Coroner Morgan, of South River,
gave q permit for removal Of the
body to J. Laird Hulse's undertaking
establishment at Jamesburg. Mr..
Morgan viewed the scene of the acci-
dent yesterday morning. He pro-
nounced it an unavoidable one, al
though suggested that the lack of
guard rails was to be lamented
Slobiski leaves a widow and nine
children, all living on the Cranbury
farm. The family has not lived in
New Jersey over year, moving from
New York to the country seeking
quiet Slobiski lost q sixteen-year-
old daughter last FeDruaTy, ana tHlS
makes the second death in the family
since taking up their residence in
Middlesex county. Slobiski's funeral
will take place at O'Clock tomorrow
afternoon from his residence, with
interment in the ST. James cemetery
at Jamesburg.
Joseph SIoboski, nephew, was
interviewed by NEWS reporter and
said that he was on his way from
New York to Cranbury, where they
have a farm, and at Perth Amboy his
carbide gave out, thus the large
lights went out. He stopped at
Adolph Schoeffer's store and In
uuired about carbide and was re-
ferred to the Old Bridge Milling
Company at this place. After the
accident a two-pound can of carbide
was found under the seat of the ma
chine. Mr.. Sloboski said they did
not know that they had any carbide.
Had the fact been known to them
that they had the carbide, the acci-
dent might have been avoided.