The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-17
Seeley Says
 Auto Ahead
 Caused Spill
Testimony Taken at Bedside of Injured Bank Officer Contradicts Previous Stories and Reopens In quest.

Robert c see1ey, of 225 Brooklawn Bridgeport National Bank, and driver of the iH-fated automobile that over turned on the Newtown-Bridgepo road the night of October T. killing Mrs. Robert c. Seeley, and Frank c. Gernert and seriously injuring Mrs. Frank c. Gernert, in a stat ement made to Coroner John J. PheIan to- day, attaches all blame of the fatal accident upon an automobile that was proceeding him in the road, and the driver of which refused to draw up to the side of the road when MT. Seeley signalled that he was about to pass
 MT. Seeley testified that the parry had left Danbury about o'clock the evening of October T, where they had been attending the fair. At his side sat his wife. while Mr. and Mrs. Ger nert occupied the rear seat. As. the car approached the base of Ba6on's s hill. at the bottom Of which Is a ser pintine and extremely dangerous curve, & small car was seen. in front.
 MT. Seefey declares that he sound ed various blasts of his horn to give warning of his approach, and to an nounce that he was about to pass. The car. which was much smaller than the Seeley machine was direct ly in tho center of the road The driver of the car in front, made no effort to draw up to the side of the road in order hat the SeeIeys machine might pa1 and MT. SeeIey was forced to run to the side of the road.
 MT. Seeley further testified that in order to pass the machine, he was forced to take the portion of gravel road at the side of the WHarrenite The ri nH al believes that the left wheel struck boulder or some other obstruction, breaking the left spring and bending the axel on the left side. The ma- chine careened and overturned. hurI- ing the occupants beneath the machine and to the side of the road.
 The speed of the machine was not in excess of 20 miles per hour, tes- tified Mr.. Seeley. The entire party was in the best of condition upon the return trip.
 Owing to. MT. seeleyes nervous con Coroner Phe1an postponed heaf4ag his statement until today. pr. Ellis, who has been attending the. injured man gave permission for the interview though the patient is still confined to his home, and the testimony was talk and his secretary and niece Miss Phe- Ian.
 Coroner Phelan did not question r1dnn regarding the gruesome details that followed the overtuEningx Of the car Throughout the examination. Seelev showed that the fatality had affected him greatly
 Particular significance M placed up- on his statements which corroborate his first recital of the wreck. Other witnesses have testified that the accd- dent had happened when MT. SeeFey's car forged ahead in order that a car in back nnigHlt not pass him.
 Because of this Coroner Phe1an will at once take steps to find the driver Of the machine that was in front of the Seefey machine at the time of the accident. MT. See1ey tin his statement declared that he did not see the ma chine following the accident He could give nothing more than a vague de- scrfpt1on Of it. He did not take no tice of the number
 The finding in the accident will not be made public for a number of days, according to Coroner John J. PheIan. n1ent hadz made a new angle to the af- fair. He will await the recovery or death: of Mrs. Gernert in the Darrbury hospital, before making the finding.
 A strict watch will at once be plac- ed over Mrs. Gernert, and should she at any time regain consciousness, Cor oner PheIan will be rushed to the hos ptta1 in order that a statement may be secured from her. The coroner de clared that every effort would be ex- erted to discover the driver of the car, which according to MT. SeeIey was proceeding the machine