New Britain herald., 1914-07-11
NERI IS RELEASED
 UNDER $2,O00 BONDS Local Business Man Figures in Bad
 Smash-gp n Meriden. CASE CONTINUED UNTIL JULY q

New Britain Autoist Runs Into Dela-
 ware Motorcyclist at Dangerous
 Corner in Meriden-Victim Is in
 Serious Condition in Hospital. Pending the outcome Of the injur- res of Joseph A. Starr, of 218 West Main St., Wilmington, Del, who is ly, ing in |. critical condition i'll Meriden hospital with badly fractured skull aad broken leg. Eimperico Neri, a member of the Main street firm of Neri brothers, who ran into Starr with his automobile at the corner of North Colony street and Gracey ave- nue in Meriden at 3:45 o'clock yester- day afternoon, is out on $2,000 bonds. Starr was riding motorcycle in com gpany with six friends who were motor ing to Springfield. Attorney F. F.. McDonough, of this city, appeared for MT. Neri this morning and the Meri- den prosecutor, Attorney Danallsr, asked that the case be continued un- til July 21.
 Neri Tries to Avoid Accident.
 According to witnesses the accident seemed unavoidable. The local .Luto- ist flashed out from around a high cliff at the corner of Gracey avenue and North Colony street just as Starr. going at an estimated speed of twen- ty-f1ve miles an hour came in an op- posite direction. As the smashup oc- cured on the curve neither knew Of the others approach until scarcely teY feet separated them. MT. Neri, as so6n as he saw the motorcyclist, made a desperate effort to stop his coasting car, He grabbed the hand brake and slanhmed on the emergency brake but befdre his machine came to a stop if lad crashed into Starr
 Victim Dragged Thirty Feet
 The impact of the collision was terrific, as Starr hit the right fender of Hhe automobile, bent 1t in and then sna Ashed the bumper off the front. Th{e motorcycle fell under the car ~ filth the right side to the ground. TJhe cyclist was thrown clear of his <machine but was caught under the hood and dragged thirty feet before the automobile ceased skidding.
 Held on Technicaf Charge.
 Chief Bowen, of the Meriden police, assigned Detective Burke to the case and Neri was arrested on the techni- cal charge of assault with intent to kill. He was released in bonds of $2,000. In case Starr dies 1t is prob able that Neri will be arraigned on charge of manslaughter, while if he survives different charge than that now used will be lodged against him.
 Roads in Bad Shape.
 At the spot where the accident took place the highways are in such con- dition that the authorities are being roundly scored by officials and citizens. It is said that the accident is a direct result of conditions at the Junction of North Colony street and Gracey avenue, where there is no way or warning approaching motorists of the intersecting road which is being used for traffic.
 The avenue is the highway running at right angles to the state road Be- cause North Colony street is closed to traffic above. the railroad tracks all autoists have to use Gracey avenue in going between Meriden and Hart ford. Starr was thus using the ave- nue when the smashup took place.
 Eye Witness Story.
 Mrs. Louisa Smith, resident of a house nearly opposite Gracey ave- nue on the North Colony road, saw the chances of the accident, but could not warn either party before, the col lision occurred. According to the story she told Detective Burke the motorcycle approached along Gracey avenue at a pretty good rate of speed. The automobile with the Neri party came up over the summit of the small hill and came down North Colony road toward Gracey avenue.
 Screams As Warning.
 She did not think of an accident until she noticed neither aware of the others approach and that the motor cycle was travelling pretty fast to make the hill. Then, Mrs. Smith states she screamed and ran from the steps to- ward the road, hoping to attract the attention of the autoists and the cyclist but before she could gain their attention Starr shot around the corner, crashed into the auto, went down before the impact and was pushed along the road and stopped nearly at her feet
 The automobile, with the motor cycle crumpled up und.. the front axle, was left untouched until Detec- tive Burke had compiled enough data to make a clear report of the affair
 Fiordomo Neri, the brother of the driver, stated emphatically at the scerfe of the accident that he did not hear the motorcycle coming up the side road and that nobody in the car knew of the approach of the machine until it appeared around the corner and crashed into his auto. He and his [ brother, Eimperico, own the car in common The party was going from