Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-27
Car Leaps From Bridge,
Killing Child and Injur-
ing Her Grandparent
AGNES WILKINS HAS
LIFE SNUFFED OUT
Drags Self From Under the
Machine But Falls Dead
in a Short Time

The joy of happy family outins
was marred by death and injury Sun
day morning when an auto accident
near Selma took the life of little Agnes
Wilkins and broke the right leg of
her grandfather, stephen wilkins,
we'll known pioneer of Keokuk town
ship. M
The car struck an obstruction on
small bridge below Selma and plunged
from the structure, alighting bottom
up in the ravine below. The occupants
were all buried beneath the machine
when it struck the ground under the
bridge. The party included Mr.. and
Mrs. George Wilkins, the former driv.2
ing; their two daughters, Fern aged
49, and Agnes aged 12, and Stephen
Wilkins, father of George Wilkins, and
Grandpa" All reside south of OF
tumwa.
The story of the accident, as related
by Will Sedore, a relatives of the
victims, who came to Ottumwa today,
is as follows;
1.-THE accident took place just below
Selma, near the old Hinkle farm. at
about o'clock Sunday morning. The
party was starting for an all day trip
to Milton and there were two auto
loads of them. The first car contained
Mr. and Mrs. George Wilkins. their
two daughters, and Stephen Wilkins,
father Of George. The second car was
occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Sc
dore. their three small children and q
young girl relative named Leila Car
| roll
"The bridge. where the accident oc.
Cured is small and said to be unsafe.
| 1t has no railing and Is only about ten
or twelve feet wide. The boards Of
the structure lay loosely upon 1t and
considerable mud covered the bridge.
Buried in this mud was rock about
twice the size of ones fist. The car
striking the stone caused the steering
wheel to be. suddenly jerked from the
hands OF Mr.. wilkins, 1t being but the
second time that he had had charge o.
the car. and swerving to one side the
machine leaped from the side OF the
bridge. turning over and alighted bot.
tom side up in the draw below.
Harry Sedore stopped his car and
Immediately went to the relief OF the
stricken occupants of the Wilkins car,
all of whom we're buried beneath the
machine Little Agnes was the only
one who had managed to work her
way out from beneath the auto and
her great concern seemed to be for
her grandfather whom she feared had
been killed. s
sHarry Sedore lifted the body OF
the machine from the injured Occu-
pants and in the meantime Agnes
walked up the side OF the ravine and
leaned against the fence. She was
seen to waver and then fall. Upon
reaching her she was found by her
relatives to have died. An examina.
tion by physicians revealed her back
broken
Broken Bone Protrudes.
Will Sedore was notified and with
his car brought Mrs. George wilkins
home on an improvised stretcher. She
was seriously injured about the lower
limbs and received bruises. Harry
Sedore took the elder Mr.. Wilkins
home. He was badly hurt, having had
| his right leg broken SO severely that
| the bone protruded through the flesh
and even penetrated his overcoat.
Doctors from Selma and E1don were
soon on the scene and neighbors lent
helping hand to relieve the distress
Of the stricken party.
Despite the character of the occl-
| dent. the auto was not seriously dam
aged. the wind shield and one light
being the only broken parts OF tho
car.
The funeral arrangements have not
been completed as two brothers and
a sister Of the dead child reside on 9
ranch in Colorado and have been COM
municated with. They are expected
to come home to the funeral. George
wilkins, a brother Of Stephen, and an
uncle OF the man who drove the car.
has been notified at his home In north
ern Iowa and Is expected to come
here. George Wilkins and his daugh-
ter Fern, aged 9 years, were but
slightly injured.