Middletown transcript., 1914-01-03
MAN KILLED BY AUTO
Thomas c. TOmkey Thrown From
Machine When it Turns Turtle
A RESIDENT OF MIDDLETOWN

killed late Tuesday afternoon when his
automobile, which he was diving, turned
turtle about half a mile south of the
State Hospital at Farnhurst along the
Farnhurst road. Mrs. Tomkey, his wife,
was also injured in the accident.
James Walker, young man whose
home is in this town, and who was in
the automobile, escaped with nothing
more serious than a few bruises.
United States Senator Willard Sauls-
bury and his private secretary Major
Chauncey P. Holcomb, witnessed the
accident. They assisted in what rescue
work was necessary, bringing DR.. P. H.
Davies, assistant superintendent at the
State Hospital at Farnhurst to the
scene in their automobile. The Tomkey
machine was reduced to a pile of junk
and thrown up along the side of the
road.
Mrs. Tomkey was taken to the State
Hospital at Farnhurst. She regained
consciousness Tuesday night, and she
asked constantly for her husband. She
wanted to. know how he had Jared in
the accident and if he was seriously
hurt. The physicians did not tell her that
her husband had been killed, for they
thought the shock hight kill her in her
weakened condition.
Mr. and Mrs. Tomkey had been in
Wilmington doing some shopping and
buying supplies for their store. When
they started out in their touring car
they we're accompanied by the Walker
boy who works about the garages here.
They arrived in Wilmington early in
The afternoon and purchased several
articles. 1t was about O'Clock when
they started home. Those who saw
them going south along the Farnhurst
road say the machine was travelling
fast. Tomkey was at the steering wheel.
The automobile passed the car in which
Senator Salisbury and Major Holcomb
were riding.
After the automobile had passed the
bridge spanning the Delaware Railroad
tracks some distance south of the Farm
hurst Hospital the machine drew up
on a team owned and driven by John V.
Prentiss, of State Road, He was driv-
ing in the middle Of the highway. He
heard the automobile approaching from
the rear and started to turn aside to
give it more room to pass him.
Tomkey does not seem to have re-
duced speed to any extent as he ap-
preached the Prentiss wagon. He
turned to the side of the road intending
to drive past, but as his automobile
started along the slight incline at the
side of the highway the front wheel
struck some loose sand. The wheels
failed to hold, and the next instant the
machine had shot into the air like
living thing, turned over and then came
down again, landing upon the four
wheels in an upright position.
When the automobile left the ground
and started to turn over all the occu-
pants were thrown out. Walker was
hurled through the too of the automo-
bile, scared twenty feet into the air and
fell some distance from the car. He
was stunned, but within d few minutes
he had recovered sufficiently to regain
his feet and soon he was able to walk
about.
Tomkey and his wife were both
thrown clear of the automobile. Tom
key seems to have fallen upon his head,
for he had a fracture at the base of the
brain and hisneck was probably broken.
rs. Tomkey fell in the roadway sew
eral feet from the automobile and was
knocked unconscious.
Senator Salisbury and Major Hol-
comb who had witnessed the accident
were on the spot a few seconds after it
occurred. They saw that the occupants
were in need of medical care and they
made all speed backato the state hospital.
they told what had occurred and took
DR.. Davies into their machine and rush
ed him down the road to where the man
and woman we're lying.
DR.. Davies soon satisfied himself that
Tomkey was beyond help, for his death
must have been instantaneous. Mrs.
Tomkey, however, was unconscious but
still living, so she was removed to the
Sta-e Hospital. Walkers face and
body were bruised. DR.. Davies dressed
his injuries, and the youth was able to
return home, taking the late afternoon
train, from Farnhurst down the Della
ware road
Tomkey's body was taken to the NOR
que in Wilmington. Mrs. Tomkey was
revived Tuesday night at the hospital.
She was told her husband and Walker
had been hurt in the accident. She was
also told that Walker had gone home
and that her husband had been taken
to another institution. She asked re-
peatedly what his condition was, but
none dared tell her he was dead. She
escaped without any broken bones, but
she is generally cut and bruised all over
the body and she suffered much from
shock. Mrs Tomkey recovered suffi-
GENTLY to return home Friday afternoon.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tomkey have resided
in town about two years. They ORR
ginally came from Baltimore. They
have no children. Tomkey conducted
an ice cream, candy, and soda water
place here, where he was widely
known and generally liked. His
tragic death created a sensation Tues
day night and caused many expressions
of regret.
Walker reached his home Tuesday
evening, little the worse for his narrow
escape from death. He was so badly
frightened that he was unable to tell a
connected story as to just what did
happen. It all came so quickly that he
remembered nothing from the time they
started to turn out to avoid the farmers
wagon until he picked himself up in the
roadway many feet from the automobile
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