The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-29
-FOUR OTHERS SLIGHTLY HURT
Car Driven by Henry Zeitler Leaves the
Road and Brings Death to Old Resi-
dent of the City - Was Returning
from Balm Employees Outing.


years, better known among his friends
in Kenosha as DAN Smith, was in
stantly killed just after eight O'Clock
Saturday evening when an automobile
driven by Henry Zeitler, well known
teaming contractor, turned turtle and
hurtled into a ditch on the Geneva road
a few rods east Of the entrance to the
grounds of the Old Settlers Club at
Paddocks Lake. Smith was caught IN
der the running board of the overturn-
ed machine, his back was broken and
his chest crushed. It is certain that he
died instantly. In the same car were
Mr.. Zeitler, Herman Brockhaus, John
Kopp and Peter Christmann. Kopp suf-
fered dislocation Of his shoulder,
Zietler was badly cut and bruised
about the face, Brockhaus had slight
cut on one of his wrists and Christ
mann sustained slight bruises. None
OF the last named members Of the
party was seriously injured. Smith
had the misfortune to fall directly I'M
der the running board when the auto
mobile swerved from the road and
turned over.
The report of the accident reached
Kenosha a few minutes after it had
occurred and it was reported about the
streets of the city that Mr.. Zeitler had
been killed. It was an hour later that
the real facts became known to the
crowd. The body of Smith was brought
to the Hansen morgue just before
eleven o'clock Saturday evening after
Sheriff Stahl had gone to the scene Of
the accident and had made an inves-
tigation.
The men in the Zeitler car were all
employees of the Balm Wagon Company
and they had been members Of the
merry crowd which had attended the
annual picnic. Of the foremen of the
factory at Silver Lake on Saturday
afternoon. The picnic had broken up
in the early evening and dozen auto
mobiles, loaded with members Of the
party, had started for Kenosha. The
members of the party with Zeitler and
several other parties in automobiles,
had come through the village of Sa-
lem. just ahead of the Zeitler car
Francis M. Mayer was driving his
fathers automobile at a very moder-
ate speed and the accident happened
when zeitler had just passed the Mayer
car. Mayer had pulled out Of the
center Of the road and the space
for passing was plenty wide for
passing, but recent rains had cut
deep gulley on the side of the
road. There appeared to be plen-
ty Of room to pass and Zeitler swung
his car to the side Of the road The
car is thought to have struck an en-
bankment caused by the washout and
it is possible that zeitler lost control
of the steering machinery for just a
second and in that second the car
turned and plunged over.
Hundreds of people gathered at the
scene of the accident and assisted in
lifting the ruined car from the body
of Smith. The other men in the car
had been thrown out, but they were
all able to walk and all of them aided
in the removing of the debris of the
car from the body of Smith.
The tragic death of Smith caused a
profound sensation in Kenosha. Few
men we're better known among the men
Of the town than "Pop'' Smith and
he was a great favorite with his
friends. Cheerful in disposition and
good mixer he had large circle of
friends. He was native Of Kent
county, Michigan, but he had come to
Kenosha some seventeen years ago and
since that time he had been resident
of the city. He had worked at the
plants Of the Simmons company and
the Balm Wagon Company since he was
in Kenosha and he had been employed
at the Balm plant for a number of
years. He had been one Of the most
enthusiastic members of the crowd at
the picnic during the afternoon. Mr..
Smith had been prominently connected
with the Kenosha Aerie of Eagles and
had served as president of the Aerie.
He had taken an interest in the work
Of the Eagles throughout the state and
had been popular with all of the mem
bers of the big order.
He is survived by his widow and one
son, Walter Smith, of Minneapolis. He
is also survived by one grand daughter
Velma Elkerton, who had made her
home with her grand parents since the
death Of her mother many years ago.
The Smith home is at the corner of
Sheridan road and Prairie avenue.
Mrs. Smith was Frustrated when she
received the news that her husband
had been killed. She had been given
to understand that it was Mr.. Zeitler
who had been killed and when the real
facts were brought out they came as a
crushing blow to her.