The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-06-24
MRS. ". WHITMER
DIES OF INJURIES
OF AUTOMOBILE AccI.
... DENT NEAR FREMONT.
OTHERS ARE ALSO BADLY HURT
Big Car Running at High Rate of
Speed Crashes Into Spring Wae-
on--Wason is Crushed and Auto
mobile Thrown Into Ditch.

4
Mrs. Win Whitmer, residing about
a mile south of Fremont, who was
seriously injured in an automobile ac-
cident Monday night. died at the Alb
bolt Hospital in this city Wednesday
morning at o'clock Mrs. Whitmer
was in very serious condition, and
Iher life was despaired of from the
first. Every attention possible was
given the lady in the attempt to pre-.
serve life, but all efforts were in vain.
She was brought to the hospital late
Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred Monday
might, when an automobile driven by
Jack Cram, struck spring wagon In
which Mrs. Whitmer, her husband,
son and daughter were riding. The
occupants of the car with Mr.. Cram
were thrown out and bruised but none
of them seriously hurt. The acct
dent occurred shortly before 10
o'clock and within short time other
cars arrived on the scene and the in
jured woman was taken to her home
nearby.
Medical aid was summoned from
F'reL ont and everything was done to
relieve the condition of Mrs. Whitmer
who suffered q compound fracture of
tme right thigh, the bone being brok-
en- in two places and protruding
through the flesh. One arm was
broken and the other badly bruised.
her condition is considered critical.
Other members of the Whitmer
family were thrown out Of the wagon
when the car struck the vehicle and
were slightly injured.
Thrown From Auto.
The three young men in the Cram
car were pitched out when the car
turned turtle and John Simmons was
caught beneath the auto and his left
leg bruised. Don Miller alighted in
a muddy pool some ten feet from the
overturned car and this probably saw
ed him from more serious injury. AS
1t was he suffered several cuts and
bruises about the face and head but
is able to be at his work today though
considerably stiffened by the jolt re-
ceived. Jack Cram who was driving
the car, alighted some distance from
the auto and for a time thought a rib
was broken but has been about to-
day as usual.
Don Miller. one OF the injured, in
telling of the accident expressed his
regret that Mrs. Whitmer was injured
and told how the accident occurred
He stated that the three young men
were in the Cram roadster and driv-
ing north from Ottumwa. He says
that they were making a speed of for.
ty miles per hour and were in the
middle of the road when they sighted
the team which was coming toward
them apparently from Fremont.
Strikes Rear Wagon Wheel.
Miller states that when they saw
the Whitmer party, the latter were on
the wrong side of the road and the
car could have passed them II they
retained that pasition, but that the
team turned to the other side of the
road and then Cram turned the car
as quickly as possible to the opposite
side to avoid a collision and skiddta
into the ditch, striking the rear wheel
of the Whitmer wagon and turning
turtle in the ditch.
The wheel of the wagon was brok.
en- and the occupants thrown out and
overturning of the auto pitched the
three young men out. Simmons, sit
ting on the right side of the car, was
caught by it when it turned over, a
portion of the seat resting on his left
leg. The steering gear of the auto
was broken and the car generally
damaged.
An Ottumwa garage sent out a crew
and took the wrecked auto to OF
tumwa.. The spring wagon was con-
siderably damaged and both vehicles
attracted much attention to specta-
tors drawn to the scene. For time
after the accident Monday night the
road was blocked to all traffic d as
the cars approached they were flag
ged and commissioned to get d. tors
or carry the injured persons no >.
Mrs. Whitmer was AZ year
months and % days OF age. She as
born in Canton, H., August Is, 1sS7.
She leaves her husband, one daueh-
ter. one son and two sisters. Fun
eral services will be held from the
| Christian church In Fremont