Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-17
AUTO ACCIDENT
. MAYPR0VE fatal
w. P. Ferrill Collides With
Machine When Trying
to Catch Car
LITTLE HOPE HELD ii
OUT FOR RECOYERYij
Skull Fractured and Right
Leg Is Broken; Family
Brought Here

W. r OII1u, 6LOCk OUy0r nom
Libertyville. while running to catch =
street car near the corner OF Birch and
Main streets about 8 o'clock Thursday
night, collided with an auto driven "
Harry Eager and was dangerously
hurt. His right leg was broken beloW
the knee. his skull was fractured ~
the base OF the brain and he suffered
numerous cuts and bruises. He Wa
taken Immediately to the OttumWa
hospital. His condition IL criticst
and little hope is held out for his ~
cOvery.
The scene of the accident Il ! dan
gerous one to trafic as the street ao
that point makes q turn to tho left md
the car tracks in the center OF Nai1
street west Of Birch, cleave to the low
er side at the top Of the embankmen0
above the Rock Island tracks east ~
Birch street.
Mr.. Eager with Mrs. Eager. Mr.. ana
Mrs. Charles Smith and g. B. Baker.
were driving east ON Main street IL
the Eager auto enroute to EldOn and
the street car was coming west toward
the business part Of the city. Az the
street car passed Birch street, Mr..
Ferrill who was in the barber shOp
near the corner, ran from the place
into the street to board the passing
car.
To avoid the narrow turn In the
street where the track draws toward
the south curbing Mr.. Eager turned hial
auto the the left or north side short
distance ahead of the street car bound
In the opposite direction. Az soon n
he saw Mr.. Ferrill In the street run.
ming toward him, Mr.. Eager applied
the brake and the street car having
passed he turned TITO the car tracks
where he stopped after the collision.
collides With Auto.
T The speed with which Mr.. Ferrill
was running, and his apparent failure
to see the approaching auto, led to his
collision with the machine before its
could be brought to stop. He was
caught by the fender just behind
the left fore wheel, his right hand or
arm striking the light which is at
tached to the side Of the wind shield.
The force of the blow broke the glass
out of the lamp and twisting the stand
broke piece of the glass out Of the
wind shield which fell out on the hood
of the engine and shattered in frags
ments on the pavement Turned about
by the impact against the side lamp
Mr.. Ferrill was thrown against the side
of the car striking the back OF his head
against the iron arm at the base Of the
car top which was up at that time. The
iron was bent out Of shape by the
weight OF the man and force Of the
blow and the injured man falling
against the step or running board NJ
the car was thrown out from the
wheels which did not run over him.
Members of the party in the Eager
car state that the auto stopped within
about ten feet of the point of collision.
When the car stopped in the car tracks
Mrs. Eager called the attention Of her
husband to the fact and he drew UP at
the curb on the east side of Birch
street
G.. B. Baker left the car Immediately
upon it's stopping and went to the aid
Of the injured man. The ambulance
and doctors were summoned and Mr..
Ferrill was taken to the Ottumwa hos
pital. Mr.. Eager and Mr.. Baker left
in q short time for Libertyville where
they notified Mrs Ferrill Of the acci-
dent and brought her and her eldest
son to Ottumwa and the hospital
whore they with Mr.. Baker remained
during the night with the injured man
who is an old friend of Mr.. Bakers.
Mr.. Ferrill Is employed by Harry
Smith of Fairfield, as q stock buyer
and had Just come to Ottumwa on the
Ft Madison local short while befor4
the accident happened. He is we'll
known among the stock men and a
the local packing house where he has
often brought stock.
The damage to the Eager auto 10 9
bent fender, broken side light and
wind shield and the arm Of the top II
bent.
.-,,r r-Dr0NYr nDnDr