The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-06-07
Police Hold Perry Blackburn
Without Bond Following
Death of Ernest NOrdsieck
Awaiting Coroner's Report
FENDER HITS SKULL
Witnesses Say Speeding Au-
tOmObile Lurched and Ca
reened Up Road, Causing
Others to Seek Shelter.

Perry Blackburn, 25, boarding at
613 South c street, is being held with
out bond in city jail today while
Prosecutor Keller and Coroner Nor.
row are investigating to determine
whether Blackburn was criminaily
negligent in running down and killing.
almost instantly, Ernest Nordsieck. 20.
assistant sexton at the Lutheran Gem
etery. Saturday afternoon. while the
old man was walking north on the
Liberty pike enroute from the GENE
terry to his home. 1912 South Eighth
street. The fatal accident occurred
near the cemetery. 1t is charged
that Blackburn was treating a party
of friends to Joy ride" He had
not been drinking. however.
Several witnesses have testified to
the coroner that Blackburn was not
only driving an automobile owned by
his employer. John F. Hipskind. in
reckless way and at an excessive rate
of speed, but also that he did not
have the machine under complete con-
troll as he approached the cemetery.
going south.
May File Charges.
"If it is determined as a result Of
the investigation that Blackburn was
driving recklessly and at high rate
of speed along a highway on which
there is much traffice charge of in
voluntary manslaughter will be placed
against him. No charge has yet been
filed against Blackburn" Prosecutor
Keller said today.
Coroner Morrow refused to make
any statement as to the result OF his
investigation to date. He said he
would not make public the testimony
of the witnesses until all Of them had
been examined.
Feeling runs high against Black
burn in the south part of the city as
the young mans victim was well
known and very popular
The statement made by Blackburn
early Saturday evening, after he-had
given himself up at police headquar-
ters, that at the time of the accident
he was driving less than 25 miles an
hour and had sounded his horn to
warn Nordsieck is not substantiated
| by some witnesses.
Struck by Fender.
"Mr. Hipskind was out of the city
| Saturday and his brother, Ed Hip
| skind, told me could use the car In
/ the machine with me were Bertha
Shields, Eva Miller, William Taylor
and Calvin and George Moore. They
got in the machine at Miss Shields
home, South Fifth and H streets" /"
Blackburn informed newspaper
man. LAS we approached the Luther
an cemetery we were going about
| twenty-five miles an hour. l saw Mr..
Nordsieck approaching. walking on
the west side of the pike. sounded
my horn and slowed down to about
twenty-one miles an hour AS we
got close to him he stopped, looked
around. then. bending his body. ran
toward the east side of the street. 1
tried to turn out to avoid him but the
right fender struck him squarely in
the head. l suppose the old man got
confused. l cannot express my sor-
row over the accident"
Ed Fulle. a green house man. said
today that when Blackburn drove past
his place of business. about six
blocks from the scene of the accident,
the machine was going at least forty.
4 five miles an hour and swerving
alarmingly about the road.
Brings Car to Halt.
Ray Messner, a witness to the kill.
ing of Nordsieck informed Fulle. the
latter states, that the car was lurch.
ing about the road as it bore down on
Nordsieck and that Blackburn did not
sound his horn. He said that the men
in the car yelled something when the
machine struck the old sexton and
Blackburn did not bring it to a stop
until he had driven at least thirty
yards from the scene of the accident
He said the two women got out of the
car and hurried north along the road,
Messner was the first to reach the
side of the stricken man. The men In
the automobile were next to reach
him. He only breathed a few times
after aid reached him and the BODY
was taken to the home OF George
Tuecke. on the Liberty pike. After
doing this Blackburn drove to police
headquarters and surrendered.
Three other people are known to
have been close to the scene at the
time Nordsieck met his death. They
are Mrs. Frank Smith. South Thir-
teenth and l streets. ani her mother,
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