The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-02-26
Lawrence Mitchell Attempts
to Board Car Near G.. & O.
Station and Receives Frac-
ture Of Skull.
TAKES ALL BLAME
Neither Member of Crew
Saw Accident Victim as He
Ran Up Street to Catch
Car. F

Lawrence Mitchell, so. member of
the United States marine corps, was
possibly fatally injured last evening
while endeavoring to board a moving
street car.
Mitchell had just embarked from a
c. & o. train and was enroute UPTOWN.
The street car on the West Richmond
line had stopped for the railway
crossing on North Third street. the
conductor walking ahead to give the
motorneer the customary signal. Mitch
ell seeing the car had stopped made a
run for it and just as he stepped one
foot upon the rear platform the car
The conductor saw him lying on the
The conductor say him lying on the
tracks and bringing the car to stop
investigated. The man was placed on
the car and quickly taken to police
headquarters. A physician was at
once summoned. MitchelPs face was
covered with blood and hasty exam
1nation showed deep depression just
over the left temple. He also had sew
eral hemorrhages from the mouth and
ears. He was placed in the police am
bulance and taken to the Reid Memoir
ial hospital. where he was found to
have suffered fracture of the skull.
Causes Partial Paralysis.
Mitchell retained consciousness
while at the police station and COM
planned of severe pains along his left
side and was unable to use his left
arm. 1t is supposed that the injury to
his head caused partial paralysis of
the upper portion of the left side. After
arriving at the hospital he lapsed into
semi-conscious condition and his
temperature rose to 106 degrees at
midnight. At o'clock this morning
It dropped to 102.
Weal questioned By Chief Goodwin,
|'MitcheM was only aDfe Us give mc0-
herent answers and unable to state
where he had come from. He was
dressed in the full uniform of the ma
rine corps and is a fine specimen of
physical manhood.
No blame attaches to the street car
crew, which consisted Of Conductor H.
Sullivan and Motorneer E. Wyatt, as
neither one saw Mitchell trying to
board the car. There were no eye
witnesses to the accident. While all
| cars are compelled to stop before
crossing the tracks at this point it is
not a passenger stop and no provision
is made for them until the car reaches
the corner. 1t was only mere chance
that the conductor saw Mitchell lying
upon the ground, as there were no pas
sengers upon the car
Mitchell Takes Blame.
| On the way to the police station,
Mitchell told the train crew that he
alone was to blame for the accident.
as he had no business to try and board
the train while it was in motion. He
added, jokingly. IF it had been ship
in mid-ocean rolling in the trough OF
| the sea would have made it o. k
Mitchell told the nurse that he had
served six years in the navy and had
just been discharged and in his suit
case were found his honorable dis.
charge papers.
Condition improves.
/ At noon today MitcheIl's condition
showed marked improvement. He said
he was suffering no pain and all he in
sisted upon was plenty to eat. All
that remains is to await the outcome
of his injuries. With his remarkable
physique he has chance to recover.
Mitchell claims that he was recently
discharged from the navy at Panama
and that his home is in Phoenix, Ariz
He says he is not acquainted In Rich
mond but just stopped off to see what
sort of a place it was while on his way
to Chicago.
When asked by the attending ply
sician If he was drinking man. he re
piled, "No. indeed. I'm an athlete and
one of Uncle Sans best" and he looks
it. His flesh is hard as nails. his
skin has a pink glow to it and he
shows the result of hard and constan:
| training in his every move.
1t will be several days before the
real outcome of his injuries can be de
termined. Mitchell, however, does not
believe he is seriously hurt and when
cautioned to remain quiet threatens
to leave the hospital.