The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-09-08
Receives Probably Fatal Blow When
Struck by Automobile and Thrown
10 Paving
ACCIDENT DECLARED
TO Be UNAVOIDABLE
Victim Was Crossing Fourth Street With
Umbrella Turned to North Between
Him and Approaching Car

w AoI uulblL plONO " bC uiOIACl 10
tai automobile accident occurred at 10
o'clock last night during the heavy
rains which, in the opinion of the traf-
fic officer who witnessed it, was una
voidable under the circumstances.
Ben S. Brooks, the veteran. bill poster
and well known in Chickasha, now lies
in the Chickasha hospital lowering be-
tween life and death with a scalp
wound and shock to his nervous sys-
tenn from which he may not recover.
From those who saw the accident
it appears that Mr. Brooks, who hal
been in attendance at performance
at the Kozy theater, had left his FAM
ly at that show while he went to the
corner Of Fourth and Kansas for his
buggy and an umbrella which had been
left there. He had reached his buggy,
which was on the west side of Fourth
street, and apparently deciding to wait
in the Ford garage until the rain slack
ened, opened the umbrella and turning
it SO as to shield his body from the
slanting deluge from the north, hur-
riedly started across Fourth street. AS
he did so he was struck by an automo-
bile coming south on Fourth street,
which he evidently neither saw nor
heard owing to the position Of his UNI
brella. Two other cars lined up on
Fourth street intercepted the vision Of
both the driver Of the car, DR.. L. e.
Emanuel, and his victim and before
warming could be given the pedestrian
was thrown violently to the ground
striking his head on the hard paving
with such force as to cause probably
fatal injury.
Later the waiting members Of his
family at the Kozy were notified OF the
sad occurrence and were driven to the
hospital to remain. at the bedside dur
ing his long hours Of unconsciousness.
Sammy Dwyer's Statement
In the opinion OF Sammy Dwyer mo-
torcycle cop, who witnessed the whole
affair, the accident was unavoidable
In an interview with a representative
Of the Chickasha Daily Express today
he said:
81 was standing in front OF the coor
of Boone and Rickerts' garage ana saw
the car leave the Sugg theater and
start south on Fourth street. The man
in the street, whom l did not know al
the time. was half way between Kan
sas avenue and the Sugg when nc
started across the street to the east
There we're two cars lined UP on tha'
side Of the street between him and the
tbeater. Mr.. Brooks, for he 1t proVe'
N he. had an umbrella and was hoiu
,ng IN so as to protect his head ant
face from the rain which was beatlu'
down on the umbrella from the nor1n
the same direction in which the ca
was coming. Both the car and BrooK
were in the center of the street "hel
L. .al
the man was struck. do not peneN
that DIR. Emanuel's speed exceeded te'
miles an hour If it reached that as u
had inst left the theater and could nc
have gotten up more than that speed
Tbev had already carried Brooks II
side the garage when ] reached IN
spot so / notified the ambulance an
he was taken to the chickasha ho'
nitai do not see how the accideI
could have been avoided under, the el
cumstances."
Lee olives Statement.
lee Olive. manager of the Sugg IN
.tor was another eye witness to Il
affair He was standing at the opt
south window of the theater selill
.,ckets when lee saw DR.. Emanuel
rar travelling south. He also sa" N
proo,,s crossing the street at the TIN
he was struck and called out to tho