The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-10-11
J. F. BLEWITT DIES
after AUTO Turns
PROMINENT LAWYER PICKED UP
UNCONSCIOUS ON ROAD
NORTH OF CITY.
WAS ON HIS WAY H0ME
RELIEVED STEERING GEAR WAS
FAULTY-END COMES THIS
FORENOON.

positively be known, John f. Blewitt,
attorney, of this city, last night at a
point about fifteen and a half miles
northeast of Madison, sustained in
juries from which he died at 11:40
o'clock this forenoon.
Mr.. Blewitt was driving alone.
From Waterfowl, where he had
transacted legal business yesterday,
he had ridden as far as Nunda, sit
uated about seventeen miles north
east of here, with a party of friends,
also lawyers. who were returning
home TO Dell Rapids. AT Nunda he
took his own car, which he had left
at that place in the morning, when
taking the train there to go TO Wa
tertown.
The accident occurred about a mile
and a half southwest of Nunda, al
most directly in front of the farm
home of Frank Tobin. Members OF
the Tobin family found Mr.. Blewitts
unconscious form lying partly under
his upturned ear at about Z O'Clock.
A few minutes later word for medical
aid was telephoned to the city. That
Mr.. Blewitt was perhaps fatally hurt
was not known until he was brought
to his home. 1000 Egan avenue, at
about 10 O'Clock last night.
City Saddened.
The report, circulated during the
noon hour that the popular young
. citizen and lawyer had passed away
cast a mantle of gloom over the en-
tire city.
! Mr.. Blewitt had gone to Water
town to take a deposition i'm the in
terests of a client who resides east
of Rutland. He started in his auto
mobile, the steering gear of which
had been working badly for two OF
three weeks. He had decided 10
leave the car at Nunda. and make
the trip from there TO WATERFOWL
and return by train A brother.
: Harry Blewitt. of Sioux Falls. hap.
pened to be on the Watertown bound
train. and the two had dinner to
gether.
No one witnessed the accident
which caused Mr.. Blewitt's death
= The Tobin family were at supper
!, when they heard a crash comini
from the direction of the road.
!, short distance in front of their home
They investigated. and at once sum
! moned medical aid from Nunda am
! Madison. Or. w. f. Goldman wa
called al a few minutes after
!, o'clock, and he took Mrs. Blewit
= with him in his car to the scene
- When they arrived, DR.. Ahern. o
!" Nunda, had rendered first aid. Nh
- Blewitt was brought here in tn
= Frank Tobin car.
~ Injuries to Head.
ar The right side of the head wa
II crushed. the base of the skull wa
to fractured and the right jaw broker
Il There were no serious bruises OF tn
lower part of the body. Mr.. Blewit
IA did not regain consciousness.
or DIR. Rider, Of Flandreau. was sun
as moned this morning. Following
m consultation with DR.. Goldman. a
operation was decided upon as a las
: resort. The end came just as tn
"a operation was being started.
The manner in which the fatal in
rv juries were sustained is not know
% Those first on the scene said tia
10 while the car, which was on its sid
r. was directly over Mr.. Blewitt. il di
of not seem TO be resting on him.
of Mr.. Blewitt had been driving d
no rectly west on a comparative
gh smooth ROAD. Inc car, aIter the a.
r. cident, was headed directly east.
is thought that the car complete
reversed before turning on its sid
Marks in the road showed that tn
oil machine had slid or skidded a di
IA lance of twenty feet or so. aecordin
,nt to George r. Farmer. former partn'
1t of Mr.. Blewitt, and Il. A. Keller, WI
nd went TO the scene this morning.
.or BY some it is thought that Nj
Blewitt's attention had beer draw
es, to a new barn near the roadside, {
les the Tobin farm, that his car had,
~ the meantime, run TO one side of II
road, and thai the accident occurrs
= when he turned suddenly toward Il
- middle of the road. Mr.. Blewitt al
a number of his friends were ava
that recently the steering gear of h
automobile had not been in good G
der. He had remarked that he mu
have it attended to.
Born i'm Wisconsin.
Mr.. Blewitt was 40 years of az
having been BORN in Grant oun
Wis. in 1876. About twenty yea
ago he came with members of !
family to South Dakota, locating
Flandreau, where he lived until
completed his law course at the u
versity of South Dakota, from whi
institution he was graduated in 49,
Immediately upon graduation
came to Madison, and entered ii
partnership with George r. Farm
the firm name being Farmer e. Bile
lit. In 1909 he was married in Ora
county, Wis, to Miss Edna Dav
on, his president wife. Since |
early part of the summer Mr.. Bic
lit has been practicing law alone.
Mr.. Blewitt was prominent in n