The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-11
DRIVER IS HELD BY POLICE
Accident Occurred Near Corner Of Salem
and Harry Avenues and Knudsen
Died at Kenosha Hospital With
out Regaining Consciousness.

Rasmus Knudsen, aged forty-eight
years, one Of the best known of the
Danish born citizens Of Kenosha, met
fatal injuries between five and six
O'Clock Friday evening when he was
struck by an automobile driven by
James Mccarthy of Pleasant Prairie.
The accident occurred near the corner
of Salem and Harry avenues The in
iured man was rushed to the hospital
in an ambulance but he died five
minutes after he had reached the hospi-
tai and he did not regain consciousness.
Mccarthy was arrested shortly af-
ter the accident by Police Officers
Logan and Rock and taken to the city
lookup. He appeared to be under the
influence of Liquor. Emil Miller, a
farm hand employed by Mccarthy,
was also taken by the police, but he
was released later.
Stories of the accident indicate that
Knudsen, who was very deaf, may have
failed to hear the horn on the McCar-
thy automobile, but at the same time
witnesses assert that Mccarthy could
have avoided the accident if he had
stopped his machine or driven with
greater car.
+ Knudsen was carpenter and with
other men he had been at work at
house on the French farm during the
day. just after five o'clock, in com
pany with two other carpenters, Knud-
sen had started for his home on
Grover street. He was riding bicycle
and was on the south side of Salem
avenue. Mccarthy was also coming
from the west and coming at good
rate of speed. He passed two of the
carpenters riding bicycles and passed
wagon which was coming toward
the eaa@ sSsast as the Mccarthy ma
chine waAa little behind Knudsen the
latter turned his wheel toward the
center of the roadway and the colli-
sion followed. Knudsen was thrown
from the wheel to the side of the road
and when he was picked up'he was un-
conscious. A post norton held late
Friday evening showed that Knudsen
had suffered fracture of the right jaw
bone and several fractures of the skull.
Mccarthy and Miller were taken to
the city lookup and later they told
their story to Chief of Police o Hare.
MCCARTHY declared that at the time
Knudsen was struck he was not operat-
ing the machine at q rate of more
than fifteen miles an hour. He de-
clared that her had sounded the horn
repeatedly, but that Knudsen appear
ed not to pay any attention to it
and turned into the roadway directly
i'm front of the automobile.
The fatal accident has caused great
sorrow in Kenosha. Rasmus Knudsen
was resident of Kenosha for the past
twenty-seven years and had large
circle of friends in the city. He was
a native of Denmark where he was
born September 20, 1867. He came to
Kenosha when he was twenty-one years
'of age and since that time he had
worked as carpenter. Much of this
time he had been associated with his
brother, X. P. Knudsen, the well
known carpenter contractor.
He is survived by his widow, one
son, Clarence Knudsen, and three
daughters, Margaret, Edith and Fran
ces. Mrs. Knudsen was Frustrated
when she received the news of the ira
gic death of her husband.
Mr.. Knudsen had taken an active
part in the various organizations
among the Danish-born residents of
Kenosha. He was a member of the
DANA Society, the Danish Brother
hood, the Danish Singing Society
Bragge and also of the carpenter IS
union.
Coroner III. A. Millager began an
investigation into the conditions sur
rounding the accident on Friday night
and 1T is probable that an inquest will
be held this afternoon or on Monday.
There were many people near the
corner when the accident ACQUIRED and
the district attorney is making close
investigation into all facts connected
with the case.
District Attorney Drury examined a
half dozen witnesses of the accident
this morning and he declared that three
OF them had been eye witnesses of the
tragedy. These people held that it
would have been possible to avoid the
accident. They testified that the car
driven by Mccarthy had struck the
bicycle on which Knudsen was riding
and when he was thrown from the
wheel he was rolled under the automo-
bile, An examination of Harry aven-
ue into which Mccarthy ran his car,
showed that the automobile went one
hundred and sixty feet after the