Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-06
LIVES TO RECOUNT ESCAPE
Double Accident to Man Who Risked
Life TO Save Com
panion.
AUTO EXPERIENCE IN WYOMING

Thomas sheldon. jr.. victim Of har-
rowing and uncanny experiences. al
most without parallel. in an automobile
accident near Kemmerer. wyo., a wees
ago. is reported recovering from hts
injuries. Word OF his improved con-
dition was received in Salt Lake over
ong-distance telephone The MESSAGE
came from Thomas sheldon. father Of
the injured man. to A. =. veeley. man
ager OF the Isis thester. lie younger
sheldon has an interest with Veclsy IN
the local house.
Though the story OF the automobile
accident that resulted in the serious in
jury OF sheldon and the death Of his
companion. Red Wears. city marshal OF
Diomondville. has been published briefly.
the account OF Sneddon's battling and
terrible experiences is yet 20 be printed.
II rises above the day-to-day level Of
news to take it's place with The stories
that will long be told OF ami talked
about.
Stranger Than Fiction.
The accident occurred while sheldon,
owner OF heavy car. and Wears were
returning from a duck hunt on Bear
river. At a sharp turn In Nugget can
yon the car skidded and rolled over and
down a steep bank into n creek. sned-
don was thrown clear and escaped Nith
a fracture OF the shoulder. n wrenched
spine and severe decorations OF the head
and face. but Wears was pinned under
the car and MORALLY crush -. Sheldon
was unconscious for several minutes
When consciousness returned 20 sned-
don he heard Wears feebly calling for
help, and, wading in water waist deep
staggered to his assistance.
One OF Sneddon's arms was useless and
he was suffering acutely from his in
turtles. but he managed to drag Wears
whose head had remained above water.
from beneath the car. the engine OF
which was still running. Jic vas un-
able, however. TO get the dying MAI out
OF the water and up the river hank
For forty minutes Sneddol supported
Wears against the bank bctoas 'he
MARSHAL died. and during twenty minutes
OF the period Wears reta ned conscious
ness and suffered overwhelmingly. When
death finally came Sheldon wedgod the
body between the bank and the autorno-
bile in such q position that Il would not
be swept away by the current staggered
from the stream and started toward Fos-
sill station 70 summon assistance.
DeiiFium Controls Victim.
For five miles the injured man, now
deiirious. stumbled along the road. dark
ness falling meanwhile. Sharp stones cut
through his shoes and lacerated his feet
to the bone. When within two miles of
Fossil he met William Haywood. who
was driving an automobile. sheldon gave
Haywood an incohcrent account OF what
had happened. Haywood being unable to
Judge from his story whether Wears was
dead or stu alive and pinned under the
wrecked car. He hurried with sheldon
TO Nugget. a railroad siding. where there
Is a telephone. and sent word to Coke
Vile 20 have a midnight passenger train
stop and pick sheldon up He then
drove at top speed to the scene of the
accident. intending to rescue Wears.
Loscs His Identity.
A short time later the engineer OF a
freight train saw a man staggering along
the track and lighting matches. evidently
in an attempt to flag the train. lie