The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-06-16
Con v. Johnston, the Former
Game Warden, Is Hurt
THREE RIBS ARE BROKEN
Peter F. Fay Cut On Face and
Bruised; Accident Near
kaS0ta
From Thursdays OaIl-.

From Thursdays Oali".
Con V. Johnston, farmer near
Washington lake, former game ward
en-, was today under the care OF the
nurses at the Immanual hospital, as
the result of an automobile collision
that took place about four O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon near the Cheadle
hill. not far from Kasota, on the st.
Peter road. Mr.. Johnston suffered the
breaking of two or three of his ribs
and his right hand was badly cut
At the time that the accident oc-
Cured, Mr. Johnston was driving a
Ford car along this road towards
Mankato He says he was going at
slow rate of speed, perhaps ten to
twelve miles an hour OF sudden
he noticed an Overland car coming
towards him On the same road. He
SAYS the car was about block or
two away and headed towards st.
Peter He declares that car was go
ing very fast, perhaps forty miles an
hour He did not have time to turn
completely out IS he would like to
have done, bat he did turn to the
right. He says the Overland car, in
stead of turning to the right, turned
to the left, causing a head-end col
lision. Three men were in the Over
land.
Both Cars Halted.
The collision brought both cars to
q halt. Tho Ford was lighter and was
overturned in the ditch. Mr.. Johnston
was thrown out. He picked himself
up, feeling little dazed, but did not
realize that he had been badly hurt.
He was thinking of the other three
men and wondered whether any of
them were hurt He saw that one of
them had bloody and battered face.
A crowd quickly gathered. Mr..
Johnston was assisted in righting his
car. 1t was too badly smashed to run.
The front axle was badly distorted.
both lamps wern broken, the radiator
was smashed, end the car was other
wise damaged.
The other car did not tip over, but
Mr.. JCfnstCn noticed one wheel was
smashed Thrt car was also disabled
1t WIS not until about five minutes
after tho accident that Mr. Johnston
began to reolize that he was badly
hurt. though he observed that he did
not breathe freely. He was taken by
Charles Babcock in another auto to
Kasota, where he was examined by a
physician. Later he came on his way
to Mankato, still not thinking that
he was very badly hurt, though he
knew he had broken ribs, and he went
to bed at the Stahl house. Shortly
after two o'clock this morning, he felt
so much pain that a Mankato physi-
clan was sent for, and the latter had
the injured man removed to the I'M
manual hospital.
Mrs. Johnston was notified of the
accident shortly after it occurred, and
she was expected in Mankato today.
Mr.. Fay Was Cut.
In the Overland was the own
er, Peter F. Fay. The machine was
driven by H. L. Hopper, assistant
road engineer Of Nicollet county.
Mr.. Fay's forehead was gashed and
he was otherwise bruised and hurt.
Mr.. Fay is cripple. Six or eight years
ago he was thrown from a wagon his
back was badly injured, and he was
badly paralyzed. The shock of yes
terday's accident was very bad for
him, and he is now confined to his
home at ST. Peter in serious con-
dition..
Mr.. Hopper was somewhat bruised.
E, V. Waters, traffic office of Man
kato, after seeing the Overland car as
it lay on the road this morning, came
to the conclusion that Mr.. Johnston
made correct statement, when ne
said the Overland car turned to the
left and not to the right.
m Different Version of Accident.
Word was received today from St.
Peter, quoting Mr.. Fay as giving an
entirely different version of the acct
dent Mr.. Fay is quoted as saying that
the Ford automobile, driven by Mr..
Johnston was on the left side of the
road, when first seen by those in the
Overland; that the Ford was going at
twenty to twenty-five miles an hour
and the Overland at about fifteen miles
an hour; that the chauffeur of the
Overland kept expecting the Ford to
turn over to the right and make room
for the Overland to get by; that the
chauffeur of the Overland at the last
moment, in the hope of avoiding a COL
lision, suddenly turned the Overland
car to the left. but did not quite clear
Re Ford; and that the Ford struck
the right side of the Overland in front,
smashing the right front wheel of the