The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1917-10-25
THE TINKHAM HEARING
Continued from Page One)

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the same lines as did her husband
Maintaining that Tinkham crowded
| the Oulton machine from the road and
that her husband was driving far to
/ the right hand side of the road. This
| testimony concluded the evidence pre-.
scented by the so-called plaintiff.
MIR. TINKHAM SAYS HE HELPED
IN RESCUE
ElYer Tinkham of Madison, driver
of the Elmore car, was called by at
torney Gibbs. In few words he told
of his conduct at the bridge. He
! said that he was returning from Wa
| teryille Sunday night and while go
| ing down over Horne's Hill he saw
another machine coming toward him
He was driving slowly and passed the
! Oulton machine on the bridge, there
being more than two feet of space be
| tween the cars as they passed. Not
until he arrived at the Norridgewock
end of the bridge did he hear a crash.
He Immediately stopped his car and
hurrying back to the scene of the ac
cident, went down where the car was
and aided in rescuing Mrs. Caroline
Oulton. Witness further stated that
another member of his party also
came down to help. After all had
| been rescued he said he cranked his
machine and drove back to the Horne
! farm to see if there wasn't something
else he could do. Finding that his
services were no longer needed he and
his party entered the car and return
ed to Madison.
On Discrimination witness ad-
mitted that while coming from Water
vile two members of his party were
drinking. But he stoutly maintained
that the Oulton car did not leave the
bridge until his machine had passed
some little distance and that he help
ed in the rescue of the injured people.
HE OWNED A FORD
Frank L. Harding of Madison, a
Deputy Sheriff, said that he visited the
scene of the accident shortly after it
occurred and described at some length
the condition of the road and tracks
made by the Oulton car. Regarding
the character of Mr.. Tinkham he said,
Il never knew Mr.. Tinkham to touch
drop of liquor in his life" you
own a car, Mr. Harding, asked attor-
ney Lawrence. II have a Ford" was
the laconic reply and for the moment
the faces OF nearly all present were
wreathed in smiles. approaching Mr..
Hardings predicament
Eugene Holt, Fred A. Gilman and
Harold D. Symonds all of Madison,
stated that they had known Mr. Tink-
ham for years and had never known
him to touch a drop of liquor. All
three claimed. upon being questioned,
that they were not intimate friends
of Tinkham,
JAMES B. SMELL
Another occupant of the Tinkham
machine was James B. Smell. He
testified somewhat as did Mr. Tink-
ham, declaring that the Oulton car
and the Elmore had plenty OF room to
pass on the bridge and that the Oulton
machine did not plunge until he and
his party had passed them and were
on the Norridge side. Did you
! go down and help in the rescue?" "No,
| broke my hip some six years ago
there, since I can not walk very well
anyway"
Did the others go down and help"
yes, | didn't see Mr.. Tinkham go
down but | saw him coming up from
under the bridge and l heard another
OF our party shouting down there by
the wreck / knew his voice and
knew he was doing what he could to
help
And so the hearing ended One
side telling an exactly opposite story
from the other. agreeing on no single
vital point. Mr.. Horne says the
Tinkham party didn't help. Mr. Tink-
ham and Mr.. Smell say they did help.
And 1t Is under such conditions as
this that the case has gone to Medical
| Examiner Stinchfeld who will mako
his report within few days