The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-11-16
4 COUNTY OFFICIALS
 NEAR DEATH AUTO WRECK

hUIU UIIlUN
 Supervisor Lynch sustains Fracture
 of the Skull; Others Badly Shack
 en Up in Smash.
 Kingman, Nov. 9.-Four Mohave county officials had a narrow escape from death last Wednesday after noon when their machine turned over in rounding curve in the Needles road five miles west of Topock. Charles Lynch, supervisor, sustained a fractured skull and has been hov- ering between life and death in Los Angeles hospital since the ac- cident. J. N. Cohenour, sheriff, was painfully, but not seriously hurt about the head and spine and return ed home Thursday. S. D. Stewart, county attorney, and Robert Blum, county engineer, the other occupants of the machine, escaped practically unhurt, except for severe shaking up. MT. Stewart accompanied MT. Lynch to Los Angeles and MT. Blum returned to Kingman Thursday night
 A telegram received this morning from MT. Stewart said MT. Lynch showed signs of improvement and was resting quite comfortably. His | life was despaired of flor two days. Mrs. Lynch went into Los Angeles "Wednesday night and has been at the bedside of her husband since 1 then.
 The accident occurred in rounding i a sharp turn in the road and was caused by the rear wheels skidding ! in some loose dirt which had just been thrown up by road gang. MT. 1 Blum, who was driving, says they were going at an excessive rate of speed.
 According to his account of the ac- cident. the steering wheel of the Dodge machine was loose and that as he gave it heavy turn to take the curve the rear end skidded over an embankment of about feet and the machine turned turtle. Both he, Lynch and Cohenour were pinned un der the car, while Stewart was thrown clear of the wreckage. Blum was pinned under the steering wheel land was unable to extricate himself until the car door had been torn off. Lynch, who was riding in the front seat with Blum, was caught under the front end of the car, the seat Of which was resting on The back of his
 head It was the back of the head
 that seemed to have been most badly
 injured. Physicians who examined
 him when he was taken to Needles ], and later at the Los Angeles hospitaA l declared that he had sustained
 fracture of the skull. Cohenour was pinned under the back seat, appaf- ienty having been doubled up' with none of the cars weight resting up
 on him. His injuries consisted of lseyere blow on the side of his head , and he complained of trouble in the lower spinal region.
 Both Cohenour and Lynch were
 rendered unconscious Lynch did no ;fegain consciousness for day or more, while Cohepour came to in an hour or so and was able to walk
 about. He apparently was suffering lmost on Friday and was confined to his bed.
 ii It was thought for some time after :. the accident that Lynch had been killed. Finally there were signs of
 life and Blum and Stewart started ar
 tificial respiration with him, and he breathed normally. Shortly he be- , gan screaming and yelling from the , terrible pain. He would lapse into I apparent conditions of coma at times lCQl6nOuT SeoIueu udZeu ITOm tuc
 blow or the head and says he doesn't
 remember distinctly events of the , rest of the day and Thursday morn . iEg.
 , It was only a short time until sev. :, erai automobiles came up. Physi-
 clans were summoned from Needles
 and the injured men were taken in , and given first aid treatment until No. 9 arrived, when Lynch was re-
 moved to the Los Angeles hosptal. Ina four county officials were on ther way to Las Vegas. New, and the northern part of Mohave county on offical business. They planned to spend about two weeks in the north
 ern country clearing up number of [ matters. consisting of road ques- ) tions. controversy between some of
 the settlers in the northtrn end of l Mohave county and threatened out , break between sheepmen from Utah and the homesteaders. Word was reetived at the office of the county
 attorney recently that one or two 2 up lAtIc NclC tlOuU- . le and also that sheepmen coming in from Utah were causing the settlers , some trouble.
 Int jaunt had been planned as a
 kind of housekeeping and four
 branches of the county government
 were represented. They learned that
 the ferry north of Chloride was not
 in operation and that it would be
 advisable to go by way of Needles. Searchlight and Las Vegas. At the
 two latter places it was planned to
 take up with the authorities Of