Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-08-24
TRAGIC DEATH OF
REV. DR.. KIDDER
Beloved Rector of St. Luke's Church
Killed in Auto Accident
WAS RECTOR AT MILLERSVILLE
Fruitful Career Of Episcopal Clergyman
Brought to an End When His
Automobile Strikes Bridge

News of the tragic death of Rev.
DR.. Scott A Kidder, rector of the
Episcopal Church of ST. Luke, the be-
loved physician. in an automobile ac-
cident near Schenectady Friday after
noon, came as a tremendous shock to
hundreds of friends of the revered
clergyman in Annapolis and Anne
Arundel county, where he had many
friends, and where he was a former
rector at Millersyille, of st. Stephens
Church, Severn Parish.
Dr. kidder was at Saranac Lake,
n. Y, where the accident occurred.
The Adirondack Enterprise, pub
lished Saranac Lake, n Y, August 81,
copy of which has been received at
this office, and which was kindly sent
by Mrs. Arnold Richardson. who was,
before her marriage. Miss Mabel
Strange, of this city, has the follow
ing account of the tragedy:
THE distressing nature of the ae-
cident, occurring while DR.. Kidder was
returning to his flock after bidding
farewell to his wife, whom he had
taken in his car to Wareham, Mass,
to visit her brother, cast pail over
the community in which Rev. DR..
Kidder had performed a self-sacrific-
ing spiritual and temporal service
during the last two years.
THE tragedy occurred on what is
known as the Nine Mile Bridge over
the New York Central tracks at Hoff-
man Ferry, five miles west of Sche-
nectady, Friday afternoon at o'clock,
There is a sharp turn in the road at
the bridge AS DR.. Kidder's automo-
bile reached the turn, it is believed
the steering gear failed and the ma
chine crashed into the railing of the
bridge The impact of the collision
hurled DR.. Kidder over the railing
and he fell thirty feet to the railroad
tracks. The front wheel of the auto
mobile rested on the railing, indicat-
ing how DR.. Kidder was catapulted
from his seat.
"A. c. Flick, who resides on the
State road near the scene of the acci-
dent, and Mrs. George Howgate saw
the collision They hurried down to
the track and saved DR.. Kidder from
being mangled by train which pass
ed Immediately after the accident
They cared for DR.. Kidder until an
ambulance arrived and took him to
the Ellis Hospital in Schenectady
in an unconscious condition. At the
hospital DR.. Kidder was Immediately
taken to the operating room, but died
in few minutes from internal in
juries, two hours after the accident.
Rev DIR. B w. r. Taylor, rector of st.
Georges Episcopal Church of Sche-
nectady, arrived in time to say the
commendatory prayer and to admin
lister the last rites of the church
Although numerous kilograms
were sent out from Saranac Lake and
Schenectady, Mrs Kidder could not
be located and she was unaware of
the death of Dr. Kidder until $50
o'clock Saturday night. She arrived
in Schenectady Sunday, and the body
was taken to Asbury Park. The body
will arrive here tomorrow and serv-
ices will be conducted at the church
at noon. Interment will be in Pine
Ridge Cemetery.
Memorial Service Sunday.
The little church of St Luke,
where Rev. Dr. Kidder had stirred
congregations with his mastery SER
, /, mons, impressive administrations and
| fervored organ recitals during the
| laet tu,o x-aarr ond xr-hara a xvanly 90
to the hour he had appeared for the
last time to preach-significan that
it was-the sermon that no one could
fortell the hour of death. was the
| scene of one of the saddest ceremonies
in the history of Saranac Lake. The
congregation, which Sunday after Sun
day had come to love more and more
the earnest, kindly and distinguished
rector. entered the edifice with sad
dened faces and left with tear-dim-
med eyes.
Rev. W Fl. Larom, rector emeri-
tus of the church, conducted the SER
!: vice. Speaking to the congregation,
/, he reviewed the circumstances of the
tragedy that had spread grief
| throughout Saranac Lake the previ-
Gus day. He read a telegram from
Rev. DIR. Taylor, personal friend OF
DR. Kidder, who administered the last
rites of the church to the dying
clergyman in the hospital at Schenec-
| tady, in which it was stated that the
body would be taken to Asbury Park
IN. ]. In the telegram, Rev DR. Tay-
lor expressed his sympathy to the
parishioners of ST Lukes
1The death of DR.. Kidder, said Rev
Mr. Larom. was a great loss to this
community DR. Kidder. he continu-
ed, was tremendously interested in
civic and municipal reform and was
enthusiastic in his work almost to q
fault He was a conscientious priest
scholar of no mean attainment and
an exceptionally brilliant preacher
He was accorded degrees by universi-
ties and other institutions of learning
and was the only clergyman in the
archdeaconry of Ogdensburg who
was Doctor of Divinity His death
is a great loss TO me, personally, as
he was one of my unfailing friends. Il