Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-24

Mrs. severance met her death. IL Woull
seem. however, when the entire testimony
was summed up that Tinkham. whether
he did or did not turn out sufficiently TO
allow the auto to pass in safety. must,
, have gone to the aid OF the parties sus-
tanning the accident, although from the
evidence of F. L. Horne and members
of the OuIton-Severance party it would
seem that the occupants of the Tinkham
car simply did the looking on.
Clarence Severance, husband Of the
dead woman, was first called. He told
of the circumstances surrounding the
trip the party having been visiting IN
Mercer, named the occupants of the
car as being beside himself and wife.
Mr.. and Mrs Oulton and their two
children. aged and 6 years. and Mrs.
Caroline Oulton, the mother of Mrs.
Oulton He saw the car approaching,
stated that Mr.. Oulton was as near the
outside of the road as could be expect
cd. AS he thought the front end of the
Tinkham car was cleared, the Oulton
car began to drop. He did not know
how many people were In the otnef
car or who was driving. All the occu-
pants We're under the car except Oul-
ton. He -fSeverance) could not get out
himsel being pinned under the vehi-
Gle which was overturned. Did not
know Of anyone coming to their assist
ance from the car they had met put
heard Fred l.. Horne threaten someone
if they did not come TO assist in get
ting the party out of the predlcament.
Fred L. Horne, who lived close to the
scene of the tragedy, was next called
and after stating details as to time, DIS
lance. etc, related hearing the screams
and afterwards his experiences at the
brook With him were CLANCY NJ. Dale
and his grown-up son from Gardner
who were guests at the Horne home.
He noted that three men alighted from
the automobile which had gotten
about a rod and a half beyond the
bridge. He was unable to identify any
of the men positively who were pres
ent at hearing as having been those
who alighted from the car at the time
of the accident
A feature Of Mr.. Horne's testimony
was that Mrs. Severance was not pin
ned beneath the car so that she could
not have lifted ny her head, the indi-
cations being that she was so stunned
by the shock or some blow that she
drowned without knowing what had
occurred. After arriving at the brook
Mr.. Horne and his companions at
tempted to lift the car off Of the
screaming people. He stated that none
Of the men from the other car came
to his assistance but that he saw three
of them standing on the bridge. He
asked them to come down and aid him,
but they made no reply and he shout
ed to them, IF you won't come down
and help US lift | will come up with
a club" but still he said the men did
not respond. Another car came up he
claims, and then three men from that
year helped the suffering parties. He
was sure that Tinkham did not come
down and help in the operations at
that time. Mr.. Horne examined the
tracks of the Oulton car with a fash
light, which We're easy to follow be-
cause he procured a tire from the over
turned car to make examinations Tn
der cross examination Mr. Horne
thought the bridge railing was WIS.,
ible under auto lights in spite of over
! hanging bushes He couldn't swear,
however, that some Of the men from
! the Tinkham car did not help in the
work of removing the bodies and as
ssting generally.
George Outon, driver of and owner
of the car in which the accident oc-
CURED, told Of seeing the automobile
coming in the distance and trying to
keep on the right hand side of the road.
He was aware that there was a bridge
in that vicinity and moved slowly.
Thought Tinkham car was only a little
way off when OultOn car started to go
over the bridge. Did not know wheth-
err men in other car came to his as
SiStanCe or not, but to his knowledge
the men did not come down to the
brook side. He was positive Mr. Horne
was the first man to arrive. Tinkham
was allowed to ask who helped him re-
move the elderly woman Mrs. Caro-
line Oulton. from beneath the car and
OultOn maintained that he thought
Mr.. Horne was there. Tinkham main
tanned that he himself helped Oulton.
Mrs. George Oulton, who was support
ed to seat in the court room, was