Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-09-07
WOMAN Is KILLED
IN AUTO PLUNGE
Car Rolls Down Stesp Bank
Near Crosby Pond
Turns Over -Four Times in Descent
Miss Agnes Dalligan Sustains Frac-
ture of Skull and Dies Instantly.

In frightful plunge off long and
steep cmban<mcnt near the Crosby pond
in Dummerston late Friday after
noon Miss Agnes Dalligan, 81 years old
of Stafford Springs, Conn, who was Il
passenger in an Overland runabout, was
Instantly killed and the owner and driver
of the car, Walter ii. Tobin of Holyoke,
Mass, her brother-in-law received in
iurics so that he was taken Saturday
afternoon to the Brattleboro Memorial
hospital for treatment. The ear il II
wreck, having made four turns-onc com
pletc revolution its fatal descent
The dead girl was daughter of Jos
eph Daligan of Stafford Springs. Mr..
Tobin is a member of Kochlcr-Tobin
Construction Co., Holyokc, which has
the contract for the erection of nearly so
houses in Springfield, this state. He is
about l5 years old a son of John j.
Tobin, wool sortcr in lIolyokc
About l.30 O clock Friday afternoon
Mr. Tobin and Miss Dalligan left Spring
field for Iolyolle Mr. Tobin having some
work to look after, and it was their in
tention to return Saturday. Before lcav-
ing Springfield Mr. Tobin asked his wife
to go with him, but she had Just returned
from trip to Connecticut and felt tired
and SO decided to remain at home, and
her sister went instead.
1t was about 4.30 o'clock when they
reached the top of the hill north of the
Crosby pond on the Putney road. Down
the bush-covered bank 40 feet below to
the west was the road to Dummerston
the road dividing at the foot of the hill
and one branch leading up the hill north
TO Putncy and the other going to Dunn
merston.
AS they began the descent of the hill
they met II large Cadillac car carrying
at least two men and Il woman, and Mr.
Tobin who sat on the eft-hand side of
his car, drew out toward the embank
ment to pass the Cadillac. The road
there is narrow, and there was Il gully
on the west side and beyond that Il ridge
and railing with oak posts.
The front wheel of the Overland went
into the gully and Mr.. Tobin was unable
to pull his car back into the road. The
wheel kept cutting deeper and deeper
into the soft earth, struck the ridge and
went over it, struck the railing, breaking
over several posts and then turning on
it's side and rolling down the bank.
The machine landed right side up at
the edge of the lower road, the front
left wheel being completely wrecked, the
rear left wheel sinking deep into the soft
earth and both right wheels being driven
into the ground by the impact. The top
of the car was ripped off and other dam
age was done.
The persons in the Cadillac car saw the
accident, and were shocked. by liz They
went at to the rescue. Mr.. Tobin
said that when the car landed he and
Miss Dalligan were under it, Miss DALI
l,ri 40 In lpI
out and drew Miss Dalligan out and saw
that she was dead.
One of the men drove the Cadillac
to Luther Houghton's on the Putney
road and telephoncd to Brattleboro for
a physician and then came for DIR. b. f..
White. and when they reached the scene
DR. Harry p. Greene was there, Mr.
Tobin having told persons i'll another
car to send for Il physician. He was
taking care of Mr.. Tobin's wounds, which
consisted of cuts on his nose and over
his right eye He also complained of
pain in his right hip,
Miss Dalligan sustained a fracture OF
the skull, which was the cause of heI
death also Il fracture of her nose and a
fracture of her jaw. There were many
bruises on her body.
After rendering what assistance they
could the occupants of the Cadillac con
tinued north and nobody asked theil
names or learned their identity. Mr.
Tobin said he would not say that they
were at fault or that he was at fault,
Soon after the accident the body OF
Miss Dallgan was brought in l.. !
Aliens auto-truck to Moran & Rohde',
undertaking rooms. Mr.. Tobin was
brought to the Brooks House, and next
morning he was unable to leave his bed
b although he had no broken bones. Hi,
wife, who was notified by telephone Of
the accident, arrived in Brattleboro OF
the SIG train Friday evening
1t was planned to move the wrecked
car Friday but Sheriff c. Il. Mann
thought it would be better to leave il
until after the situation had been invcs
tigated by States Attorney w. r
Daley. He stationed Deputy Sheriff
Frank L. Welman and Deputy Sheriff
j. c. Benson at the scene of the acct
dent and they remained there all night
Saturday Photographer Benjamin
A. Crown made pictures of the car ant
the location where the accident happened
and the states attorney then allowed
the car to be moved to Moshers garage
Within a short time after the fatality
there were numerous persons on tn,
ground and many automobiles stopped
there. While the crowd was assembled
District of Columbia car, Briscoe
with three passengers, came along ant
nearly repeated the Overand's perform
ance. The driver pulled out so far tina
the outside wheels began to settle dow
the bank and IA woman passenge
screamed. Several men grabbed hold o
the car and kept it from tipping owe
and it was finally hauled back into tn
road. Later Judge f. b. Pier of Brattle
boro drove past, turning out for anothe
ear, and got so close to the danger pon
that some of the bystandcrs began t.
tremble.
A few rods from that same point OF