Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-10-16
AUTO PLvNGES
DOWN SWAMP BANK
Mra. Grace LenO of 81 Gear
Street, One OF the Occupants,
May Die--Nirs, J, Shackett
tiaa Fractured Arm and Ribs
ROTli ARE IN HOSPITAL
others In tho Gar, Which Was Stolen
From Fort Ethan Allen, Were SOL
diers, sc-zt, Mnrcottc and Yrivnte
Gorney--tioth tfninIurcd, Pee

BURNING efa the main highway or North
Pend street near Park strcct, Dodge
touring car fron i'oI, Ethan Allen, con
tanning two solaicrs ana two married
women plunged dow:i cvcr the bunk into
tho swamp and brought up $50 fcet below
Upside down about 1c:ij Friday night
Who occupants wcro thrown clear OF the
car IN its last turn over, the two soldiers
escaping inlurl.,p. The two women how
Bvor. wurc badly hurt, ono being expected
20 dc, The soldlars gave no thought OF
rasou:nI the injured women beyond tele-
pAo,.hIs foe help and then disappeared
leaving tnom to await the coming of res
auerr
'the ear was driven by Senior Sergeant
3trank Narcotic OF tho Motor Transport
rorrs. Fort ethan Allen. and according
10 Colonel Connetl, commanding officer of
Tie Rea; Hau been taken without leave
IN It WA !. cehrade Private Vincent Cor
pey ami tho twg Wonien, Mrs Grace t.eno
and Mira Joseph Ehackett, both of G1
Cedar street this city. AT the Mary
ilatehe, hospital, where tne two women
wefr. taken IN the police ambulance, it
WEI stated thHt Mrs, iihackett'a injuries
consisted of Il brotien arm and several
hyelsen riba and minor injuries while tho
Injuries of hlts Lone were of Il very Sc
rious nature, she being in II state of
pema
According Ia snidier from the Post,
s. whom Free Press reporter talked
after the accident, Sergeant Narcotic
told him ~ he brought him down that hd
and his pal had u date with II couple OF
EirlA later In tho evening, l, Is evident
that the sergeant kept the date and had
apparently swung from Cedar street into
NCrtI, M at
The roadway near Park street is several
yards from the edge of the swamp and
to a stranger it would be deceiving.
Investigation of the tracks of the ma
chine from point several hundred yards
from the scene of the initial plunge of
the car showed that il was running
along the recently filled in portion of the
street and going nearer the edge of the
swamp, each foot travelled. The car had
no chains and the imprint was easily
observable
When nearly opposite Park street the
machine left the fill and plunged down
tho edge of the bank towards the bottom.
many feet below. 1t was evident that
it turned several sOmersaults on the way.
for the rear cushion was found about
30 feet from the edge, footboard down
several feet farther and another cushion
still farther down.
The car finally turned, bottom up, about
Is feet from the swamp level and hung
there being caught on some wreckage
ambeded in the rubbish. AS the car tur-
tied for the last time, the four per-
sons were thrown out and to the north
clear OF the auto and landed about ten
feet from the machine. The two soldiers
picked Themselves up, having landed in
soft dirt which e0vorad the dump In
many places 10 tic depth of more than
foot. and were unhurt except for
minor bruises.
WITHOUT stopping to ascertain how
badly hurt their companions were they
began their mad scramble to reach the
level OF tho street many feet above and
one OF them hastened to q telephone ut
T.. +. Roots. 60 Pitisin street. and 'pi,oned
the police station and tho hospital. Then
they disappeared and were not located
until nearly an hour afterwards whom
officers Of the Post got Sergeant Mar
cote.
Members Of tho Root family sum-
moned ncighbors. VINO had heard the
crash and the screams OF the women
George Alapa and his son, George, .Ir.:
+. ii. Williams. James Rand, Will
liam Monahan, Henry and George
King and others descended into the
the injured women. Mrs. Leno was I'M
conscious and practically stripped Of
all her clothing from the waist down.
Mrs. Shackett was conscious
+. II. Williams assisted by Fred
Laing brought Mrs. shackett to the
street level after hard struggle
against the slipping sand and others
brought Mrs. Leno. The mon who
went after theso women deserve great
fn. t.gG--
they accomplished In the pitch dark
despite the great obstacles in their
way. The women were taken to tho
hospital in the ambulance and the
men went back to see II there was
anybody else pinned under the chr be-
cause Mrs. Leno tho only one Of the
party OF four who could give any in
formation. refused 10 talk or tell II
therc was anybody e1ne In tho party.
A thorough sonrch was made but no
other occupant could be found. A
light In the front of the drivers seat
OF the wrecked machine assisted the
searching party greatly until search
lights and lanterns could be brought
out BY tho police and the ncighbors.
Mrs. shackett's husband II working At
1uast Enouburg Falls for n man named
Hayden smell and shc has been making
her home with her daughter, Emma, ut
62 Cedar street. Her fathsr-in-law. Frank
shackett. lives at 10 Blnwood avenue. II
II said that she has one child, small
baby. Mrs. Leno's husband Ii In Mont.
polier and It IL known to the police that
she has Ave children. The information
obtained from tho hospital by tho police
from Mrs. Lcno showed that neither
woman knew tho soldiers.
Captain Phillips, tho officer IN charge
Of tho motor transports at Fort Etha,,
Allon was reached by phone last night
and no Informed this Free Press that nc
was not advertising tho matter and that
II WAS mono of the papers business vino
Sergeant Narcotic.