The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-31
WILCOX WINS
AT SPEEDWAY;
3 DEATHS IS
TOLL CLAIMED
Arthur Thurman is Killed and
Mechanician is Badly In
jured-LaCocq and Aid are
Burned to Death.
SPEED RECORD IS SET
BULLETIN

BULLETIN
INDIANAPOLIS, May 31-Howard
Wilcox, driving Peugeot car, won the
international automobile races at the
Speedway at Indianapolis today. Ed
die Hearne, driving Durant, was
second. Wilcox's time was 5:44:21.75
and Hearne made the distance in 5:
46:15.05, distance of two minutes be-
tween the two. Average time made
by Wilcox was S7.12 and Hearne av-
eraged 1862. Jules Goux was third.
Albert Guyot. driving Ballot, was
fourth.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 81 = Three
participants met death and two others
were seriously injured in the early
stages of the 500-mile automobile
Liberty sweepstakes being run today
on the Indianapolis speedway. Ar
thur Thurman was killed outright
when his car turned over and his me-
chanician suffered a fractured skull.
LeCocq, driver of Roamer, and his
mechanician were burned to death on
tho back stretch. ]. Chassagne, re-
lief driver steering Ballot car, also
was seriously injured.
LeCocqs car caught fire whole
rounding the southeart turn OF the
track The machine turned over, and
the men therein were covered with
flaming gasoline. Both men burned
for minutes before guards and spec
tators extinguished the flame. The
burning gas spread over the track and
several OF the speeding cars were COM
PEELED to dash through the blaze. The
accident was one Of the most serious
In the history of the track.
Both LeCocq and Bandini were said
to be from Los Angeles. They were
running in the seth lap when the acci-
dent occurred.
Roscoe Sarles, brother Of Miss Hazel
Sarles, a Richmond girl, was forced
to withdraw in the ninth lap, owing to
magnetic trouble.
AirpIanes Over Speedway.
The race started under sweltering
sun at IL o'clock this morning. The
hum of big motors filled the air from
daylight until the race ended Air
planes flew over the speedway early
in the day, and mingled their roar with
that of the racing cars being tuned for
the long grind.
The race began with flying start,
the first lap being paced by a car that
did not enter in the contest. That lap
did not count in the number to be
made. The driver who competed In
the race must go around the brick
paved court 200 times.
DePaIma and Thomas Lead.
In the fourth lap DePalma and
Thomas set terrific pace, and led
the field by half lap. The average
speed on the first lap was 85.1S miles
an hour but had dropped to an ave
rage Of 1918 miles an hour for the
first ten miles
At twenty-five miles G.. Chevrolet
led, De Palma second, Thomas third
Wilcox fourth and Cooper fifth
Sarles went into the pit the eighth
Jap because Of magnetic trouble.
At forty miles DePalma and Thomas
were running even and Wilcox was
third.
At forty-five miles DePalma led
Wilcox second, Thomas third.
DePalma averaged for forty-five
miles. 92.01 miles an hour.
DePalma led at the first 100 miles
Bablot was second, Louis Chevrolet
third, and CASTOR Chevrolet, fourth
AL previous records for the Speedway
for that distance was broken. The
average speed being 92.70 miles al
hour.
Thurman turned over on the north
turn at the forty-fourth lap. There wa!
some confusion Immediately after tht
accident as to whether it was Thur
man or his mechanician who wa!
d. killed. Later 1t was announced Thur
man was dead and Molinare. the mech
/ anician, had fractured skull.
\. DePalma had considerable tir,
trouble and lost % miles while at tn,
pit making changes.
hn ~, hair
der were Wilcox, CASTOR Chevrolet
Eddie Hearne, Jules Goux and Ton
Alley.
When D'Alene drove off the tract
shortly before the $50 miles there re
mained only 16 cars on the track.
At 375 miles the leaders were VIII
cox, Eddie Hearne, second, Castor
Chevrolet, third; Jules Goux, fourtl
and Tom Alley, fifth.
Wilcox was leading at the end o
the 400 miles having made the di
lance in hours, 81 minutes, 140
seconds, an average of 89.8189 mile
an hour. Hearne was second ant
Louis Chevrolet was third.
Wilcox, according to official scores
was in the lead at 400 miles. Official
admitted that the electric scoring de
vice had run ahead of them and the.
were trying to catch up.> Louis Chey
rolet relieved CASTOR Chevrolet AM
was in third place.
From third position to tenth TIL
standing in order was Goux, Alley
DePalma, Boillot, Wagner, Cooper
and Vail, at the 400 mile point
Wilcox was three laps ahead
Wilcox stopped at the pit for case
line and tires and when he resumes
the race he was laps ahead. At 45
miles the standing was Wilcox
Hearne, Goux, Boillot, Wagner.
L. Chevrolet rolled into the pit o.
three wheels. The wire across tn
track to the time board stopped leay
! ing the score board in a sad condition
- Boillots car turned over on the 191s
lap and Immediately became aiame
No one was injured.