The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-09-12
AUTO WRECK KILLS. |
One; INJURIES TWO
CAR TURNS TURTLE ON
SHARP CURVE AT GRANGER
They Were All Prominent Wooster
Men On Business Trip To
Cleveland

Cleveland
Too much speed caused the death of
one prominent Wooster man and the
serious injury of two others about 2
o'clock last Saturday morning when
the automobile in which they were
riding turned turtle at the curve few
feet this side of the old cheese factory
at Granger. Dudley s. Johnston was
killed and Clifford P. Foss and Welker
Cameron were both seriously injured.
Cameron was riding in the back seat
and Foss and Johnston in the front,
with Foss driving.
The three men were on their way
from Wooster to Cleveland. They
drove through Seville on to Wads-
worth and took the cement road north.
The road at Grangerburg makes q
very sharp turn to the right here and
In attempting to make the sudden turn
the left front wheel of the machine, a
new Studebaker the property of John
ston, broke, turning the machine over
twice and throwing Johnston out upon
the cement road, while Foss was
found over an embanlkment about thir-
ty feet away. Cameron who was rid
ing in the back seat, escaped with less
serious injuries.
A party from Hinckley, who were
on their way to Akron, found the over
turned machine and the occupants and
telephoned Sheriff Bigelow, the latter
receiving the call about a. m. When
ne arrived at the scene of the accident
ne found Johnston lying dead, face
down, in the middle of the road. It
is thought that he was killed instantly
as his head showed signs of having
struck the concrete roadway. Foss was
still unconscious where he had been
thrown thirty feet away. Cameron
was walking up and down the road in
dazed condition.
Medical assistance was summoned
and the dead man and his injured
companions were taken to Wooster
about-5 o'clock the same morning.
Woster relatives and friends knew
nothing Of the accident until the men
were taken to the Wooster hospital.
The turn of the road at which the
accident occurred is recognized by au-
toists as a dangerous one. The road
turns abruptly to the right and is
bounded on the north by a large ditch
or ravine through which creek runs,
In making the turn the whole weight
Of the car was thrown on the left
front wheel. This gave way letting
the axle dig into the dirt which turned
the machine over twice. Some idea OF
the force with which the car capsized
may be gained from the fact that the
right rear wheel was badly smashed as
it struck the road on the turnover.
Both Foss and Johnston were going
to Cleveland for business engagements
Saturday morning. The two invited
Cameron to 60 along. Cameron had
been employed by the Portland Ce-
ment association at Indianapolis, but
was spending short vacation in
Wooster. He intended leaving fol
Chicago Saturday and accepted the of.
fer to 60 to Cleveland in order tc
see his two brothers, Robert Jr., and
Neil Cameron, both of whom work
there. The three intended to return
to Wooster Saturday night.
Dudley Johnston was 27 years ole
and had been nominated as democratic
candidate for city auditor of Wooster
and was counted one of the strongest
candidates upon the ticket until his
resignation last week to accept a. po.
sition at the Buckeye Aluminium
works. He was to have started il
on his new duties last Monday, hav.
ing disposed of his interests in the
Johnston Bros. grocery to his brother
He is survived by his mother, Mrs
Mary E. Johnston and four brothers
Mrs. johnson was terribly shocked
when she heard the news of the &C
cident Saturday morning. "I knew
it," she said. 'If I had only told hin
not to CO." She told how she went ou
on the porch Friday night and sait
goodbye to him as he was leaving
She asked him not to 60, but HI
answered by saying that it would b,
all right and he was going into hi
new work at the Buckeye Aluminium
works Monday and as this was hi
vacation he wanted to go.
Mrs. Johnston had a premonitiol
that something would happen and evel
after her son left the house early il
the evening, she tried to locate hin
by telephone and ask him not to go
She was unable to locate him, how
ever.
Mrs. Johnston is in possession Of
letter given her by Dudley Frida,
evening, in effect, his will. The lette
was written to a Wooster attorney b,
Dudley as he was about to leave Cam
Beauregard, La, for France last yeal
The letter stated how he wanted hi
property disposed Of if he should b
killed in France. He was in Franc
eleven months as member of, tn
7th corps Of the sanitary train. H
returned this spring. The attorne
kept the letter which he had write
him, in safety deposit box. Sine
his return he intended to return tn
letter to Dudley but never did it unit
Friday. Having it in his Office whe
Dudley called upon him, the lawye
called it to Johnston's attention an
handed the letter back to him. Joh1
ston smiled and put the letter in HI
pocket. Mrs J Johnstoli told Satuiaaisa;