The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-11-06
WALTER WILSON
KILLED IN FLINT
VICTIM OF PECULIAR AUToMo-
BILE ACCIDENT
Ran Down by Driver in Order to
Avoid Collision and Died on
Way to Hospital.

OHCt again LHt COlu dIfu uIlopdIiHS
hand of death has been stretched
forth to remove beloved and res
pected citizen of this community, and
on this occasion the suddenness and
= absolutely unanticipated character of
the sad event accentuated the sense
of shock and sorrow which pervaded
the community. We grieve when the
aged and the ill pass away, as mat
ter of course, although we are pre-
pared for the ofttimes inevitable re-
suit, but when someone we have been
accustomed to seeing daily, in health
and strength, is suddenly stricken
by death, the mind refuses to ac-
cept the fact, almost, and our sense
of sorrow has in it a quality of keen
ness and of yearning that would not
otherwise be possible. A realiza-
tion of these facts was brought home
to the people of this community,
Monday morning, when the report
became current that Walter Wilson
! had been almost instantly killed in
an automobile accident in Flint.
Later news was confirmatory and
details of the sad occurrence were
given substantially as follows:
Mr.. Wilson left Clio on the 1908
southbound car, Sunday, for the pur-
pose of attending the community
sing which was to be held in the Ma
sonic Auditorium of that city that
afternoon, being particularly desirous
of hearing a celebrated harpist who
was to appear in connection there
with. Both he and his aunt, Mrs.
Jennie Fuller, were to have taken
dinner with some Flint friends, Sun
day afternoon, and the latter and
Mrs. Lizzie German, went to Flint
on the car leaving here about an
hour later than the one he took, the
arrangement being that they should
all meet at the Auditorium. The
ladies, accordingly, went to the Audi
tarium, but were unable to find
Walter, and after attending the sing,
waited in the vicinity of the building
until about six o'clock in the hope of
seeing him or learning of his where
abouts. After this fruitless wait,
the ladies went to the homes of some
friends where they made inquiry,
with equally barren results, but
learned something of rumor that
a man by the name of Wilson had
been killed, that afternoon, in an
automobile accident. 1t was said,
however, that the man resided in
Flint, and the ladies did not learn of
the sad truth until their return to
Clio, about 900 o'clock in the even-
ING. Arriving in Flint considerably
ahead of the hour for the sing, Mr..
Wilson, it is thought, concluded to
make use of the spare time by calling
on some friends and so continued on
the car until it reached its regular
stop at the corner of Saginaw and
Eighth Streets. Here he alighted
and started for the sidewalk and
here. also, occurred the chain of un-
fortunate and almost unbelievable
events which resulted in his life be-
ing snuffed out almost instantly. AS,
we have said, he had left the street
car and started for the curb and at
precisely this moment an automobile
turned into Saginaw Street from
Eighth Street, being headed south,
on the proper side of the street, and
the driver wholly within his rights,
as is universally conceded. Just at
this time, also, machine turned in
to Saginaw Street from Ninth Street,
being headed north, but the driver,
instead of crossing to the right side
of the street, as he should have done,
, continued down the left hand side, at
a high rate of speed, straight for the
machine that was headed in the op-
posite direction. To further COM
plicate matters, two street cars were
on the tracks within the same block,
the one from which Mr.. Wilson had
alighted and an interurban car,
north bound, thus making it practic-
ally impossible for either driver to
cross the tracks. This situation took
shape within very few moments,
and the driver of the car who was
proceeding lawfully saw at glance
AaEhe must either run his machine
up onto the side walk or come into
collision with the car which was ap-
/. preaching from the opposite direc-
I'm. He chose the former course,
Y lite naturally, and as he approached
The side walk Mr.. Wilson was caught
fairly on one Of the tenders of the
machine and carried with terrific
force against a telephone pole. It
has-been said that for fraction Of
minute after the accident occurred
y Walter retained consciousness and to
the inquiry Of bystander who
rushed to his side, as to whether he
was severely hurt or not, replied that
he did not know. Almost immedi-
\ lately, hswever, he lapsed into uncon-
sciousness. and within the space Of
ten minutes. while being conveyed to
the hospital In an ambulance. passed
away. His injuries were of Q very