The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-01
George Smith Is Dead and
Henry Strang Is Seriously
Injured In Automobile
Accident.
CRASHES into STREET CAR
Fatal Collis1sn occures On Elizabeth
Street When Frank Erickson Turns
TO Avoid Another Car On Wrong
> Sida of the Street.


the wrong side Of the street, cris-
lcross in front Of an approaching
street. car, a swerve, crash that was
heard for blocks, the screams of women
and the groans of men, dwindling away
i into ominous silence-this is the tab
lloid tragedy, which occurred ON Eliza
beth street at $3.50 O'Clock on Satur-
day evening resulting in the death Of
George Thomas Smith and serious In
| jury for Henry Strang, both residents
of Waukegan and the guests of Frank
| G. Erickson, president of the Kenoshs
Boiler and Structural Iron Company,
lwho was driving the death-car at the
time the fatal collision took place.
i A few moments after the accident
Smith was hurried to st. Catherine g
Hospital where he died shortly after
three o'clock on Sunday morning. He
is survived by wife and two children,
Matthew, aged 16, and George, aged
I13. Phyicians attribute his death to a
fractured skull followed by concussion
of the brain.
/ Strang was taken to the Kenosha
hospital, where he is still in critical
condition He has not as yet regained
consciousness but his doctors are hope
full for his recovery.
Other occupants of the car at the
time the collision occurred were John
Burbe, and Richard Goosen, both of
Kenosha, and William Batty Of 212
Sewald street, Waukegan. All Of them
were badly bruised and cut but none
so seriously injured as to require medi-
cal attention Erickson, the owner and
driver Of the car, was taken to st.
Catherine s hospital. Here it was found
that he was suffering from a wrenched
limb and from the shock of the tragedy
but that he was not sufficiently hurt
to require further hospital treatment.
He was dismissed about an hour after
the fatal smash-up occurred and went
immediately to his home at $50 North
Lyman avenue, Kenosha.
The story OF the tragedy as told by
Erickson and hi friends and as sub
stantiated by Patro1man Schmitt and
Bruins, who went to the scene with an
ambulance as soon as the accident had
been reported at police headquarters,
is essentially the old, old story of a
series Of unforeseen situations culminat-
ing in catastrophe.
Erickson and his friends in the form
er' 8 high powered Jeffrey were moving
at rapid, but not excessive speed up
Salem avenue toward the wicked W.
where it joins Elizabeth street. AS
they neared the turn Erickson saw an
automobile coming toward them on the
wrong side of Elizabeth street. To
avoid lit he went to his left side of
the street and subsequently criss-cross-
ed in front of street car moving west
ward at moderate rate. The ma
neuver was executed 50 rapidly that
Erickson could not recover on
straightaway and crashed into the rear
end Of the street car with such force
as to turn the automobile around COM
pletely and hur1 its occupants into
heap among the wreckage
The street car was not damaged ex-
cept that the rear steps were damned
into the radiator Motorman G. Ram
amy stopped the car Immediately and
with Conductor G. McGaston hurried
to the aid of the silent motorists.
In all that was left Of the car, heap
of tangled and crumpled wreckage,
they found Smith, Strang and Batty.'
The latter was badly stunned and the
former we're unconscious. Passengers
on the car ninistered to Erickson,
Burbe, and Goosen, who were dazed
and bruised but not seriously hurt. As
a result Of the crash Of the collision, a
large crowd gathered Immediately, and
the patrolmen were forced to make a
lane through the throng when the am
bulance arrived few moments later.
Smith and Erickson were hurried to
st. Catherine s where Smith died on
Sunday morning without regaining
consciousness. Strang was taken to the
Kenosha hospital where he is still how
ering dangerously between life and
death.
Erickson is near prostration today
with shocksand grief at his part in the
fatal accident. The Waukegan men
had been his guests during the after
noon following a short business con
terence, and the pleasure ride had been
arranged as part of their entertain
ment. he insists that he was not
speeding and that another auto
mobile on the wrong side Of Elizabeth
street caused the series Of nlis-turns
that eliminated in the. tragedy.
Smith s remains were claimed by his |
wife early On Sunday morning and tax
en- to Waukegan for the funeral obse-
Quies and interment- 1870.