The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-03
TRAIN CRASH
ENDS MOLINE
BOOZE PARTY
Four Near Death When
Auto is Wrecked On
Fifteenth Street. N

After driving wildly through the
streets Of Moline shortly after mid
night today, four men, said by the
police to have been under the in
duence Of moonshine whisky. es-
capped death miraculously when
their automobile collided with q
westbound Rock Island passenger
train at the Fifteenth street cross
ing. Moline.
The near tragedy, police say. was
the climax of wild orgy on
wheels, as investigation revealed
that the four joyriders had consum-
ed several quarts Of moonshine
while driving wildly through the
streets, which were almost desert
ed at that early hour.
After covering several miles in
and around the city, the automo-
bile. driven by Nels Nelson, taxi
man Of 1894 Fifteenth street, swung
into Fifteenth street and made for
the railroad crossing. The driver
and his companions were SO be-
numbed by the moonshine which
they had consumed that they failed
to hear the onrushing train.
/ .. Thrown 50 Feet
The train struck the car amid
ships, carried it about twenty-five
feet down the tracks and then
hurled it heavily along the iron
track palings in Fourth avenue
One Of the men was thrown 50
feet and landed in the middle OF
Fifteenth street. Another was
hurtled through the air ahead ol
the train, while the remaining two
were pinned under the wrecked
Auto. -. .-,-..s-l :.
Hospital attention was needed b,
three Of the marauders. The othel
one, Clarence Purcell. was locked
up on . drunk and disorderly
charge, to which he pleaded guilty
when arraigned this morning in
police court.
The men and the extent Of theil
injuries follow:
Nels Nelson, driver of the car
, right leg fractured, bruises on the
head and nervous shock.
Ray Lindbloom, 2516 Nineteenth
street, cuts on face, head anG
wrists, and body bruises.
F. J. ONeill, $50 Tenth street
one leg bruised severely, and minol
cuts.
Clarance Purcell. 916 Twelfth
! avenue, minor cuts.
The train was in charge of En-
gineer Eugene Wickerston Of Chi
cago and Conductor w. Leonard o
Moline.
Train Westbound.
The train, known as No. S, an,
bound for Denver. was slackeninl
speed for the Moline stop when tn
crash occurred. Rock Island rail
road officials explained today. In
vestigation proved that the aut'
twas being driven north on Fifteenth
street.
Train employees, in their repor
Of the accident, swore that the en-
gine headlights were burning at tn
time and that they detected tn
odor Of alcohol on each occupan
Of the wrecked machine.
The only other eyewitness Of tn
catastrophe. the police believe, wa
Harold Hayes. taxi driver, employ
ed by Uno Bradley. Hayes told tn
police that he was standing a
Fourth avenue and Fourteent
street. waiting for the train an
witnessed the crash distinctly.
Auto Totally Wrecked.
The automobile today was re
ported to be almost totally wreck
ed. The three injured men, VIII
were removed to the city hospfta
In the police ambulance, are bein
treated by DR.. NJ. S. Dondanville.
Purcell, whose only injury wa
a cut finger, admits he was so in
tOxicated he could not realize tina
there had been an accident.
I'VE bought several quarts Q
whisky from a taxi man. but l don
know anything about what follow
ed" he explained when arraigne'
lin police court. "All I remembe
is that l woke up in the police sta
ton. We had been at a dance II
Rock Island and had driven bacl
and forth between Rock Island an'
Mbline q couple of times. Ther'
WIRE no women in the party"