New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-10
Girl erishes
In Blazing g Auto
During e Joy Ride
Brooklyn Waitress Left in
Wreck After Accident
in Elml1urst as Compan-
ions Depart for Ferry
Driver Under Arres t
Police and Firemen Find
Charred Body, Prayer
Book, Whisky in Debris

Mrs. Helen Brogley. eighteen wear:
old. waitress, was burned to death II
an automobile wreck early yesterda,
on Queens Boulevard, Elmhurst
Queens. about 200 feet west of Old Mil
Road. John Daily, of "a Van Pei
Street, Long Island City. one of two
men IN the automobile party, was ar
rested later at his home.
The other man, said to be Waite,
Flanagan, of 219 Greenpoint Avenue
Long Island City. had not been fount
by the police last night. He. Daily ano
the second woman in the party, Mrs
Frieda Bartell, of 72 Seventeenth Ave
nue., Newark, n. j., escaped injury.
Mrs. Brogley and Mrs. Bartell hae
been living apart from their husband:
Tor several months Both formerly haC
been employed in the same restaurant
IN Newark. Mrs. Brogley lived with
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Will
Jams, II Chadwick Avenue, Newark
and was employed in Brooklyn
restaurant.
The two young women had knowr
DAILY and Flanagan for some time and
were invited by them to go for an au
NN'toDiAc AiNI IlSUI III Cal
owned by friend of Flanagan's. They
met at Borough Hall, Brooklyn, anc
took circuitous route through Queens
stopping at several roadhouses. Mrs
Brogley had been moody for severa
weeks, Mrs. Bartell said, and remarked
once in the course of the trip that she
wished she could die.
Car Skids and Capsizes
BY the time they reached Elmhurst
homeward bound, they had become con-
fused as to the route they should fol.
low, it is said, and were shrieking bach
and forth at one another in tones that
aroused several persons living or
Queens Boulevard. Daily and Mrs
Brogley were in the front seat and the
companions in the rear.
According to DAILY and Mrs. Bartell
an attempt was made by Mrs. Brogley
to seize the wheel from DAILY; the roac
was slippery from the rain and the cal
the first to eXtricate herself from the
wreck, III which fire started She helped
Flanagan out and almost at the same
moment Daily came from the opposite
side of the car, his clothing torn anc
Singed.
as everybody safe?" Daily asked
according to Mrs Bartell
She said she answered YES" thinking
Mrs. Brogley had got out with Dali J
and they set out at once cross lots fol
the nearest ferry. Mrs Bartell did not
say when she first noticed the absence
of the other woman.
According to Anthony Kupillas anG
his wife, who live near the scene of the
accident the woman pinned beneath the
blazing car was shrieking for her com
panions to rescue her. They had beer
aroused by the earlier noisy passage OF
the party they said, and after the ca,
upset heard the woman beneath il
screaming:
Help me. I'm burning to DEATH"
kupillas telephoned for firemen and
the police. BY the time they arrived
the car had burned to a mass Of warped
and tangled ronWork. Beneath it was
found the charred body of woman
absolutely unrecognizable; partly
burned memorandum book, a prayer
book. bottle half full of whisky and
ginger ale bottle.
Traced by Memorandum Book
BY means of entries in the memo.
randllm book Mrs. Bartell was traced
and the names of the others in the
party We're ascertalned.
1T! Step on it!' meaning the pedal, tc
give more gas so we could go faster.
did give more gas. Just before the ac-
cident she reached over and grabbed
the wheel. That upset the machine"