The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-12
ENTERTAIN HOPE:
 OF HER RECOVERY Mrs. Roberts, Injured By Fall, Is Making Strong
 Fight for Life

With two physicians in constant at tendance, the condition of Mrs David Roberts. Jr., wno suffered fractured skull in a 30-foot fan Thursday night. was pronounced to be as wei could be expected and late last night hope was held out for her recovery. The accident happened when Mrs. Rob- erts, accompanied by her husband and twelve of their friends were on a moon light picnic on Shades mountain, as was their weekly custom.
 S. l.. Yerl1es, member of the party and an eyewitness to the tragic event, tells the following story of the accident. The party of fourteen, in several cars had motored out to a point called Sunset Rock. Desiring to try new location, they had passed by the place where they usually served the meal on these occasions and parked their cars beside the road some distance further.
 At the point they usually stopped, there was about fifteen feet between a fire they built and the bluff At the new place. the fire was just on the edge of the guliey, scarcely five feet intervening,
 The party had gathered around the fire waiting for it to burn down to bed ot coals over which they could broil some steaks and other food they had brough-. Mrs. Roberts and her husband were laughing and talking, seated on the rum ming board of a car about fifteen feet |away.
 Thinking that the blaze was sufficiently small to start cooking operations. Mrs Roberts rose and walked toward it.
 Blinded by the light, she skirted the fire, thinking that the usual distance Of fifteen feet was between the fire and the bluff
 She was in the midst of laughing
 .@I., rx.1 lt,t< 10 blachness below Not cry was heard the other members of the party staring
 into the darkness for several moments without realizing the situation. Three of the men rushed to the foot of the bluff the others following. Mrs Roberts had pitched head first into patch of soft marshy ground. her head striking a piece of rail, which was buried some distance by the force of the impact Her skull was fractured and blood was coming from a gash in the head
 One of the party hurried to a nearby residence and called for an ambulance. The three men lifted the unconscious body and carried it to fast and com fort1ale
 About half the distance to town had been passed when the ambulance was met As it was thought probable that Hanger would result if the transfer from the car was made the trip in the autono bile was continued.
 The nearest hospital being St. Vincents the car was turned in that direction. 1m- mediate surgical attention was given. and Mrs Roberts was made as comfort able as possible Late last night. sne was reported to be showing signs of i'm provement and hopes for her recovery were growing brighter.
 Mrs. Roberts is the wife of David Roberts, Jr., president of the Brilliant Coal Company, who is also interested in other lines of business. Members of her immediate family include her husband and three small children.
 Before her marriage to MT Roberts. she was Miss Sadie Gillespy, daughter of Dr. s. l.. Gillespy. She takes promi- nent part in the social affairs of the younger set and is known to be one Of the best women golfers in the south.
 Mrs. David Roberts. Sr., mother-in-law of Mrs. Robers, is at present in France, where she went to get the body of her son. Lieut. Meredith Roberts, and bring it to this country for internlent. Lieu- tenant Roberts was a member of the flying corp. and was killed in an air duel during the war.
 Members of the party who made the trip Thursday night were: MT and Mrs. Will Hazard, Dr. and Mrs. c. NJ. Nice, Mir and Mrs. Robert Brooke, Mir. and Mrs. Val J. Nesbitt, MT. and Mrs. Paul Chalifoux and Messrs. Jack Asbury and s. J. Yerkes.