The Belding banner-news., 1921-09-07
FIVE ESCAPE TRAGIC
DEATH AS BIG CAR
CRASHES INTO TREE
TWO PLEAD GUILTY TO BEING
INTOXICATED. TO ISSUE
WARRANTS FOR OTHERS

How the five young men who were
riding in the Chandler automobile
when it left the road just this side
of Forest Chadwick's farm home,
east of the city Monday night at
about ten o'clock, ever escaped with
out some of them being killed and
the rest seriously injured is the
question which has bothered every
one from the officials who were call
ed in the case, down TO the passers-
by who stopped and looked the
wrecked machine over and noted the
track which it made when it left the
road and crashed into the big maple
tree which stopped its flight.
The car was owned by Alfred
Longbreke, of Grand Rapids and with
him were his two friends, Orville
Hall and Ray Glider. Kenneth Moon
and Floyd Warner, of this city were
in the front seat, with the latter
driving. They were going east and
while the speedometer on the wreck
ed machine is broken and is set at 62
miles per hour, Ernest Robinson, who
lives Just this side of where the ac-
cident happened and who had Just
driven into his yard as the FIVE young
men in the Chandler went by, says
that when they passed his place they
were not travelling at more than 25
miles per hour. but that it might be
possible that they increased their
speed in the short distance between
the Robinson farm and the tree which
stopped them.
Mr.. Forest Chadwick and his wife
heard the car coming and heard the
crash, as did also Mr.. Robinson and
they rushed to the scene and found
the two Belding men leaving the
place and Glider and Longbreke
somewhat dazed from the shock.
Hall was found lying near the right
rear wheel and fearing internal in
juries. DIR. Wilkinson, of Orleans,
who was soon on the scene, ordered
him rushed to the Greenvlle hospi-
tai. The car was complete wreck
and was left there until late Tuesday
when it was brought into the Unger
garage here FOR salvage.
Deputy Sheriff George Hill, of
Orleans and Chief Of Police Cook of
this city went out and discovered a
number of empty bottles near the
wreck and this lead to the belief that
liquor might have had something to
do with the crash and Glider and
Longbreke were brought here and
placed in jail. They were arraigned
before Justice Lapham on Tuesday,
charged with being intoxicated and
were fined a total of s14.75 each or
given the alternative of spending
30 days in the county Jail. Long
breke had more than $50 with him
and he paid the fines. Hall is still
in the hospital at Greenville. Long
breke seemed to be Indifferent to the
whole affair and acted as if the
smashing of Chandler was COM
monplace and no special Importance
while Glider was thoroughly sick
over what his mother would say when
she learned of the affair.
The Grand Rapids men claim that
the liquor was furnished by Warner,
while the latter and Moon say that
they know nothing about any liquor
having been in the party. They were
at Warmers home recovering from
the shaking up and bruises which
they received in the crash. People
who reached the scene Immediately
after the accident stated that none of
the young men appeared af if they
had been drinking, vet Longbreke
and Glider plead guilty to an intoxi-
cation charge.
There is a slight curve to the road
toward the south at the place where
the accident happened and it is sup,
posed that Warner failed to notice
this and sent the speeding car into
the ditch from where it bounded ov-
, er against the big maple tree and
was thrown back into the roadside.
Qnrafnh nnda ne thia ofina