The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-05

she WAS uulI UNCONSCIOUS dIteT the
crash and realized that something
terrible had happened. Injured as
she was she managed to crawl to
Miss Finn whom she believed to be
alive as her eyes were. open. She
called repeatedly to her companion
but received no answer. Realizing
that her friend was dead she tainted
and when she again came back to
consciousness she was in the hospi-
tai.
Stories Of the accident as told BY
the survivors do not agree in all par
ticuars and this discrepancy led the
police to place LaDatt in Jail. Later
ne was released. Laporte, who
sustained only bruises and lacera-
tons, was discharged from the hos
p.tal. According to Miss HuGey's
story she was sitting on the front
seat Of the car on the return trip and
the other four were on the rear seat
I.aBatt declares that Miss Hurley was
in the rear seat and that Miss Finn,
one of the girls who were killed, was
on the front seat with Haase who
was driving the car.
LaBatt also declared, according
to the officers who questioned him at
tAe jail, that the party made two
stops between Bennington and Troy
and made purchases OF liquor. lie
refused to tell where the liquor was
purchased, however He said tlff
Haase was under the influence OF
LIQUOR when the party left Troy for
bennington. The officers are inclined
to believe this latter statement as
the car was travelling so rapidly tnat
but little inattention on the part OF
the driver would have been sufficient
to cause II to leave the road.
Although suffering much pain from
her injuries, Miss Hurley appeared
to be perfectly rational when NAMING
her statements at the hospital which
differed materially from the story OF
the affair as told by LaBatt. she
stated that I.aBatt was the moving
spirit in making the arrangements
for the night ride to Troy. II had
been originally planned for Friday
night but was postponed "a hours pe-
cause of the rain. This fact IS cor
roborated by relatives of Miss Cola
mer. II Is understood that all three
of the girls we're acquainted with
hoth I,aBatt and Laport but that none
81 them had met Ifaage until Sasur'
! day evening. L
ipBatt's statement that the party
stopped for liquor on the road be-
tween Remington and Troy is denied
by Miss Hurley who said tAat she aid
not see any liquor in the possession
of the three men or observe that tney
had been drinking
Miss Hurley said that the party
rode about the city for a short me
and that they left the car and walked
about the streets. About o'clock
they visited a Chinese restaurant on
River street but were not able 10
obtain supper as the place was ABOUT
to close. From River street, the
girl said they went TO announcer
Chinese restaurant on broadway
where they had chicken supper.
She said none OF the party had any
thing to drink at the restaurant. Ac-
cording to Miss Hurley the men left
| ne girls at the restaurant and were
! gene about an hour. The proprietor
} was anxious to close his place OF
business but consented to remain
open to accommodate the young wom'
en-. 1t was close to o'clock when
the men returned and the party pre-
pared to return to Bennington.
The bodies of the Misses Finn and
collamer and Haase were taken TO
| Troy undertaking establishments
and later turned over to other under
takers to be transferred to their re-
spectiye homes Miss Collamer's
body arrived here early Sunday eve.
ming in the Walbridge ambulance and
/ later was taken to her home on
! Grove street. Death was due 10 .
broken neck and q fractured skull.
she also suffered decorations about
the body. Miss Finn's neck was
broken. her skull was fractured and a
leg and arm we're broken. Haase
f.Sest was crushed. IaBatt and La
porte left Troy for their homes IN
Adams Sunday night.
Miss ColIamer was the daughter oil
Mrs Margaret Collamer and was EN-
Moved as a trimmer at the Alien A
knit underwear mill. The family
consisting Of the mother and four
daughters, came to Bennington from
Bristol a number Of years ago anc
has since made It's home in this vii
lage. Other than the mother the
survivors are two sisters. Helen Il
Collamer living here and Mrs. Fred
Kennedy of Salt Lake city, Utah
Mrs. Kennedy is visiting here at tbs
present time. Miss Collamer was at
exceptionally skilful machine opera
tor and more than usually industri
ous. The funeral will probably bt
held Wednesday morning but the ar
Irangements have not been completed
The body will be taken to Bristol fol
burial.
Miss Finns home was at Green
wich, N. Y, where che leaves he
parents and six sisters, hers beinE
the first death to occur In the fam
Ii,y. Between six and seven year
ago she came to Bennington and ha'
since then been employed as an OF
erator at the r y Waist compan
plant on Gage street.
Miss Hurley is also employed a
, the Allen A. mill. Miss Collame
! and Miss Finn had long been inser
arabic companions and the latter hat
for a number Of years lived at th
Collamer home. Miss Hurley had a
so been much in the company of tn
other two girls About a week ag
, all three had their hair bobbed o.
, the same day.
All three OF the men in the part