The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-31
HOOCH DRINKER
ON WILD RIDE;
HOUSE SMASHED
Fred Werner Crashes Into Two
Cars, Eludes Pursuers UntfI
House Got in Path.

Fred Werner. 1923 West Fourth
street, Davenport, could land a
good job with the movies if he
could put on another exhibition in
driving an automobile as was
staged by him in Rock Island last
Night.
Persons who witnessed Werner's
driving said that they had never
seen anything like it before. Wer-
per was intoxicated and the way
the car rambled up and down the
streets led many to believe that the
machine itself was running on
hooch. The car skidded sideways.
ran forward and backward, and
even Werner could not explain the
thing this morning.
He narrowly missed hitting a
score Of cars, and did hit three. Two
of these were badly damaged. Not
being satisfied with the stunts al
ready staged, given as much right
of-way as possible by machines
ahead of him and chased by ma
chimes behind him, Werner ended
the exhibition by running his car
into a house at 1416 Seventh ave-
nue..
Just before the last smashup,
which caused the final wrecking of
his car, Werner was driving south
on Fourteenth street. The street
does not run through south Of Sew
enth avenue, but joys to each side.
Werner did not intend to pay any
Ivy l-y- in
the streets and kept going. His
cat ran up over the curb on the
south side of Seventh avenue,
through a yard and into the home
Of Miss Emma Behrens, 1416 Sew
enth avenue. The front stoop was
broken down and one of the wheels
Of the car crashed through the
screen door Autoists who had been
following Werner came up and with
Miss Behrens held Werner until
the police arrived. He had not
even sustained a scratch, and was
taken to the station.
There were a dozen witnesses
against him when he was arraign-
cd before Magistrate D. J Cleland
in police court this morning, in
Neigand and 2. II. Darling. the lat
ter two whose cars were run into
by Werner's machine.
Starts Wild Career.
Weigand, who lives at 1916 TWEEN
ty-thiTd avenue, Moline, said that
he had his car ranked in front Of
The Argus office and was scanning
the baseball scores. Werner's ma
chine was ranked some feet ahead.
The driver suddenly backed up the
car and it rammed Weigand's ma
chine. causing damage estimated at
approximately $50. Werner gave
his engine the gas, shot out around
another machine, turn2d south on
Seventeenth street and ran into a
car owned by P. II. Darling, $40
Nineteenth street. Darling's car
was parked near the curb.
After hitting the machine, Wer-
ner backed his car away and start
cd ahead again. DarIing's car was
rammed a second time, but the IL
tOXicated driver got clear and con-
tinued south with other motorists
giving him a clear field. He dodge,i
around several corners and when
he got to Fourteenth street he
opened G- up" and ended up in
the crash against Miss Behren'5
home.
Damage claimed by three per
sons in police court ra>A close to
$10o.
Gets Continuance.
Magistrate Ci2Iand told Werner
that he would have to pay the dam
ages. He was unable to figure out
any immediate way 10 care for his
liabilities, and asked for time. He
had $4 whe2 arrested. The judge
continued the case five days and
set the bond at $500. Werner went
back to his cell TO await the COM
Ing of friends who he thought
would 20 mis- bond, and stated that
when he could gain his release he
would begin making arrangements
10 pay for damage done. He said
mat he il a carpenter, and agreed
10 buy material and perform the
work of repairing damage at the
nome of Miss Behrens. The dam
hn i