New-York tribune., 1921-11-08
Victim Crushed by Speed.
ing Car i'm Central Park
SaturdayNi ght andNews
of Accident Suppressed
Police Notified;
Withhold Report
Driver, Who Carried Dy-
ingLad to Hospital, Gave
City Comptroller'sN Name

Harry Houghton, twenty-one years
old, died at 1:45 a. m. yesterday in
Lenox Hill Hospital, Park Avenue and
Seventy-seventh Street, from injuries
he received Saturday night when he
was struck in Central Park by Comp
troller Charles L. Craig's automobile,
in which the Comptroller and two Of
his political supporters are said to
have been speeding to campaign meet
ing.
The young man suffered fractures Of
both legs, of the right arm and both
hips. He never recovered consciousness
fully, and though apparently recogniz-
ing his mother, Mrs. L. Houghton. of
334 West Forty-seventh Street, and the
Rev. DR.. William j. Cuthbert, assistant
pastor of St. AIMS Protestant Episconal
Church, 131 Clinton Street, BROOKLYN.
who were at his bedside, he spoke no
word TO either
The accident occurred on the
Seventy-second Street drive in the park.
between Center and West drives.
Victim Taken to Hospital
Comptroller Craig and his two COM
panions, it is said, lifted the victir, Of
the accident into their car and took
hlm to the hospital. 1t was said there
"a night that the man who BROUGHT
MN IN gave his name as Charles Craig
ana that full report had been made to
the police. ~
., The The accident was not made public
en4Irough the police, however, as are
other automobile accidents. An exam
inatior made last night of the "siins"
or precinct reports given out at Police
Headquarters Saturday night failed to
reveal any information concerning the
young man whom the Comptroller's au-
tomobllc struck and fatally injured.
although The Tribune has definite
information that a confidential report
OF the accident was made by the police.
there is no mention of any automobile
accident in Central Park on Saturday
in the blotter at the Arsenal police
station, nor in the usual card, made
out in connection with such accidents,
on file there, according to statement
made at 1850 last night by Lieuten-
ant Hart, who was on desk duty there.
Police Lieutenant Astonished
Lieutenant Hart, in fact, who was not
on outy at the time the accident oc-
Cured, which was about $3.50 D. m..
Saturday, seemed astonis shed to learn
that the report which he had heard
from other newspaper men was true,
that the victim had died and that his
name was known. He made a note of
Houghton's name and sent a motorcycle
patrolman to the hospital at once with
instructions to get report of the cir
cumstances of his death.
One explanation which was offered
OF the official silence of the police con-
corning the incident was that there
was a department rule which forbade
the police to make public the details
of accidents as result of which the
city might be liable for damages.
Regulation 1877 in the Book of Rules
of the department, which prohibits
members of the department from dis
cussing official business, makes an ex-
ception, however, in the case of au-
thorized representa- of newspapers,
and the inhibition resulting from the
possible liability Of the city is applied
only in the case of an application for
information made by person injured
IN an accident or in the case of an ap-
plication by defendant in an action
for damages in an accident case.
1t was said at the hospital that
Thomas Mccarthy, former United
States Marshal, and Walter O'Neill, of
6oS West 135th Street, were Comp
tro]ler Craig's companions in the auto
mobile. Mr.. Mccarthy and the Comp
troller are said to have carried the in
jurcd man into the hospital, and the
Comp roller was lnsistent that every
possible effort should be made to save
his life.
Patient Gets Best of Care
Following the instructions the night
superintendent, Herman Shatow. called
Drs. Wallace Spiegel, Julian Rogatz,
Martin Rehling and Herman Fisher and
engaged two nurses. N.Y. Shatow said
that he made a full report to the
police.
Houghton was twenty-one years old
and lived with his parents at 334 West
Forty-seventh Street He was employed
by the Hartman National Bank as a
hookkeeper. He was a devoted son and
q devout and active member of the
church. For ten years he had been an
acolyte, first in Grace Protestant Epis-
copal Church, at Broadway and Tenth
Street, and then, when his friend, DR.,
Cuthbert, went to St. AIMS Church, in
the Brooklyn church.
His duties as acolyte compelled him
to be at st. AIMS by ~ a. m. every
Sunday, and for years it had been his
custom to take a short wa k in Central
CONTINUED on page three)