The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-02-25
GRACEVILLE man dies
IN AUTO ACCIDENT
Two OTHERS a..StRiOUSlY INJURED
when CAR GOES IVrO DITCH near
WILMOT FRIDAY.

y
Ross Reynolds, druggist, and John Al
thoft, farmer, both from Giaceville,
we're seriously injured early last Fri
day morning, when high powered
car in which they were riding at high
speed was driven of the grade two
miles southwest Of Wilmot, and com
petely wrecked When found, Larkin,
the dead man lay rear the car, and
nearly fifty feet further on lay .Rey-
nolds. while Althoff had recovered
sufficiently to make his way to town
in the early hours of the morning,
though unable to tell what had hap
pened to him.
came about arcund eight thirty Fri
day morning when Christ Christian
sons children were enGoiita to school
The horse they were driving a. they
neared the scene o. the accident re-
fused to cross the bridge and in the
distance they saw car turned tur
tie. They had no time for further in
vestigation 50 drove around but upon
reaching the road met julius Torsten-
son who had taken Mrs. To1stenson
TO the Nriem school which she is
teaching. The children told him there
was a big car in the ditch near the
bridge and he drove down to find the
car and two men lyin" near apparent
iy dead. He was about to leave the
scene and report to the authorities,
when the man who later proved to be
Reynolds pIoaned Mr. Thorstenson
Immediately gathered him into his car
and brought him to the hospital for
attention and reported that another
man was still out there with hole
in his head as big as your fist"
1t was not long before several cars
were started in the direction OF the
accident and upon reaching there it
was learned that the dead man was
J. W. Larkin Of Graceville, Mimi.
Steps We're at once made to communi-
cate with relatives Of the dead man
when it was discovered that a mem
her of the party had stopped at the
local hotel greater portion of the
night, and he had already notified
Gracevil)e after learning of the acci-
dent. This man was Richard O'Neil
also of Graceville. He quickly explain
ed why he was not with them at the
time of the accident. and gave the in
formation hat there should have been
50 far accounted for. Inquiries came
thick and fast Tor a few moments
when it was learned that the other
member of the trio came to the Sam
pie home in the southwest part of the
city about FIVE o'clock in the morning
with the back of his head literally
scalped clear to his shoulders and had
been taken to the hospital. where he
received attention three hours be-
fore. He had been unable to tell how
or where he had received his injuries,
but insisted is, delirious state that
he had walked from Graceville via
Browns Valley across plowed fields
and had fallen on the plowed fields
and hurt himself
The injured men were made as
comfortable Is possible. the dead man
taken to the undertaking. rooms. aft
er DR.. Harris said It was clearly
case of accident and not a case for
the coroner. States Attorney Nc
kenna was notified. however, and he
and Justice PrindeyiIle came down
and made an investigation and to
whom Mr.. O'Ncil made approximate
ly the following statement.
Primarily, he attributed the acci-
dent to the fact that Reynolds, who
did the driving, was something of
speed demon. He was a splendid
driver, but sometimes let his ability
in that line get the better of his
judgment. O'Neil had demonstrated
with him several times during the
day and requested him to drive slower
or they WOULD have an accident. He
said he and Reynolds had left Grace
vile earlier in the day on real estate
deal. They went to Corona where
they were negotiating deal for Al
thoff. Satisfactory arrangements
having been made they telephoned
Larkin and Althoff and they met
O'Neil and Reynolds at Browns Val
ley that afternoon and together they
drove to Corona to close up the deal,
which apparently did not materialize
when their clients looked over the pro-
pcrty. At seven o'clock that evening
they were in Wilmot and had supper
at the Cosmopolitan. From here o.
Neil said they again drove to Browns
Vallcr ard later back to Corona.
Around midnight they left Corona to