The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-04-21
LITTLE GIRLHAS
TRAGIC DEATH
Gladys Dicks, IL Years Old,
Fatally Crushed Under
Motor Bus.
RAN INTO DANGER
Was Struck by One of Buses
of the Wisconsin Gas and
Electric Company.
(From Thursdays Daily

daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. William
Dicks, 566 Park street met fatal in
Juries just after half past three o'clock
Wednesday afternoon when she was
run down by and crushed beneath the
wheels of a motor bus owned by the
Wisconsin Gas & Electric Company and
driven by Joseph Goltry residing at
Z Park Court. The accident occurred
on Rowland avenue midway between
Park street and Prairie avenue and
the crushed form of the little girl was
carried by Goltry into the home of
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Kort, 308 How
land avenue, where her death occurred
less than two hours later. The state
ment of witnesses of the distressing
accident did not place blame for it on
the driver. It was declared that the
little girl ran directly in front of the
bus and the driver applied the emerg
ency brakes on his motor with such
vigor that people heard the sound for
some distance away. Goltry tried TO
drive his bus into the curb to avoid
striking the child. Two of the wheels
Of the bus passed over the body of the
girl crushing her chest and causing in
ternal injuries which caused her death.
Failed to See Bus Coming.
Gladys was student at the Oppor-
tunity school at the Gillett School
building and when school closed she
had been taken with a number of 9TH
er children in the bus owned by the
city and driven by Bernard Jacobsen.
She had been accustomed to leave the
bus at Park street but she did not
get out when Jacobsen stopped.
GLADYS didn't get out" one of the
other children called to Jacobsen af-.
ter the corner had been passed and he
stopped the bus near the middle of the
block. The child got out of the school
bus through the door at the side and
walking out from behind it she walked
directly in front of the bus coming
from the south. "The child was about
six feet ahead of the bus and running
in a northeasterly direction" Goltry
said in his report of the accident. ~
applied the emergency brake and push
ed my car just as far as possible but |
could not stop in time to keep from
striking her."
Automobile Stops Within Length.
1t is said that the car driven by Col
try was being operated at speed Of
about fifteen miles an hour and it
was stopped within it's length after the
child had been struck. Goltry was the
first to reach the stricken child and
gathering her up in his arms he car
ried her to the home of Mrs. Kort. Mrs.
Kort assisted the driver of the bus in
caring for the child until DR.. C. H.
Gephart arrived. The child was not
unconscious and she told MRS. Kort
that her name was Gladys" Later
it was learned that she was the daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. William Dicks.
Mrs. Dicks reached the Kort home in
short time after the accident and
the father and sisters of the little
girl arrived before she died. The
wheels of the car had passed over
the stomach of the little girl.
Was Native of Kenosha.
The victim of the distressing acct
dent was native of Kenosha. She
was born on January 80, 1909. Life
had not dealt kindly with the little girl
and on account of an attack of spinal
meningitis her development had been
hampered. In recent years she had
shown great improvement. She was a
general favorite with the children of
the opportunity school and her death
caused deep sorrow among the mem
bers of this little band of pupils. The
little girl is survived by her parents,
two sisters, Mrs. Norma Bellies and
Hazel Dicks, and one brother, Earl
Dicks, She was member Of St. Mat
thew's church and Sunday school.
Coroner T. T. Parker made an in
vestigation into the accident on We'd
nesday evening.
The fatal injury to the little girl
caused deep anxiety among the people
of the neighborhood as for some time
the identity of the injured child was
not established. One woman whose
little girl was missing came to the
house and believing that it was her
child who had met death fell in a
faint on the floor of the home of Mr..
and Mrs. Kort. Two other women
overcome by the excitement and anxi-
ETY. of the accident also tainted.
The remains of the little girl were
removed to the Hansen mortuary.
School officials who made an investi-
cation of the accident, declared today
that they. could not place any blame
for the death of the little girl on
Driver Jacobson of the school bus.
"He used every possible precaution,'
said one of the officials. This state
ment was given out in answer to the
suggestion that the city might be con.
sidered liable for the accident. "Mr.
Jacobson did not stop the bus at the
corner" continued the official, "but he
stopped directly at the curb and the
little girl was placed in a perfectly
safe place"
May End in Lawsuit.
The possibility that lawsuit might
result from the accident became likely
this morning when William Dicks, the
father Of the child, retained Attorney
R. V. Baker as legal counsel. No
statement was made as to whether any
suit would be made against the city
or against the street railway company,
but it was said that legal counsel was
sought merely to be certain that the
rights of the parent were guarded.