The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-10-03

flight 1t was observed that two cyl
inders were not hitting.
Leichty also is said to have been a
reckless flyer, performing stunts and
taking chances a careful pilot would
not attempt.
Until Saturday, Leichty had been
flying at Gambler. He had been, how
ever, making Mt. Vernon his head
quarters for two weeks. Last Satur-
day he and his mechanician, Floyd
Brennaman of Marshallville, went to
Dayton for repairs to their machine.
which is said to have been of the Cur
tiss type.
While flying here, Leichty took up
with him, as passenger, Photog'
rapher Wagner who took number
of photographs of MI. Vernon, in
Guiding the state sanltorium and the
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. plant
These photographs are on lexhibiH
ton in the window of the Knox Coun'
ty Savings bank.
Numerous persons have been aioft
IN company with Leicnty since ne pc.
gan his local flights. By singular
| chance, Mrs. Ira Z. Wagner ana
MISS Nellie Trainor mad an appoint
ment ior flight at 1880. They were
on their way TO the Iying field at the
moment Leichty and Dunlap fell.
Mrs. Wagner had made flight Ill
company with Leichty Friday even
Iins.
Dunlap was attended at Mercy hos
pital by DR.. John h. Claypool. Max
ing an examination Of the body, Dr.
Ciaypool found both legs were brok;
en- below the knees. There was a
fracture of the skull also extending
from the forehead back over the tor
and involving also the back OF the
skull. This fracture undoubtedly was
the cause OF death rhe body alsc
was extensively lacerated.
An examination Of Leichtys injur
les was made by Drs. c. *. Conarc
and f. f. Dowds. He had, in addi
tion to an extensive fracture of the
skull, fractures of the left arm ant
the left leg.
These skull fractures and the posi-
tions in which the bodies and the ma
chine were found Immediately aftel
the accident indicate that the ma
chine had turned over completely
the heads of the pair striking thu
railroad track
According to Floyd Brennaman
mechanician for Lechty, the unfor
tunate aviator had been engaged ii
commercial flying eyer since he ha
been discharged from the army
Brennaman had been associated wit
him for some three years.
Brennaman gave Leichty reputa
ton for being a careful pilot. He dc
clares that in all his previous expel
: ience, I.eichty never before had ha
> an accident or spill of any kind.
I.echty is a son of the Rev. an
v Mrs. J.. A. Lechty of Orrvile. HI
fatEer is a Progressive minister. SUI
: viving the dead pilot are his parent
and three sisters, one living in Cal
ton, another at Alliance and the thir
in Indiana. The parents of Leicht
have been notified, and the body wi
be taken to Orrville for burial Leicl
ty is sad to have been engaged
~ marry young woman of Orrville in
:, few weeks
. Leichty was at least $500 feet II
in the air, according to his mechani
" ian, when he fell When he took o
at the field according to Brennamai
3" he went up to 1900 feet, after whic
- he climbed higher steadily until Il
- reached height of $500 feet.
~ The flight was observed from fir!
, to last by Brennaman, According
> statement made by him to The Ba,
. nor representative, it is impossibI
y tt say what may have caused Ii
accident; it might have been any OF
- of n number of things. When l.eicht
' passed Ohio avenue returning to II
- landing field, he shut off his engin
~ Brennaman observed In a few III
~ ments Lelchty started the engir
again. Brennaman already had Il
tected that the plane was actir
: queerly and watched it closely. III
:" effort of Leichty to regain contr
. failed. and the machine, pointing i
p" nose downward, plunged to Il
~ ground out of control