The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-08-02

Losing his way on an unfrequented
private road cost Ralph r. Rudd, 20,
an expert automobile mechanician, his
life when he was instantly killed
when the truck which he was driving
was struck by a northbound North
Shore electric train at the Bose road
crossing four miles north of Kenosha
just Before eight thirty o'clock this
morning II Rudd was hurled seventy
five fleets from the scene of the col
lision. Those who saw the accident
and rushed to his aid, found him dead
nythey reached his side. He had
suffered a broken neck and fractur-
ed skull in the fall
Several feet away from him was the
Ford truck, completely demolished by
the force of the impact.
The victims remains were brought
to the Hansen Funeral Home in Keno
sha following an investigation into the
tragedy by Coroner Truman T. Parker.
Had. Gone on Service Call.
Rudd, whose home is at $50 Lyman
avenue, and who was employed at the
Ford garage. was answering service
call when he met his death. He had
turned by mistake into the little fire.
ouented Bose ROAD private road
leading into the farm owned by B. w.
Bose-and after crossing the railway
tracks had realized that he was on
the wrong road. A clump of bushes
and trees and a cornfield prevented
him from having clear view of the,
track.
Train Close Upon Him.
Roy Lundy, the motorman of the
electric train, declared that the train
was only about one hundred yards
from the crossing when the automo-
bile truck doomed up in his pathway.
He applied his breaks and sounded
his warning but it was too late.
The train was halted as quickly as
possible. Motorman Lundy, Conduct
or E: Anderson and other members of
the train crew, hurried to the side of
the victim and found him dead. Cor
,oner Truman 7. Parker was notified
Immediately and at his direction the
Hansen ambulance was despatched to
the scene of the accident to bring the
remains to Kenosha.
1t was at first planned by the train
crew to take the body aboard the train
and carried it to Racine but realizing
later that the accident occurred in
Kenosha county, this was not done,
and after due time had been given for
, an investigation the train proceeded
on to Milwaukee.
Witnesses Tell of Accident.
Andrae Rapphun, who with his
seven children was wedding field of
beets just across the tracks, watched
Rudd drive out onto the tracks as the
speeding limited bore down on him.
Rudd, he said, had turned around on
the other side Of the crossing and
had given the machine quick pull
to get it over the incline leading up
to the crossing.
AS he came out from behind the
bushes, scarcely ten feet from the
tracks, he saw the train bearing down
on him and realized that he had but
a couple of seconds yet to live. Rudd 4
applied the brakes, but he had given !
the machine so much Roadway to make
the grade that he was unable to bring
it to q quick stop.
Rapphun said that he saw him throw
up his hands to shield his face, and
crouch back against the seat A frac-
tion of second later there was a
terrific crash as the limited smashed
into the truck just at the seat, crack
ing it into matchwood and hurting
Rudd against a telegraph pole, killing
him instantly.
A ''Muffled" Crossing.
John LIGHTER, farmer living in the
neighborhood who often has occasion
to use the lane crossing, characterized
it as a "muffled" one. He said that
all the farmers living in the neighbor-
hood are familiar with the fact that
the bushes in some peculiar way alb
solutely deaden the sound of an APP
preaching train. He said that it is
only with the greatest caution that
those familiar with it ever drive onto
the tracks. The rule is to come out
from behind the bushes slowly and
look both ways before proceeding over.
There have been several narrow es-
capes at the same point, he said
Rudd Had Smash Two Months Ago.
Another truck which Rudd was dry
ing was smashed two months ago at
Cudahy by Northwestern train, He
had just received it from Milwaukee
and was driving back to Kenosha. He
came up long hill and the motor
choked as the machine climbed onto
to the tracks. There was no one near,
and the fact that the motor was new
and stiff made it impossible for him
to start it, He could find no one to