Putnam patriot., 1923-07-20
MIGNAULT APPEALS
 COURTS DECISION
Claims He Was Not Driving Recklessly When Thomp-
 son Accident Occurred
Conflicting Testimony -olney Car
 Is Scarcely Damaged

After hearing before Justice of the Peace Thomas Ryan, of Thomp- son Hill. Tuesday evening. Fred Mig nault of West Glocester, K. |, was found guilty of reckless driving of his automobile and was fined the min. mum under the law. S25. An appeal was taken and bond furnished for his appearance in the Superior court. The defendant was represented by Judge Nj. H. Geissler of Putnam, and the grand juror prosecuting was Er- nest Darling of Thompson.
 The case grew out Of an accident that happened Sunday evening about , o'cleek on turn in the road near the Thompson town farm and near the Rushey home. The result Of the acs eident was badly damaged Ford touring car owned by the defendant, and slight damage tn a Buick sedan owned and driven by Arthur C. Olney of Thompson.
 Police Go Into Rhode Island
 Following the accident the state police were called in and T member of the force went to Mipnault's home in Rhode Island and brought him to Thompson, where he furnished bond for his appearance in the justice sawt
 conflicting. Mir Olney testified that he was going in northeasterly dl- rection down q grade and that in the turn in the road inc saw the car Of the defendant approaching about thir- ty feet away at an estimated rate of twenty-five miles an hour He said he pulled Go the side of the road, stopped his car, and Mignault ran into him. Olney said that he was travelling about fifteen miles an hour \ wom- an in Olney's car said that she did not see the Mignault car before it hit the ear she was in but testified that MT. Olney had stopped when the crash occurred.
 Conflicting Testimony
 Mignault in his own behalf said that he came around the turn and saw the Oiney ear and drew up on tine right hand side of the road and came to a stop and that the Olney car hit his car. A nine year old boy in Mig nault's car substantiated this testi- mony. Mignault did not attempt to say how fast the Olney ear was pro eeeding, but said 1t was coming fast" Mrs. Bushey said that she did not see the collision, but testified that she heard the Ford Ia 1914 mod ell coming up the hill. Before the collision she said the noise of the Ford's approach had stopped.
 Judge Geissler argued that under the facts as testified to there was no proof of reckless driving. He said that the rate of speed was not exees- sive and that just because another ear was coming around the corner and that an accident occurred was no proof of recklessness. Judge Geissler figured out that assuming that the cars were approaching each other at fifteen miles an hour from opposite directions and were thirty feet apart at the time the drivers saw each other, only three quarters of second would eiapse before the cars would come together. Under the fact Judge Geissler submitted that his client was not guilty. The attorney also ailud- ed to the fact that his client had been brought from Rhode Island to Con necticut without 6 warrant, and that the bond he had furnished was there fore of no effect and that his coming to court was therefore voluntary. but that he was willing to do this because he felt in no way responsible for the accident