New Britain herald., 1924-11-06
LIQUOR HAD PART
 IN AUTO TRAGEDY
Coroner Says Rogers Was Killed
When Machine Hit Pole
GIRL WAS DRIVING CAR
No One Is Held Responsible But
 Both Victim and Miss Schneider We're Under Influence of Liquor at Time of Crash, Finding Says.

at Time of Crash, Finding Says.
 New Haven, Nov. 6.-No criminal act, omission or carelessness of any person contributed to the death, last Saturday night, of Charles G. Rogers, bond salesman, nephew of Mrs. Ogden Mills Reid, of New York city. Coroner Eli Mix said today in a finding. Rogers was found In a dying state in an auto mobile on the side of the turnpike In North Haven and was brought to a hospital here where he died.
 Girl Had Painted.
 When Rogers was found by pass ing automobilists his companion, Marjorie R. Schneider. of this city, was in a fainting condition and when revived was unable to tell what had happened. The machine bore marks which suggested a pe- culiar collision, either that 1t had run into a projection, such as a timber. on machine ahead or had been sideswiped across the wind shield by a projecting object from a passing machine.
 After two days of inquiry the coroner discarded the collision the- ory and inclined to one wherein, be- cause of the fog the machine had left the roadway and hit pole. Miss Schneider, meantime, had been preceding the accident and the coroner closed the case and today made the finding in the usual way filing 1t in court.
 Party Had Liquor.
 Rogers died of a fractured skull. The coroner found that Rogers and Miss Schneider luncifed at noon Sat urday, and had liquor. They wit messed the football game at Yale Bowl and later went 10 an inn in Wallingford where liquor was served to them as they sat at a separate table, and to acquaintances at other tables. Rogers and Miss Schneider left the inn at 10:15 to drive home, and the coroner says, both were more or less under the influence of intoxicants taken at said inn;" that on account of the dense fog pre- vailing, said operator Miss SchneiderN experienced difficulty in observing cpJects upon the highway, and so leaned over the front left hand door Gear having a left hand drive), 10 observe the highway. Rogers sat at the right on the front seat.
 Miss Schneider drove at a rate of 20 miles an hour. While on the highway between Wallingford and New Haven, near Pole No. J15S7, Miss Schneider became aware that a portion of the windshield in front of the steering wheel had been smashed by some object coming into contact with 1t. She stopped the car and found Rogers body lying on the edge of the right rear door which was closed, his stomach pressed against the top of the door, his head and shoulders being down. ward in the car and back of the front seat his feet and a portion of his legs being outside the car over the right running board.
 Girl Called Help,
 Mice GrhnpiIar hn 1nIit,e endeavored to attract notice of pass ing automobilists and one vehicle with two young men did stop. They removed Rogers from position de- scribed and carried him to the side of the road. Shortly afterward friends of Miss Schneider came up and took Rogers into the hospital Other friends drove Miss. Schneider to the Cedar Hill precinct station to await word from the coroner.
 Coroner Mix says the door of Miss Schneider's machine, which was de- tached by the blow on the wind shield had previously many times been thrown off as 1t was not well hung. No material damage was done 10 the machine other than to the windshield. The coroner said that friends of Miss Schneider "ilI- advised her to say she was not operating the machine" which led 10 "untrue statements" on her part and subsequent recital of the story which served to explain the incl dents preceding the accident.
 The remainder of the finding deals with the examination of several wit nesses and the testimony they gave which threw no light, however. on the object which smashed the wind shield and hit Rogers on the head causing a fracture at the base of the skull and cuts and bruises on his face and head
 INQUEST ORDERED