The Washington times., 1924-01-11
JOY RIDERS,
NDED,
s I RIkE
POL [
Dazzling Lights Blamed for
Tragedy-victims Are
Young Man and Girl.

The driver blinded by head
lights Of an approaching machine,
q Cadillac automobile, bearing
four joy-bent couples, was hurled
into as tnlae pole near Bla-
densburg, Nd, a. I o'clock this
noEning Aling enc couple and
injuring seven others.
Tho Casualties.
The dead are:
REEFS Hancock. nineteen years.
apartment 4OS. Chiffon terrace.
Alien SprowI, taIfrtv.sfx years,
1408 Harvard street I10rtl1Weat.
The injured are:
Gus Ketchel, tweuty-eag years,
1241 Irving street northwest, own.
er ana driver Of the car.
Mrs. L. III. Hancock, apartment
AO8, Clifton terrace, East.
Joe Barnes, twenty-11ine years.
1914 fourteenth street northwest
George Willis, 229 First street
northeast.
Gene Boyd, twenty-tlroe years
$50 New York avenue northwest.
Uninjured:
l.. III. Hancock, twenty.Geven
years, brother Of dead girl, IOCal
cement contractor.
Engaged to Be Married.
The dead girl and man were en-.
gagged to be married and were out
celebrating the latter's birthday
They were clasped in each others
arms on the back seat OF the auto.
mobile when the crash came and
met death in this fashion.
Members Of the party could not
give an accurate account Of the
accident today other than to declare
that 1t was not the fault of Ketchel,
who was driving, inasmuch as he
was blinded by the approaching
lights.
e. A. Fuller, q member Of the
Maryland State constabulary, after
an investigation today said that the
car doubtlessly, after crashing into
telegraph pole. slidded into a tree.
The automobile 10 demolished.
While Miss Hancock ana her
dance were rushed to Casualty
Hospital shortly after the accident,
operations were futile and the
young girl died at 8 o'clock this
morning while her fance expired
exactly two hours later.
Mrs. HancOck's Story.
How pretty Miss Hancock, Sprowl
and Miss HancoclS's brother and
sister-in-law, Mr.. and Mrs. Leo
Hancock of Clifton Terrace. have
been looking forward to last nights
party was tearfully told by Mrs.
Hancock today.
Inasmuch as. Mrs. Hancock has a
young baby, It was thought that the
party would have TO be called off,
but Miss Hancock was so anxious to
go that she called numerous persons
and eventually secured someone to
look after the infant in order that
they might all go.
I'VE first went to the Green Grove
Tea House," Mrs. Hancock said to-
day. I'VE had fully intended COM
ing home in a taxicab which we had
waiting, but we met Mr.. Ketchel, an
old friend, who suggested that we 60
with his party to the Lion Tanner 8
Club, near Bowie. first in his car and
then go home.
"After we arrived at the Lion
Tanners Club, however, It was
closed. remember that as we
came out Of, the club by a different
road from which we entered that
my sister-in-law exlaimed;: Good
ness, this is bad luck. We viii all
land In the river
Other Car Unidentified.
''It was on the way back TO town
after the fruitlesg trip to the Lion
Tanners Club that we were blinded
by the. searchlights. We did not
strike any automobile. do not
know whether the car with the
binding headlights was one Of thoBs
which rendered US assistance or
whether II went on. not knowing
OF our plight"
sprowL the dead man. va d ths