The Coconino sun., 1924-05-09

not bent, was badly skinned on the
right side of the face and left arm.
A cut near his eye required three
stitches. He left the hospital early
next morning and went to the Dunn
home.
Mr.. Collins left shoulder and right
hip were painfully bruised.
Mr.. Warren escaped with less vis-
ible hurt than the others, receiving a
very slight scratch on his face. But
his back was wrenched. However, he
was around as usual next day.
A pathetic phase of the accident
was that at the Dunn home his family
were awaiting dinner for him a din
ner especially prepared to celebrate
the 18th birthday of his youngest
daughter, Ruth, and the 27th birth
day of Jake Bracker, Normal school
student, who makes his home there.
The birthdays Of both came on that
day and elaborate Preparations had
been made for good time.
Mrs. Hayes Weidner after learning
of the accident, called the Dunn home
to offer assistance, thinking the fam
lily had already been apprised of the
affliction with which they had been
visited. It was then they first learn
ed that the husband and father could
not return to them.
After the coroner and jury had
viewed the scene of the tragedy, they
adjourned to Justice Kidd's office.
where about eight o'clock, after the
hearing of testimony, they returned a
verdict of accidental death.
John C. Pierce, automobile mech
anic, was first called and questioned
by County Attorney Frank Harrison.
He had been early at the scene and
said the tracks showed where the car
had swerved from the crown of the
road to the right side, then diagonalIy
and in a straight line across the road
and off the left side. There was no
evidence, he said, that the car had
skidded. The car was turned over he
believed by the attempt of the driver
to get it back on the road. He be-
lieved it turned over twice. 1t stop
ped rs feet from the point where the
left wheels first left the road.
He said the brakes had nothing to do
with the accident Mr.. Gum on Mon
day corroborated the latter statement.
James Byron testified that he and
his son, Homer Byron, were return
ing to the county hospital from town..
AS they rounded the curve, the wit
ness saw the car go from the right To
the left side of the road and turn over.
He couldn't say. how many times 1T
turned, as it raised such a dense cloud
of dust. Believed it was travelling
40 to As miles an hour when it left
| the road.
AS their car pulled up to the wreck
he jumped off and ran first to Mr..
Dunn, who was still breathing. "This
| man is dead" he told Homer, whom
he asked to drive back to town and
notify the sheriff.
Seeing he could do nothing for Mr..
Dunn he went to Mr.. Collins, who was
lying back of the car, with his feet
toward it, on his back. He was
bleeding a lot and at first Mr.. Byron
| thought he also was dead.
He heard Mr.. Gum groaning and
went to him. He was lying at The
left side of the car, with his fee!
toward it, on his face. He was having
difficulty in breathing. He helped
him straighten up, and then returned
! to Mr.. Dunn, who by that time hat
stopped breathing.
Mr.. Warren, the witness said, was
walking around.
DIR. Felix Manning, county health
| physician, said Mr.. Dunn was dead
when he arrived there, within a hSif
hour after the accident. He said his
skull was very badly smashed, his
right collarbone broken and there was
an abrasion on one knee. He said
he might have breathed short time,
though injured as he was he could
not have been conscious.
Homer Byron said as they rounded
the turn he heard his father exclaim,
SLook there!" He looked in the dir
ection indicated but there was so much
dust he could see nothing. AS they
reached the wreck he saw three men
lying around it and Mr.. Warren walk
ing around.
Mr.. Warren was the last witness,
coming from the hotel where, un-
] nerved by the accident, he had gone
! to bed. He told how the men were
sitting in the car. They had been out
about three miles, he said, and the;i
| turned around and were coming back
He thought Mr.. Gum was driving at
about 35 miles an hour. He felt the
car swerve several times, then &c
over, when he lost consciousness. When
his senses came to him he was on his
feet. He tried to walk around The ca1
and saw Collins and Dunn lying on
the ground. He and Collins rode int1
town with Homer Byron.
The coroner's jury was: Archie
Grant, H. " Schermann, Tom j.
McCarty, George S. Patten, George
Hoffman and Dennis McConville.
James Dudley Dunn was born Aug
ust 22, 1876, in Sunflower county
Miss. He came here with his family
about Id years ago. For four years
up to 1921 he was assessor of this
county. The family moved to Phoe-
nix for while then came back here
and for the last nearly two years Mr.
Dunn handled the mail contract be-
tween here and Tuba City.
Deceased was prominent in botf
| the Masons and Knights Of Pythias
He had not been in good health fol
& l. r..