Imperial Valley press., 1928-03-10
L.ARE:W is
BATTLING,
FOR life
Superior Court Judge
Struck By Train, In Ser
iOus Condition.
STILL UNCONSCIOUS
City Shocked by Tragic
Accident to One of It's
Leading Citizens.

A blood TRANSMISSION operation
was performed this afternoon in
an effort to aid Judge Larew,
Sheriff Gillett and Ben Herring
submitting to the operation.
The attending physicians report
ed little, if any change, in the
JUDGES condition. The sheriff
, and Herring left the hospital
Immediately after the operation,
none the worse for their ex-
perience.
Superior Court Judge J. S. Larew
lies in the Ell Centre hospital in
critical condition suffering from q
basal fracture of the skull. While
attending physicians declare that
there is some hope for his recovery,
his injury is regarded as very grave.
He is in an unconscious condition.
The injury was suffered shortly
after O'Clock this morning when
1 the machine which Judge Larew
was driving was struck by a South
/ ern Pacific passenger train at the
public road crossing east of Fourth
/ street.
Judge Larew had left his home
but few moments before and was
! on his way to the home of colored
woman, who had been employed by
| Mrs. Larew to do some work at the
Larew home. The colored woman,
the only eye witness to the accident
had left her home on the east side
of the track just prior to the time
of the accident and seeing the
judge pass in his car she tried to
attract his attention but failed.
She declared that he proceeded on
/ over the crossing at very slow
rate of speed, the passenger train
striking the car, a Hudson sedan,
at the right rear wheel. The ma
chine was flung against a huge post
bearing a railroad crossing warning
sign, ripping the pole from the
ground and turning turtle into a
ditch about six feet below the level
of the track.
Machine Wrecked
The machine was completely de-
molished. The entire top of the car
was knocked from the flooring, the
doors and top being scattered about
within radius of 100 feet from the
point of the accident.
j. II. Hill, T. j. Cook, w. B. Le-
wellen and G. B. Hunga, who We're
in the vicinity rushed to the scene
Immediately after the crash. The
judge had been flung free of the
car but he was found pinioned be-
meath the heavy pole knocked down
. by the machine.
The passenger train, which is due
in Ell Centre at 6:05 clock, was
approximately an hour and five
minutes behind time and its speed
at the point of the accident was es-
timated at 40 miles an hour. The
train was in charge of A. b. Cum
ming, conductor; r. ]. Rankin, fire
man and L. A. Morse. engineer.
While there is believed to have
been only one box car standing on
the track in manner which would
obscure the judges view of the
track in the direction from which
the train was approaching, the gen.
eral belief is that the driver was
also troubled somewhat by the sun
! shining low over the eastern hori-
zon at that hour There is no sig
nal at the crossing.
Judge Larew was rushed to the
hospital in a private ear and DIR.
l.. C. House and DIR. w. w. Apple
were summoned. They have been
in constant attendance on the judge
but his condition will allow no dis
turbance at this time. 1t was re-
ported that he was suffering con-
siderably from loss of blood and
plans were being made whereby
transfusions might be made if nee
essary Several blood tests were
taken, among those to submit being
Sheriff c. /. Gillett, who il is ex-
pected will submit to the transfus-
ion if it is deemed necessary.
Specialists Summoned
Tn the meantime two brain spec
ialists are being hurried here from
Los Angeles by airplane. They are
DR.. d. A. Brainard, recognized as
the most proficient in this line, and
an associate whose name was not
learned.
Judge Larew has been on the su.
perior court bench here since .lanu.
airy /, 1927, and prior to that time
he had served II years as city com
sci. He came to the valley in 1909.
The entire city was shocked by
the accident and the Press office. as
well as the FL Centre hospital, has
been deluged with calls from oil
parts of the valley asking for In.
formation on Judge Larew's con
dition. He is held in the highest
esteem by ali, and each inquiry has
been coupled with sincere express