Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-03
THREE MEN KILLED
IN AUTO M|SHAPS
John C. Riggs, w. T. Mer-
chant and Harry Mathews
Victims of Car Accidents.

traffic accidents in nearby Maryland
and Virginia, while automobile mishaps
in Washington accounted for the usual
large Sunday toll of injured. The dead
are:
John Clark Riggs, %, instantly killed
when a car he was driving crashed
head-on into another machine near
Laytonsville. Md, early yesterday morn
ing. George Bartlett, 10, of Woodside,
Md, was seriously hurt in the same
accident.
William T. Merchant, 38, and Harry
Mathews, 80, of Arlington, Va, both
fatally injured when their machine
overturned on the Columbia turnpike,
near Arlington, yesterday.
Riggs and Bartlett were returning to
the home of Renus Riggs, uncle of the
former, near Woodfield, when their ma
chine collided with an automobile
driven by Archie Gather, colored. %
years old, of Gaithersburg. Both
Riggs and Bartlett were thrown to the
road. A third car, operated by Heze-
KAN d. Coplin, colored, of Gaithersburg,
was ditched to avoid hitting the other
Bartlett Suffers Skull Fracture.
Riggs body was removed to an estab-
Isnment at LaytonSville, while Bartlett
was rushed to Montgomery County
General Hospital at Sandy Spring,
Where he was still unconscious this
morning. He is said to have a COM
pound fracture of the skull.
Copl1n'S car was following that of
Gather as they we're returning from
osnce. Several other occupants of their
cars escaped injury when the ma
chlneS overturned. Gather is being
held at Rockville Jail pending compile
ton of police investigation.
Riggs was the son of John Riggs of
Howard County, Md Bartlett had been
visiting him during the THANKSGIVING
holidays.
A blowout of front tire is believed
to have caused the car in which
Mathews and Merchant were riding to
overturn. Charles Padgett, passing
motorist, brought the men to Emer-
gency Hospital, where Merchant was
pronounced dead on arrival. Mathews
was unconscious and died several hours
later.
Coroners' inquests will be held In
both the Arlington and Laytonsville ac-
cidents.
Mathews served overseas in the World
War and saw action in the Argonne,
Verdun and Sedan sectors. He is sur
v1ved by his widow. Mrs. Ella Mathews;
a daughter, Miss Frances B. Mathews,
and sister, Mrs Josephine Thomas, of
Ashburn, Va. Funeral services will be
held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock,
interment in Arlington National Gene
terry.
Woman Seriously Injured.
Mrs. Luella Branner, 81. of 313 Ct
street southeast, was seriously injured
yesterday afternoon when she was
struck by an automobile that ran up
on the sidewalk at Pennsylvania avenue
and Seventeenth street southeast. She
was taken to Casualty Hospital and
treated for fractured rib and internal
injuries.
According to fifth precinct police,
Mrs. Branner was struck by an auto
mobile operated by Louis Luh, 81, of
1920 E street northeast. Luh explained
that the accident was unavoidable,
since he had swerved to avoid a col
liSion with another machine. Wit
neSSeS bore out his statement and he
was not held
A fall from an automobile that he
had Communicated to chase another
motorist resulted in the injury last
night of Policeman George r. Douglas
OF the tenth precinct. He was treated
at Emergency Hospital for abraSions
on the face and right knee.
Douglas had Communicated an au-
tomobile operated by Lionel G. Stukes,
2124 E street, and started in pursuit
OF motoriSt who had passed a red
traffic signal on Sixteenth street. He
fell from the running board at Six
tenth street and Columbia road. He
was taken to the hospital in a passing
automobile.
Miss Dorothy Bailey, 16, of 1922 Ken
yon street, was injured about the face,
chest and knees last night when she
was knocked down on Columbia road
by an automobile operated by John A.
Johnson of the Penn Hotel, North Cap
Emergency Hospital in the automobile
that struck her and found to be not
seriously injured.
Driver Held After Accident.
Following the serious injury last
night of Feruella Carey, colored, 81,
of ISL Harvard street, eighth precinct
police arrested William Moore, colored,
%, of the 1900 block Eleventh street,
and are holding him to await the out
come of her injuries. The woman suf-
AcLcu ocFSLc 4dCcIdtloHS 70 IHe scalp
when she was struck on Eleventh street
near Florida avenue by an automobile
said to have been operated by Moore.
"hit-and-run" dricer was held re-
sponsible for the injury of Bertha Story,
colored, 80, Of 214 K street southwest.
She was treated at Providence Hospital
for bruises about the face and body
after she was struck at Third and G.
streets southwest.
Injuries of minor nature were suf-
fered by Alton T. Duffield, %, of 1859
T street northeast, and Robert l.. Port
er, colored, 81, of 1903 Fourth street.
The former was hurt in a collision at
Thirteenth and H streets northeast, and
the latter was knocked from his bicycle
at Virginia avenue and Twenty-third
street.