Evening star., 1933-08-07
THREE ARE KILLED
AND 15 INJURED IN
NEARBY ACCIDENTS
Triple Crash Near CentreviIIe,
Va, Costs Life of William
Bassett of D. c.
MARINE DIES IN UPSET
CAUSED BY SOFT GROUND
Mystery Surrounds Injury Of Man
Found Unconscious in
Fort Myer Heights.

A triple collision near Centreville,
Va. resulted in one death and injuries
to IL persons yesterday. while the week
end traffic toll in other accidents on
nearby Maryland and Virginia roads
brought the total to three dead and
Is injured.
The victims were:
William Bassett, 43, 1900 block of
Oliver street northeast. Washington
fatally injured in the triple crash.
r. ]. McGonigle. 32 United States
Marine, stationed at Quantico, Va.
Maurice w. Decatur, AZ, 600 block
of Livingston road, Oxon Hill. Md.
Bassett, said to have been owner
and operator of one of the cars, died
at Georgetown Hospital. Washington,
a short time after being taken there.
According to police. it appeared the
Bassett car, travelling west on the Lee
Highway was sideswiped by two cars
going east, said to have been owned
and operated by Charles Duvall of the
700 block Of F street southwest. and
C. w. Foote of the 100 block East Wash
ington street, Alexandra.
Cars Hurled OF Road.
The impact threw all three cars of
the road.
In the Bassett car, besides the dead
man, were Mr. and Mrs. Roy Mckee
of the 600 block Maryland avenue
northeast and Catherine Sullivan OF
the 1890 block Oliver street northeast
In the Duvall car were Jerry Rudder-
forth of the TOO block Eighth street
southwest, Melvin Nash of the 900 block
Sixth street southwest, Louise Harding
of the 1000 block street southwest
and Charles Phillips of the 1000 block
Seventh street southwest. In the Foote
car were Helen Shirley Of Centreville
and Raymond Hamill Of Alexandria
All received cuts and bruises about the
head with the exception Of Miss Shir-
ley, who received broken leg Some
of the injured were treated at Alexan-
dria Hospital and others at Georgetown
Hospital, where. they were taken by
passing motorists.
Bassett's car was destroyed by fire
when one Of the occupants lighted a
match to search for her pocketbook
setting fire to the gasoline soaked in
terror
McGonigle was killed and his COM
panion, alleged driver, critically injured
when the automobile in which they
were riding overturned when it struck
the soft dirt on the side of the road
near Colonial Beach, Va. while they
were attempting to pass truck. B. K
Miller McGonigle's companion, also a
Marine. is still in a critical condition
in the Fredericksburg Hospital.
Man Found Unconscious.
Mystery surrounds the manner in
which man giving his name as Glenn
Melvin. 80, who is believed to live in
Falls Church, Va, received the injuries
from which he was suffering when
found unconscious yesterday morning in
front Of the home of DR.. Victor Meyers
in Fort Myer Heights, Va. When he
regained consciousness In Georgetown
Hospital he refused to give any infor-
nation other than his name, even dea
clining to say where he lived or how he
was injured. Police believe he fell OF
was thrown from an automobile
Decatur was walking along the Liv-
ingston road near his home in Oxon Hill
district when hurt, but police are puz-
zled as to how the accident occurred
Albert Sharper of Oxon Hill told police
he saw the man walking along the road
as he drove toward friends house
Returning a short time later, he col
lided with the rear of truck which
he claims was backing out of a drive
way without q rear light. The truck
disappeared.
After the collision, Sharper told DO
lice. he noticed Decatur lying uncon-
scious on the road. William H Taylor,
$500 block Of Georgia avenue, Wash
ington, took Decatur to Providence
Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Witness Is Released.
Sharper was taken into custody by
County Policeman Elon Turner, but re-
leased on his personal bond for appear
ance at an inquest to be held by Justice
Of Peace George N. Cox at date to be
set later.
william B. Smith, colored, IS, a
Washington barber Of the $500 block
Of Eleventh street, was taken to
Emergency Hospital early today with a
fractured skull. Smith said he left In
dian Head about midnight in friends
was hurt. He was brought to the hos
pital in a taxicab about $50 a.m.>
Found unconscious on the Mount Ver-
non Highway about 2:30 this morning,
100 feet from his roadster, which was
demolished against an electric light
pole, Charles Kessler, "a. 800 block OF
Sixth street, was removed by park po-
lice to Emergency HOSPITAL. He is said
to have a possible fracture of the skull
and had failed to regain consciousness
at noon.
B. j. Nicholson, 65, of Colesville. Md.
suffered severe head injuries when a
hit-and-run automobile occupied by
three colored men struck him in front
of his home.
George w. Bellous, colored of Good
Hope near Colesville, who police say
was driving the car and two COM
panions were arrested by Montgomery
County Policemen Charles Barnes and
Jerry Hobbs and we're charged with hit
and-run and failing to offer assistance
Their bond was fixed at $500.
Police were told that Nicholsons wa,
walking from his garden to a roadside
market he conducts in front of hi.
home when the car struck him. Hi
daughter -in-law took the license num-
ber of the car and Bellous and his
companions were apprehended a short
time later.
Nicholson was removed to the Mont
gomery County General Hospital, at
Sandy Spring, where staff physicians
reported him to be suffering from severe
head injuries. X-rays will be taken
today to determined whether his skull
was fractured.