Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-21

so'f l|Scap'y iPli'h III nv
The accident occurred Saturday
afternoon. Four-year-old Janei
Cress, the youngest OF family oil
nine children, died early today
while her parents. MIR. and Mrs
Diri Cress of 8503 Ford avenue
kept vigil at her bedside. Her Older
sister. Juanita. had died shortly be-
fore noon yesterday.
Doctors expressed hope for the
recovery of their brother, Bert
although both his legs are broken
and he is believed 10 have a seri'
Gus back injury.
ADMITS BEERS
The driver of the death car
which dragged the children for
more than so feet. was 63-year-old
Cyriel De Vriendt of l1100 Re-
public avenue, Van Dyke. Dc
Vriendt admitted 10 police that
he had five beers" and his own
wife condemns him for his drink
ing and revealed that whenever
he drank he lost the use OF his
right arm.
"He should never have been
driving" his wife. Jennie, de-
clared. 1.-TWO years ago he had
an operation, and. In recent
months, whenever he drank he
lost the use OF his right arm.
IL became paralyxed. half-dead.
and the doctors were unable to
help him.
Several times he was ar
h rested for drunk driving. had
q feeling something was going
10 happen. I didn't know what,
but ! knew Ii would he terrible.
Tho last year he got drunk al
most every day"
HELD IN JAIL
De Vriendt has been held in the
Macomb County Jail since the &C
cident and Macomb County AS
sistant Prosecutor Howard r, Car
roll said I've would recommend a
warrant charging him with in
voluntary manslaughter.
Van Dyke police officers, who
rescued De Vriendt from an angry
mob of neighbors following the &C.
cident, pictured him as leering
old man who laughed when he was
taken 10 the hospital shortly after
the accident and shown the I'M
conscious forms of his three VIC
Tins.
"We tried tn make him realize
what he had done by taking him
90 the hospital. but II made no
impression, he just laughed"
declared Constable Vincent Ro-
mano of the Van Dyke police.
At the police station De Vriendt
admitted that his hand was Grip
pied but declared that he ran into
the field in order TO avoid hitting a
car coming al him on the wrong
side of the street
STRUCK SISTERS
After jumping the curb and side
walk. De Vriendt's car first struck
the two girls.
after trying to shove his
little sister out Of the way" a
Macomb deputy said. "the hoy
attempted to run ahead Of the
car. IL overlook him about 80
feet ahead OF where the girls
were hit and ran him down.
The girls were thrown 10 oppo-
Asite sides OF the car. while the
|boy was found some distance
away.
Tracks Of De Vriendt's car
showed where he continued in a
wide circle through the field,
crossed Ford avenue again and
drove through another vacant
field. In his flight he crashed
through a neighbours picket-en-
circled dahlia bed. rubbish pile
and the Cress vegetable garden
LITTLE HOPE HELD
At the hospital. where she
kept a constant vigil. Mrs. Cress
held no bitterness for the man
who struck three of her nine chill
dren.
1T won't bring my babies back
to have anything happen 10
him, she said. "Nothing he could
possibly have done would have
hurt me any more. But think
they should put him where he
can no longer hurt people"
The father is employed at the
Plymouth plant.
HAD PREVIOUS ACCIDENT
De Vriendt was under 90-day
suspended sentence for reckless
driving at the time of the acci.
dent. On June Ia his car. struck
1l-year-old Margaret Kerr oI
1928 Hupp avenue, Van Dyke, anc
then careened into another car
He was permitted to keep his
drivers license at the time,
deputy said. because he said he
needed il in his work. He is q
brick layer.
Funeral = services for Juanits
will be held Wednesday at 2 p. m
at the Jones Funeral Home al
Van Dyke Fellow students a.
Lincoln School, Van Dyke, will bt
bearers.