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Mrs. David Roth Killed Under Horses Heels.--. Husband and Daughter May Die, from Friday’s Daily. A runaway accident resulting in the death of Mrs. David Roth and the possible fatal injury of her hus band and daughter, Nina, happened in this city last night about 8:15 o’clock near Chautauqua park where the Fifty-fourth Regiment band of Ottumwa was to give a concert for the benefit of Company M’s new armory fund. A bus team belonging to Art Don avan crashed into their buggy mash ing it to kindling wood and crushing the occupants to the ground. When picked up Mrs. Roth, was alive but died before physicians could examine her, Mr. Roth and daught er were alive but unconscious. All were carried to the McEwain yard and immediately physicians set to work trying to revive Mr. Roth and his daughter. Mrs. Roth’s skull was fractured her neck and right arm broken and her body cut and bruised terribly. Mr. Roth suffered a fracture of the lower jaw and a number of cuts and bruises about the head. One ear was torn so that several stitches was necessary to cew it up. Miss Nina Roth sustained cuts and is probably internally injured, the ab domen showing bad bruises Both Mr. Roth and his daughter are conscious today and are getting along as well as could be expected. They were removed to their home on South Third street last night. The accident coming as it did at the close of a days festivities when Parsons college students and friends had rejoiced at the news that the college was to have two handsome new buildings, and when the mem bers of Company M were pleased at the large patronage that was being accorded them, was a shock which hushed the tones of everyone who learned of it and cast a gloom over the city that will not soon be for gotten. Whene the members of the city fourth band escorted by the mem bers of Company M started from the armory to Chautauqua park, render ing some beautiful march music as they passed through the square they were followed by a large crowd of happy, good patured people bent upon helping Company M to secure funds to erect a new armory. The one street to Chautauqua park was filled with people, many walking leisurely to the park, others driving in their own conveyances and still others riding to the entertainment in the public cabs and buses Mr. Roth and his wife and daugh ter were driving in their own road wagon to Chautauqua park and were riding behind a gentle family horse so that no thought of harm came to them. Almost without an instante warning the large black team hitched to Donavans bus, which was filled with passengers, struck the Roth conveyance throw ing the occupants up in the air and completely demolishing the turnout. The bus and its occupants were not injured in the least and were finally stopped near the park entrance The occupants of the Roth turnout were hurled to the ground and trampled under the horses feet in their mad @ight. The accident was witnessed by hundreds who immedi ately surrounded the injured people. Excitement ran so high that the members of Company M were called upon to surround the injured ones and keep back the frenzied people who had witnessed the affair. The accident occurred in front of the C. S. McElwain home a few yards west of the main entrance to Chau tauqua park and the street was ted with conveyances at the time. Many of the eye witnesses came near faint ing from fright and the horror of the affair, and there was but little sleep io many a Fairfield home last night In the face of ths terrible catas trophe no attempt was made to have the concert and the large crowds returned to their homestic with horror at the outcome of the accident Floyd Angeread, a young man about twenty years of age, was driving the team which was hitched to the bus when the accident occurred. Ten young people were passengers in the bus and Roy McKee, one of the publishers of the Fairfield Tribune, was occupying the seat with the driver. He was a passen ger but climbed upon the driver’s seat to make room for some young ladies inside the bus. The passen gers in the bus were: Harry Con ner, Bert Dill and two young men whose names could not be obtained, Charles Carter who was standing on the rear step, and the Misses Rosga lie Harris, Ethel Glasgow, Anna Anderson, Mary Anderson and Marie McClelland. Mr. McKee in an interview this mrning said: ‘*The bus load of us started down Burlington street toward the park and I was on the seat with the driver for the bus was crowded When we were near I. D. Jones’ Howari’s automobile backed out of the street running south and started to turn around to come west. It was running slow and the occupants were careful. One of the horses squatted down almost to the pavement when the automobile passed it and when it straightened up again it took the bit io its teeth and went. Then the other horse went with it. I kept my hands off of the lines for a short distance for I knew that any one interfering with a driver sometimes gets him rattled and does more harm than good. When I saw that Ang stead couldn’t control the team alone I grabbed hold of the linen and tried to agsset him. We were going to try to turn the horses off on that street running southeast past McElwains but as we neared there we saw the street full of buggies. We saw an alley way between teams ahead of us and thought we could get through al right without hitting anyone and then get the horses stopped. Mr. Roth pulled into the road from the side just about even with the McElwain home when we were with in twenty feet of him. We tried to steer the horses into a telegraph pole then but couldn’t check them at all and there was nothing else but to strike the carriage of Mr. Roth’s. The horses struck the buggy squarely and reashed it to pieces and the occupants were mixed up in the wreckage. The bus horses ran a short distance and fell, and I jumped out and grabbed the bus by the time they were up again. No one was hurt in the bus although everyone was shocked at the accident. The thing was one of those unavoidable accidents for which no one is to blame. The horses had been used to auto mobiles and should not have been frightened at an auto, and those in charge of the machine were careful and managed the machine in good shape. It was a terrible accident. Co. U. Emry, a member of the fire company was one of the first to reach the unfortunate victims. he says: ‘We were on the hose wagon when we seen the team coming, the fire team had just cleared the path of the runaway team and we saw Roth drive into the road, and saw there was nothing could prevent the (eam from striking the occupants of the buggy, we hallowed but Roth didn’t hear us in time. “I jumped down off the wagon and was almost the first one to the in jured people. I t was an awful sight. I helped carry Mrs. Roth to the McEilwain yard and telephoned for the doctors We had been taking up the dirty hose from the street and Mr. Roth had waited to one side of the road until we had finished. He had just drove back into the street and probably did not know the team was coming. He was dragged about ten feet from the women. Dr. J. S. Gaumer Saye: I was pass ing the residence of Dr. Bock about a block from the corner of I. D. Jones’ home on my way to concert when I heard horses running and turned and saw the big bus full of passen gers and the horses coming on a gallop, at least two men had hold of the linen when I saw them, I hurri ed on down toward the park and learned that they had struck the Roth buggy. I helped to care for injured ones. Mr. Campbell, the un dertaker, was there and took charge of the remains of Mrs. Roth. Art Donovan owner of the back and team stated this morning that it was not his hearse team which ran away. The team was one pur chased in Muscatine last December and had never run away before. Mr. Donovan, who was almost prostrated by the accident, says that the team is considered gentle and that Mrs. Donovan drives the horses frequently both single and double. By the unanimous consent of every body concerned the band concert was called off and Company Msg permitted to keep the money they
Newspaper Details
Fairfield Journal
Fairfield, Iowa, US
Wed, Jun 10, 1908
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Lethbridge A.
CA 15 May 2026
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