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Street Crash Orphans Five

Street Crash Orphans Five image Street Crash Orphans Five image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
April
Year
1934
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
Obituary
OCR Text

STREET CRASH ORPHANS FIVE
Ypsilanti Couple Dies as Youth’s Car Hits Group of Four Pedestrians

COMPANIONS ARE HURT
(Special to The Daily News)
Ypsilanti, April 30 – A man and wife were killed instantly, leaving five young children orphaned, and five other persons were injured, one critically, in two traffic accidents in and near Ypsilanti during the week-end.
Carl Stockdale, 37, and his wife, Ada, 32, 314 Parsons St. Ypsilanti, were killed at 11 o’clock Saturday night when an automobile driven by Frederick Cain, jr., 22, son of Frederick Cain, Sr., assistant postmaster here, residing at 909 Sheridan St., ran into a group of four pedestrians walking across Michigan Ave. just east of the Huron river bridge.
Stanley Durham, 38, and his wife, Mina, 37, of 614 Norris St., Ypsilanti, who were walking with Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale, are in the Beyer Memorial hospital here, the former in a critical condition. He sustained the loss of his left eye, a probable fracture of the skull, and various other injuries. Mrs. Durham has a broken left arm and severe body bruises and is suffering extensively from shock.
En Route to Restaurant
The Durhams had been spending Saturday evening at the Stockdale home, and the two couples went into the downtown business district at eleven o’clock to have a lunch at a restaurant. Parking their car on the north side of Michigan Ave. they started to cross to a small restaurant on the south side, and had almost reached the center of the street when Cain’s car, said to have been traveling at high speed, crashed into the group, throwing three of the victims high into the air.
One or more of the persons were thrown over the hood of the Cain car, breaking the windshield, while all of the glass was broken out of the right side of the car. Cain lost control of the machine after striking the group of pedestrians, and it careened across Michigan Ave., dragging Mrs. Stockdale some 100 feet before it came to a stop after almost crashing into the wall of the D. M. Silkworth Oil Co. station.
Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale were dead when picked up by witnesses of the crash, while Mr. Durham was unconscious and when taken into the hospital was believed to be dying. A deep gash from the bridge of his nose across the left eyeball completely destroyed the eye.
Youth’s Claims Refuted
Cain, who is employed at the United Stove Works here, and his two companions, Miss Marie Mueller, 957 West Cross St., this city, an employe of the McClellan department store here, and Carl McKenny, an employe of the United Stove Works, residing at Hawkins hotel here, were questioned at the police station by Chief of Police Ralph L. Southard.
Miss Mueller and McKenny were released after making brief statements, and Cain was released at 2 o’clock Sunday morning to the custody of his father. An investigation was being made today by Prosecutor Albert J. Rapp and Coroner David N. Robb to determine whether criminal charges shall be brought against Cain. Coroner Robb will hold an inquest, he stated Sunday, but the date has not yet been decided.
Coroner Robb today announced that the following jurors would serve at the inquest which is to be held next week: Charles P. Knapp, Phelps Crouse, Lloyd
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(Caption for photo) Mrs. Carl Stockdale, of Ypsilanti, shown above with a daughter, Mary, was killed instantly Saturday night when struck by an automobile driven by Fred Cain, Jr., son of Fred Cain, Sr., assistant postmaster of Ypsilanti. The husband and father was also killed, leaving five young children orphaned, and two other persons were injured, one critically.

(Continued from Page One)
Lyke, William Knight, Ernest Maddux and Miss Nella DeHaan.
Cain declared that the four pedestrians were struck by another and unidentified car and thrown into the path of his car, but witnesses state that no other machine was involved in any way. Cain also said Saturday night that he was attempting to pass another west-bound car at the time of the accident, but this is also denied by witnesses.
On June 12, 1928, a car driven by Cain struck and fatally injured Peter Steimle, 7-year-old son of C. P. Steimle, registrar at the State Normal college here, and Mrs. Steimle. No action was taken against Cain as the child was said to have run suddenly into the street.
Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale are survived by five children, Edith, 15; Ethel, 13; Lawrence, 12; Mary, 7; and Doris, 2.
Mr. Stockdale leaves two sisters, Mrs. Ruby Leeder, Ypsilanti; and Mrs. Lee Driskell, Chicago.
Mrs. Stockdale is survived by her father, Bert Davis, Coldwater, and four sisters, Mrs. Charles Stone, Michigan Center; Mrs. Wayne Hayward, Battle Creek; Mrs. Maurice Steffey, Coldwater; and Mrs. Edgar Casebeer, Coldwater. No funeral arrangements have been made.
Mr. and Mrs. Durham have no children, but Mrs. Durham has one son by a former marriage. He is now living with relatives at Willis.
Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale and their family were expecting to move soon to a farm near Grayling, and a large portion of their household furnishings was already packed. Mr. Stockdale had built a trailer to carry their possessions to their new home, and only a few days ago had put the finishing touches upon it and had purchased a license.
Eyewitnesses of the accident were Bernard Zuppke, 2601 Cortland St., Highland Park; Miss Audrey Riggs, 501 North Hamilton St., and Fred Holly, 206 Olive St., both of this city.
Three persons were injured and a man is held in jail for investigation by state police as a result of a traffic collision Sunday evening on the Ecorse road, six miles east of this city.
Mr. and Mrs. Oran Denton, 1 Oakwood Ave., this city, and Miss Elizabeth Baxter, a teacher in the Oakwood school, Detroit, are in Beyer Memorial hospital, and Walter Ballard, Negro, 2412 Michigan Ave., Detroit, is held in jail.
Mr. Denton, janitor in charge of Welch hall at the State Normal college here, sustained a fracture or displacement of the left knew cap, and has various cuts and bruises. Mrs. Denton, was less severely injured. Miss Baxter, a sister of Mrs. Denton, was injured several weeks ago in an accident in Detroit in which she sustained a fracture of one ankle, and this was still in a cast at the time of the accident Sunday evening. She was unconscious when removed from the wrecked automobile. The exact extent of her injuries have not yet been determined.
The Denton automobile caught fire immediately after the crash, but the flames were extinguished by a truck driver who arrived at the scene a few moments later. Ballard and his companion, Miss Jimmie Banks, 2412 Michigan Ave., Detroit, were not injured. They had been visiting at the home of Philip Merriman, South Hamilton St., Ypsilanti, and were en route to their home at the time of the crash.