Richard-L-Burke-98970

Obituary

At 9 o'clock last night, Richard L. Burke, 29 years old, of 1307 Agency street, was seated by a bed in St. Francis hospital rejoicing with his wife over the arrival of a daughter born yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock and two hours after he left the hospital, his life was crushed out under an overturned Ford car, driven by Forrest Hand on West avenue. He promised to return to the hospital this morning at 9 o'clock and his wife is watching the clock tick away the minutes and hours until he arrives, but she was too weak today to be notified of the tragedy. According to Joh T. Donlan's story of the accident related to a Gazette reporter at the Mercy hospital this morning, he and Burke, who lives next door to him, were coming downtown last night about 10 o'clock when Forest Hand, driving his Ford car and his uncle, stopped on the Agency street hill. "Come on, let's ride down town." Burke said, "and although I didn't know either of the men in the car I supposed they were friends of my neighbor so I climbed in with Fred Hand in the back seat and Burk got in with Forest in the front seat," said Donlan. "We drove down town and after going through the business district several times, the younger Hand suggested that we go to Ft. Madison and started south out of the city. We drove out to West avenue and then the driver started to speed. "Just as I was thinking that I would rather be out of the car than in it, a front tire blew out and the car skidded clear around in the road and turned up on its side. When the car turned half way over it threw all of us out on the road. Then I lost consciousness for a minute or so. When I came to the engine in the car was still running. Suddenly it stopped. I heard some one groan and looked around. Forrest and his uncle were lying in the road clear of the car, but the car had turned over on Burke. The fender of the machine was resting on his back and he was blue in the face. i saw at a glance that he was dead. I summoned my strength to get to the house across the street and as I was crawling up in the yard a man came running out and said he heard the crash. he went ahead and I went in and telephoned my friend's mother and told her that Burke was hurt. Then I went back to the car and by that time the man had summoned several neighbors and we lifted the car off of Burke. Pretty soon Richard's brother Leo arrived in his car and took me to the hospital here. I am n ot hurt so bad except my left arm is cut and my legs are bruised. I don't know exactly what time the accident happened, but I think we were in the car more than an hour. The top on the Ford was down." Young Donlan resides at 1319 Agency street and is employed at the Murray Iron works. He will probably be able to return home tomorrow.
A report from the St. Francis hospital this morning wa to the effect that both Forrest Hand and his uncle, Fred hand, would recover from their injuries. The younger man was cut and bruised considerably about the head and shoulders, but his condition is not serious. Forrest Hand resides at 709 South Gertrude street and Fred Hand lives at 801 South Main street. Dr,. G.H. Steinle was called to the hospital last evening and after a careful examination found no bones broken. It is believed that Burke's death was caused by internal injuries received when the weight of the car came down on him. He did not have a broken bone in his body. He was removed to the Unterkircher funeral home. Henry Magel was the first person to come to the assistance of the accident victims last night, as the car turned over in front of his home on West avenue. He was just getting ready to retire when he heard the crash and rushed out of the house to see what had happened. He summoned E.W. Romkey and they lifted the car off of Burke. The machine was going west, but turned clear around in road before it turned over. Only one front tire on the car was flat. no inquest will be held over the remains as it is apparent how Burke came to his death under the car. Richard l. Burke was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Burke of 1319 Agency street and was born in Burlington August 15, 1891. He received his education in the local schools and had been employed for some time at the Jewel theater where his brother operates the picture projecting machine. He is survived by three brothers, William, Leo, and Vilar Burke all residing at home, and two sisters, Misses Virginia and Ruth Burke, also at home. The funeral arrangements will be made later.