Harold Cecil "Twid" Johnson 1922-1946

JOHNSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 3/7/2015 at 00:55:49

Cecil Johnson, Car Accident Victim, Dies
Armstrong Youth’s Injuries Fatal.
Cecil Johnson, 24, Armstrong youth, died yesterday at 1 p.m. as result of a highway crash south of Fairmont, which injured him and eight others early Monday [October 14, 1946] morning.

Johnson, suffering a skull fracture besides other injuries had apparently been making favorable progress until shortly before noon yesterday. Death was caused by a blood clot.

Harold Cecil Johnson was born at Armstrong, Aug. 8, 1922. He served with the U.S. marines in the south Pacific. He was the son of Mrs. Florence Johnson of Armstrong.

His father died while he was in the service. Since his honorable discharge from the marines Johnson had operated an Armstrong café in partnership. A sister, Maxine, also survives.

Still hospitalized as result of the accident, which involved cars driven by L.W. Knuth of Fairmont and Bernard Homsey of Armstrong are Bernice Homsey, Bessie Sperling, and George Homsey, all of Armstrong, and Norman Linnemeyer of Sherburn, Bernard Homsey and George Hanson of Armstrong and L.W. Knuth and George Hanson of Armstrong have been released from the hospital. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 18, 1946)

Issues Warrant For Arrest of L.W. Knuth
His Car Figured in Fatal Accident
County Attorney C.L. Erickson issued a warrant for the arrest of L.W. Knuth, Tuesday, charging criminal negligence in the automobile collision south of Fairmont, Oct. 14, which resulted in injuries to Knuth and eight other persons and the death last Thursday of Harold Cecil (Twid) Johnson of Armstrong.

Knuth still walks with the aid of a cane as a result of injuries received in the head-on crash near Calvary cemetery and still has bruises. He has retained L.J. Seifert as his attorney and it is presumed he will fight the charge.

The warrant will be delayed until early next week because Seifert is busy in court this week and is unable to prepare for the defense of the case at present. Knuth said he is ready to appear any time authorities are ready to proceed with the case.

Knuth’s car and an automobile driven by Bernard Homsey of Armstrong collided near Calvary cemetery, south of Fairmont, at 1:45 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14.

Four persons are still hospitalized from the collision. Bernice Homsey is in Rochester where she underwent a brain operation, and Norman Linnemeyer will be moved to Rochester as soon as possible for treatment of a skull fracture.

The other two patients, George Homsey and Bessie Sperling, both of Armstrong, are reported recovering at Fairmont Community hospital. The other four accident victims have been released but are still wearing casts and bandages.

Knuth is 26 years old and served in the signal corps in the Asiatic-Pacific theater during part of his three and a half years in service. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 24, 1946)

$10,000 Suit for Damages Filed
Action Brought By Mother of “Twid” Johnson
Result of Fatal Car Accident
Damages totaling $10,000 are being asked from Lyle M. Knute by Mrs. Florence L. Johnson, special administrator and representative of the estate of Harold C. (Twid) Johnson, who died from injuries resulting from an automobile accident occurring Oct. 14 near Fairmont. Mrs. Johnson is the mother of the former Armstrong high school basketball ace.

Petition asking for the amount was filed this week in the Martin county general court at Fairmont against Knuth, driver of one of the cars involved in the accident.

Johnson was riding as a passenger in a car driven by Bernard Homsey, also of Armstrong, when the collision occurred on Minnesota highway No. 15 one-half mile south of Fairmont at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 14.

The petition alleges that Knuth was negligently and carelessly operating his car at a “dangerous and excessive speed without keeping a proper lookout in the direction his car was moving,” when the accident took place.

It further claims that Knuth was driving to the left of the center line of the highway at the time of the accident and that he failed to respect the right of way law of Minnesota as he failed to permit the car in which Johnson was riding to pass at the point where the automobile collided.

Mrs. Johnson’s petition also states that when Knuth discovered that a collision was apparent he failed to “exercise the necessary degree of care to prevent the collision.”

Homsey’s car was traveling south and Knuth’s north at the time of crash.

The Armstrong man died Oct. 17, three days following the accident, from injuries including a skull fracture. Three of the nine persons involved in the wreck are still hospitalized, all in Rochester. George Homsey of Armstrong has a fractured leg, Norman Linnemyer of Sherburn and Bernice Homsey of Armstrong both have skull fractures. Johnson and his mother had purchased the Eastside café in Armstrong only a short time before the accident and had taken possession Oct. 1. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 31, 1946)

12 Damage Suits In Homsey Car Crash Settled
$22,500 Involved in Settlement
Twelve damage suits , outgrowth of the Knuth-Homsey automobile accident last summer near Fairmont in which Harold C. “Twid” Johnson of Armstrong was killed were settled yesterday in Fairmont for $22,500.

Attorneys and representatives of insurance companies involved in the suit worked constantly since Saturday and reached an agreement yesterday noon.

The company in which Lyle Knuth was insured placed $16,500 in the settlement pool and the insurance company of Bernard Homsey of Armstrong $6,000. The total amount was divided almost equally amonth seven plaintiffs with Knuth and Homsey, drivers excluded.

Five passengers in the Homsey car on the night of the wreck were Bernice Homsey, Bessie Spurling, George Homsey, George W. Hanson and Johnson, who was killed. His mother, Florence L. Johnson, appeared as plaintiff in one of the cases and was represented by Leo Fitzgibbons, Estherville attorney.

A total of $15,500 was distributed among the plaintiffs named above and the remaining $7,000 between Norman Linnemeyer of Sherburn and Arlene Weber of Fairmont, passengers in Knuth’s car, represented by Edman and Edman.

A jury was drawn Monday morning after conferences all day Saturday and Sunday had failed to bring about a settlement but before any testimony was offered an agreement was reached and Judge J.E. Haycraft excused the jurors yesterday afternoon. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, March 26, 1947)