Sol, Earl J. (Child) 1918-1923

SOL, NIEUWENDORP

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-volunteer
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:38

Source: Alton Democrat (10-27-1923)

Born: October 25, 1918
Died: October 21, 1923

SIX YEAR OLD ALTON BOY KILLED WHEN TWO CARS CRASH SUNDAY NIGHT

The funeral of the little son of Nicholas and Lena (Nieuwendorp) Sol was held from the Reformed Church of Alton Wednesday afternoon, a very large number of friends and relatives attending the services. Burial took place at Nassau Township Cemetery.

Details of the accident in which the little Sol boy, Earl James was killed are common knowledge here. Mr. and Mrs. Sol and their two boys had been visiting at the home of their nephew and niece, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Keizer, three miles south of Carnes Sunday and were on their way home in the Keizer car, a Ford touring car, two of the Keizer children also being in the car, at about 7:15 P.M. and when about two miles south of Alton met a Ford coupe going south on a 16 foot culvert, the cars crashed in such a way that the top of the coupe or handle of the door struck the little boy in the head, crushing the skull terribly, so that he died in two hours. Mrs. Sol was also struck on the head, her jaw being broken but her injuries not being serious. Pete Keizer was driving the touring car and Johannes the coupe. Mr. Keizer claims that he was as far over to the right as he could get and that the coupe seemed to be coming directly for him until a crash seemed certain until the driver veered sharply to the right, the rear of the coupe striking the front of the touring car. Keizer stopped within a car length but the coupe continued for about two blocks before it came to a halt. Nic Sol carried his son to the home of Mrs. Slothauber nearby and Pete tried to get the three Ashton boys to help with the injured which they refused to do, heaping abuse upon Keizer, the latter says. A passing car was stopped by Mr. Keizer that took Mrs. Sol to the Slothauber home also and Dr. John De Bey arrived soon after and took her and the little boy to the hospital at Orange City. The boy lived for about two hours after the accident.

Mr. Keizer was driving with only a spot light trained on the road, the Ashton boys testifying before the jury that it did not blind them and one of them even saying that he saw two lights, apparently having seen double.

The road to Carnes is very narrow in pieces but at this particular point was 16 feet wide, giving two cars clearance room. The place is just north of the curve in the road around a grove of trees. Mr. Keizer testified that the Ashton car came at a high rate of speed, although he did not realize it until it was close upon him. The little boy’s head was hanging over the door of the car when he stopped and Mrs. Sol was unconscious. In his testimony Dr. De Bey, who examined the boy after he was brought to the hospital said that he had been hit by an object which cut the left side of the skull and down the center of the forehead, pieces of the brain oozing out, evidence of fatal injury. Pieces of the bone driven into the brain but at 11 P.M. two hours after his examination, the child still lived, although there had been no pulse at the wrist during the whole time, Ed Swynenberg testified that one of the Ashton boys appeared to be highly intoxicated, so far as he could tell.