Wilber J. Lininger (ca. 1871-1930)

LININGER, LINNINGERS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal November 27, 1930 (page 1)

Front page headline:
Mystery In Fatal Auto Accident Here

MAN DIED FROM INJURY AND EXPOSURE TO COLD

A man is dead from injuries and exposure, his car is a complete wreck and officers are seeking the driver of an Iowa licensed truck, which figured in a fatal motor car accident near the W. F. Briggs place just east of the city limits on the Lincoln highway, some time last night.

The registration of the wrecked car indicated that the man's name was W. J. Linningers of Hotel Nebraskan of Lincoln, Neb. A message to that hotel, however, indicates that the man is not known there.

The man, who died this morning at 9:30 at Iowa Sanitarium, where he was taken about 8:00, was found half frozen, and with a deep fracture on the skull just above the right eye, by F. C. Welch, about 7:30, in a cornfield just east of the Briggs house.

He had been thrown free from his car which was 100 feet fro the paved road, over in a cornfield, south of the highway. The man was unconscious when found.

Dr. Bowers was called at once and the man was taken to Iowa sanitarium, where an examination showed the pressure fracture of the skull, the concussion and other injuries. Both feet and both hands and forearms were frozen stiff and it was realized that the shock and injuries were likely to prove fatal.

The license plate on his Chevrolet coupe, which was badly wrecked, was numbered Neb. 2-20595.

There was a trunk and suit case on the car and these, with the top of the car and other parts were strewn from where the car was apparently thrown from the paving, to where it plowed through the fence and over into the cornfield.

Nearby where the car left the paving was found an Iowa truck license plate bearing a Sioux county number and on the front end of the car were evidences of yellow paint which had been apparently left by the yellow painted truck frame at the Chevrolet struck the rear end of the truck body.

The finding of the body lying on part of the seat, clear of the car and the other evidence at hand, indicates to officers and others who have investigated the wreck, that the Chevrolet careened from the road after the crash and over into the field, injuring the driver.

Futhermore that the driver of the truck, removed from the wreckage and laid him upon the seat of the car, leaving him there to the mercy of others who might pass by and find him.

This morning, after the finding of the dying man, Mrs. Briggs recalled hearing a crash between 10 and 11 o'cock last night, which is now thought to have been the crash of the cars on the highway.

Officers are now seeking word from Nebraska as to relatives of the man and also evidence regarding the truck that figured in the wreck.

County Coroner Mills has been notified and will be here later today to hold an inquest over the body of the dead man.