by Laurel | November 27th, 2011
A continuation of the hit-and-run story that killed George Walker. The earlier article may be found here.
21 November 1936, Northampton, MA
L. S. May Released in $500 Bail After Denying Fatal Accident — Friends Attack Newspapermen.
Charged with being the operator of a car Sunday night that fatally injured George Walker, 20, as he walked along the Notch road on his way to church, Leonard S. May, of Washington, D. C., a senior at Amherst College denied charges of leaving the scene of an accident and dangerous driving in district court this morning ans was released on $500 cash bail when his case was continued to the South Hadley session of court Friday morning.
Walker’s body was hurled for some distance by the car, allegedly operated by the defendant and thrown into a gravel bank. Rolling into the highway it was discovered by a passing motorist who reported the matter to the police.
May walked up to Patrolman Francis Hart of Amherst yesterday afternoon and said he had read of Walker’s death in the newspapers and recalled that his car had hit something at the time and place where the South Hadley youth had met almost instant death. He was taken to the Amherst police station where he was grilled for four hours by police and motor vehicle inspectors. He is said to have stuck to his story that he did not know he had hit a person. He maintained that he thought he hit some object such as a dog or a stone. The impact, however, cracked the windshield of his car and did other damage.
After Roadhouse Party
Riding with May at the time were two other Amherst students and three girls from Mount Holyoke College. The party, it is reported, had been at the Chateau Harmony, a dine, dance and liquor establishment on the Notch Road and was headed toward South Hadley when May felt his car hit “something.”
After being questioned at the Amherst police station, May was taken to South Hadley where he was locked up until his arraignment this morning. Four of his college friends raised the $500 bail for his release.
Following his arraignment lively scenes were enacted in the courtroom corridor when May’s college friends tried to detain Stanley McIntyre and Jimmy Daley, reporter and photographer for a Holyoke paper, who were seeking a picture of May. McIntyre floored one of the student with a flying tackle and Daley, impeded with his camera, was making headway against the two others when May slid out a side door. Daley’s camera was damaged in the jam and one of the attackers promised to buy him a new one. May loitered near the Hotel Northampton and when Daley and McIntyre started in his direction he ran up North King Street.
Atty. Edward L. O’Brien appeared for May, who s a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Amherst.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
