HARVEY KOTCHE

3 DIE IN RAPIDS AUTO TRAGEDY
FOURTH SERIOUSLY INJURED AND MAY NOT SURVIVE AS CAR CARRIED INTO MILL RACE AT
OURADA MILL TODAY
Girl Driver of Car Fails to Negotiate Turn in Road at Foot of Hill and
Machine Plunges Through Guard Rail - Two Girls and Youth Meet Death
Grim and relentless tragedy was carried into four homes of the city early this
morning when two girls and a boy were killed and a fourth youth sustained severe
injuries when the automobile in which they were riding crashed through a bridge
protection railing at the Ourada Mill at Manitowoc Rapids and plunged 25 feet to
the bottom of the mill race.
The dead are:
LORRAINE RUGOWSKI, 15, driver of the car.
EMILY MROZINSKI, 16
HARVEY KOTCHE, 19
Car Owner Injured
Vincent Cherney, 21 year old owner of the automobile he purchased a month ago,
is in critical condition at the Holy Family hospital. All others met practically
instantaneous deaths and Cherney was unconscious for some time before he was able
to crawl up the steep embankment and wake Joseph Ourada, owner of the mill, to
have the latter call physicians and the city ambulance to the scene. He suffered
concussion of the brain, from multiple contusions and it is feared internal
injuries. Unless complications set in he has a fair chance to recover.
Failed To Make Turn
The four occupants of the cabriolet, with Miss Mrozinski and Kotche in the rumble
seat and Miss Rugowski and Cherney in the front seat, had been together during the
entire evening and were on their way back to Manitowoc after visiting several places
in the county. They were driving north on Highway 42 and the accident occurred when
Miss Rugowski failed to negotiate the curve near the bottom of the long winding hill.
The car took a flimsy guard rail along and then plunged to the bottom of the mill
race.
Force of the impact sent Miss Mrozinski and Kotche to the bottom of the rumble seat
and the cover slammed shut to imprison them. The other two occupants of the car are
believed to have remained in the seat although when Ourada arrived at the scene he
found Miss Rugowski, still alive and moaning piteously, at the side of the car in
the shallow waters of the mill race.
Unidentified For Hours
The dead girls were not identified for hours after the tragedy, police of the city
notifying the parents of the accident after it was learned that the girls had not
returned home during the night. Pitiful scenes were enacted at the Wattawa, Urbanek
& Schlei mortuary as parents or other relatives made identification complete.
Grief stricken relatives, waiting at home to learn whether other members of the
family had identified the dead girls, as victims of the terrible tragedy, were over-
come by grief when they learned the sad truth. Mrs. Edward Rugowski, mother of the
young girl, became hysterical as she waited to learn if her missing daughter was one
of the crash victims.
Second Death In Family
The death of Miss Mrozinski was the second in a month in the family, her father,
Theodore Mrozinski, passing away a few weeks ago. Her mother preceded her in death
six years ago but she leaves a number of sisters and brothers as survivors.
Young Kotche was an orphan, his parents dying during the influenza epidemic of 1918
and for the past eight years the boy lived in Manitowoc, being employed at the Sigman
Cash Store on Washington Street since his graduation from high school in 1929.
Car Rolled Over
Belief that the cabriolet must have rolled over backwards after making the leap into
the chasm was expressed by Sheriff Herman Carstens who arrived at the scene shortly
after young Cherney had crawled on hands and knees to the home occupied by Joseph
Ourada, operator of the mill at the Rapids.
The car, the sheriff said, apparently was being driven at a fast rate as one of the
protection planks was hurled from the south to the north side of the opening cut through
by the mill race. It was thought by the sheriff that the car, in its descent, struck one
of the log supports between the abutments and then rolled over to and on its four wheels
in the bottom of the mill race.
When Sheriff Carstens arrived at the scene, Miss Rugowski and Cherney were the only ones
to be readily noticed as Cherney was about the scene and Miss Rugowski was in the water
at the side of the car.
Fingers Through Opening
A search for Miss Mrozinski and Kotche had proved unavailing until one of the men aiding
police and the sheriff noticed fingers sticking out from an opening where the rumble seat
had closed. The efforts of several persons were required to force the rumble seat open
and the two bodies were found crumpled on the floor.
So great was the force of the impact that the feet of Kotche were wedged in underneath
the driver's seat and it took considerable time before he could be extricated. Doctor G.W.
Hoffman arriving at the scene in response to a call from the sheriff as the authorities
were seeking to release the bodies of Miss Mrozinski and Kotche pronounced the three
victims to be dead.
May Have Lain A Long Time
A possibility that the dead and injured had been at the bottom of the mill race for a
considerable period of time was seen by the sheriff as all of his efforts to learn where
the four had been after leaving Shoto at about 11:30 o'clock have met failure.
The two girls were seen walking up Eighth street at about 8 o'clock last night and the
boys ere observed by a night patrolman as they drove along the same street at about 8:30.
It is believed that the boys met the girls later and that they then went to Shoto,
remaining there for some time before starting their trip.
Diver Uncertain Of Time
Cherney, the owner of the car and occupant of the front seat with Miss Rugowski, told
Sheriff Carstens at the hospital soon after the accident that he had no knowledge of
the speed at which the car was being driven before the crash came and said that he was
unaware of their danger. He also stated that he did not know at what time the accident
occurred but it is believed now that it occurred about 12 o'clock and that Cherney did
not sufficiently regain consciousness to wake Mr. Ourada until about three-quarters of
an hour later or at about 12:45 o'clock.
No Inquest
Coroner W.G. Kemper declared today that there would be no inquest held to determine the
causes of the tragedy as it was obviously an accident and because of the difficulty in
fixing responsibility in accidents of that nature.
Attended School Here
All of the victims attended school here. Miss Mrozinski recently graduating from the
Washington Junior high school, Miss Rugowski had completed part of her studies at the
high school and was continuing her work at the vocational school while Kotche graduated
from the Lincoln high school in this city after attending the district school in the
town of Kossuth.
Miss Rugowski was born in Manitowoc on February 2, 1916 and lived here her entire life,
making her home with her parents, Ex-Alderman and Mrs. Edward Rugowski, Sr., at 815 S.
Eighteenth street. Besides her parents she is survived by three brothers, Henry, Edward,
Jr., and Louis, all of Manitowoc and one sister, Mrs. James Beamish, Springfield,
Ohio.
Emily Mrozinski was also born in Manitowoc, her birth date being February 24, 1915. Her
death is the second one in the family within a month and her only immediate survivors
are three brothers, Anton, Alois and Louis and three sisters, Irene, Serena and Elsie,
all of Manitowoc, and living at the family home at 1225 S. Nineteenth street.
February was also the birth month of the third victim, Harvey Kotche. He was born in
the town of Kossuth on February 25, 1912 and spent his early life in that town. Shortly
after the death of his parents, he came to Manitowoc where he attended the public schools
and he continued to make his home at 1027 Menasha Avenue during the time he was employed
in this city.
The car in which the four were passengers is wrecked beyond repair.
Arrange Services
Miss Mrozinski and Kotche will be buried on Wednesday while funeral services for Miss
Rugowski will be held on Thursday morning. The services for Miss Mrozinski will be
held from the home at 1225 S. Nineteenth at 8:30 o'clock and from St. Mary's church
at 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning with the Rev. Pociecha officiating at the church
services and at the St. Mary's cemetery where interment will take place. The body is
to be taken from the Shimek & Schwartz mortuary to the home after 6 o'clock tonight.
Services for Harvey Kotche will be held from the residence at 1027 Menasha avenue at
2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. Rev. Otto Menke will be in charge at the home and at
the cemetery but the place of interment had not been decided. The body will be taken
to his home tomorrow afternoon.
Miss Rugowski will be buried Thursday morning at 9 o'clock from the St. Boniface church
with interment taking place at St. Mary's cemetery.
Manitowoc Herald News Monday, August 17, 1931 pg. 1
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[cause: accidental death automobile accident/bur. on Beatrice and Erna Kotche lot]