ARNHART

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 06:23:42 :

Marin Journal
Thursday, April 7, 1921
Page 1

Petaluma Man Dies In Accident

William H. Arnhart, a Petaluma cement work contractor, was killed Monday afternoon when his automobile went over an embankment on St. Vincent’s Hill and pinned him to the ground in a pile or rocks.

Experienced automobile men who examined the car were of the opinion that one of the rear wheels was twisted from the axle before the machine went over the bank. Arnhart was alone at the time. The driver of a passing machine first discovered the tragedy, and after ascertaining that the man was dead he went to Ignacio and notified George S. Jones, who in turn telephoned to Coroner J. Ray Keaton. Keaton removed the remains to the morgue here.

Arnhart, it is believed, was on his way home from San Francisco. His car, a 1910 Buick transformed into a truck, was loaded with a few sacks and a small barrel of cement.

Coroner Keaton believes that in attempting to shift to low gear on the street grade, Arnhart by mistake shifted into reverse and shot backwards over the bank.

Mrs. Arnhart came down from Petaluma in the evening, accompanied by Mr. Joost, of the Mount Undertaking Parlors of that city, and the remains were taken to Petaluma for burial.

Arnhart had been a resident of Petaluma for 16 years. Until a comparatively short time ago he had been employed by the Independent Garage. He was 52 years of age.