Quarterhorses Valued at $1300 Killed by Auto
David Edsel Hall (2 November 1942 - 28 June 1972)
Involved Car Suffers $315 Damage Says Highway Patrolman
Three registered quarterhorses valued at $1300 strayed onto the highway at
3:45 am Saturday and were struck and killed by a car driven by David Edsel
Hall, 18, Carmen.
Hall was driving north on highway 281 a quarter mile south of Alva's city
limits on his way to work at the Alva Farmers co-op elevator. He is a
construction worker on a new pellet mill.
With him were J. D. Reynolds, Dacoma, and Mike Higby, Hopeton, also
construction workers. None were injured.
When Hall saw the animals, he applied his breaks and skidded 27 feet
before striking them. One of the horses, a colt, was killed immediately
and a mare and another colt had to be destroyed.
Collision with the three animals crumpled the hood of the Hall automobile,
a 1956 Ford sedan, causing $315 damage.
The owner of the horses is Smith Gingrich, Alva, employed gy Northwestern
State college.
"Something must have scared them," Gingrich said of the valuable animals.
"They broke a post of the fence when they got out."
Gingrich had no idea what might have frightened the horses, kept in a
small pasture near the home of farmer Kenneth Wilson. The pasture is
owned by Northwestern State college.
When the animals broke through the woved wire fence, the apparently
wandered up through the college grounds, Gingrich said. They then
wandered out onto the highway.
The horses served as saddle horses for the three Gingrich children, the
owner explained. Both colts were offspring of the mare purchased from
farmer, Ted Kramp, south of Alva.
Besides wheat farming, Kramp also breeds registered quarterhorses. The
mare was approximately 15 months old when Gingrich purchased it.
Gingrich says he does not im-...
(continued on Page 2)
Note: According to my father, Mr. Gingrich had his lawyer call Edsel
(David at 18 was considered still a minor) to make arrangements about
compensation. When Edsel said that he would be happy to receive whatever
money Mr. Gingrich would like to pay to cover the damages to the vehicle,
Mr. Gingrich deferred further communication with Edsel. Obviously, Mr.
Gingrich was more interested in receiving money than giving it out.
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