Mr.
C. H. Mabee, Well-Known Through Western Norfolk,
Succumbs to Injuries Received While Speeding Horse.
Tillsonburg Observer: A
most deplorable and fatal accident occurred at the fair grounds on
Tuesday morning, which resulted in the death of Mr. C. H. Mabee, one
of the best-known and most prominent business men of the town.
Mr. Mabee was training two of
his horses for the races to be held here in July. His son, Basil, and
Henry Round, a man who worked for Mr. Mabee, took the horse up to the
fair grounds between eight and nine o'clock in the morning, and Mr.
Mabee rode up in his auto.
After reaching the fair
grounds, Mr. Mabee took his pacer, Tipperary, on the track, and was
speeding it with Mr. George Walsh, who had a horse there.
They were going at a very fast
gait, when Mr. Mabee's horse struck a soft spot in the track, stumbled
and pitched forward with terrific force, turning a complete somersault
and throwing Mr. Mabee over its head.
He struck on his head and left
shoulder, but was not rendered unconscious, and did not appear to be
badly injured.
His man brought the auto over
to where the accident occurred and Mr. Mabee got into it without
assistance and was taken home.
He was able to walk into the
house and objected to having a physician called, thinking that he
would be all right in a short time.
About one o'clock he lapsed
into unconsciousness and did not rally again, passing away about one
o'clock Wednesday morning. Two physicians of the town and one from
Woodstock did all that was possible for his recovery. Death was due to
shock and internal hemorrhage.
Mr. Mabee, who was in his
forty-sixth year, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Mabee of
Middleton and was born and spent his early life on the farm, a few
miles from Tillsonburg.
When a young man he entered
business as a stock dealer. He came to Tillsonburg to reside about
twenty-five years ago, and a few years later entered into partnership
with Mr. W. J. Wilkins in the grocery business in the stand now
occupied by Mr. Charles Williams.
After three years Mr. Wilkins
purchased Mr. Mabee's interest in the business, and Mr. Mabee devoted
all his time to the buying and selling of stock.
Four years ago he purchased
the site on the corner of Broadway and Oxford streets and erected the
fine building known as the Mabee block, which improved that part of
the town greatly.
The following year he became
the Tillsonburg agent of the Ford Motor Company, in which he was very
successful. The business done in the town and district under his
management became very extensive, and he then formed a partnership
with Mr. Fred Mabee and they bought the site on the south side of
Oxford street and erected the commodious brick garage there.
Recently the firm decided to
extend the mechanical part of their business and had installed some
new machinery, with a view to employing more mechanics.
Mr. Mabee served the town
several years as councillor and was mayor one year. He was a director
of the Tillsonburg and Dereham Agricultural Society and was president
of the society at one time.
He was a Liberal in politics,
and took a leading and active interest in the affairs of his party.
He was an expert horseman and
a great lover of horses, and was never without several fine animals in
which he took pride.
He was energetic in everything
with which he was associated, and in his death the town loses one of
its finest citizens and one who will be greatly missed.
Few men in the district were
better known than was Mr. Mabee, and the sympathy of all go out to the
bereaved family and parents in their irreparable loss and distress.
About twenty years ago Mr.
Mabee married Frances, daughter of the late James Bradburn of this
town, who survives him, with three children, Basil, Eula Fay and
Irene.
