Tragedy Thursday

        Youth Is Dead In Auto Crash;  Girl May Die
 Herbert Gebhart, Germantown, Killed in Early Morning Accident
      Stella Weaver Is Injured Seriously
    Machine Collides With Another Car When Speeding Near Village

    Herbert Gebhart, 22, R.R. 2, Germantown, was dead and Miss Stella Weaver, 16, daughter of Winfield Weaver, Germantown, was in Miami Valley hospital in a critical condition Thursday as a result of an automobile crash near Ellerton on the Germantown Pike Wednesday night at 11 o'clock.
    Two other persons, C.A. Ward and his wife, Blanche Ward, R.R. 2, Liberty Rd., were slightly injured in the crash, but were not taken to a hospital.  Mrs. Ward suffered scalp wounds.
   Sheriff Fred S. Wolf was advised of the accident by C.L. Plymate, 110 Alameda Pl., and detailed Deputy Sheriff Dwight Conover to the investigation.
   Gebhart died while being removed to St. Elizabeth hospital, while Miss Weaver was taken to Miami Valley hospital by Mr. Plymate, who was passing by the accident scene a few minutes after the crash.
   The girl sustained a fractured skull and internal injuries and may not recover, hospital officials reported.  An examination of the injuries is being conducted.
   Witnesses told Deputy Sheriff Conover that the Gebhart and Ward automobiles were both proceeding in the same direction when the accident occurred.
  Gebhart was said to have applied the brakes to his car, which was reported to have been going at a high rate of speed.  He is believed to have lost control  of the machine, as it crashed into a telephone pole, breaking it off, then careened into the Ward automobile, turning that car over into a ditch.
   The car ended its rolling when it turned over against a second telephone pole.  Gebhart was reported to have sustained a broken neck.  He was the son of Harley Gebhart.
  Miss Weaver was an occupant of his automobile and was unable to give a statement on the accident Thursday morning.
   Sheriff Wolf reported that he had received complaints about speeding on the Germantown Pike and had attempted to break it upby the arrest of a number of offenders.  Several witnesses reported that Gebhart was one of the motorists who caused the complaints to be made to the sheriff.

**Dayton Daily News, 7 APR 1927, Front Page