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Show CROWD SEES FLYER KILLED IN MIDAIR Stunt Aviator Cut to Pieces by ; Propeller, Leaping From Plane to Plane. Chicago. Swinging on a rope ladder dangling from an airplane 100 feet la the air as he sought to thrill 5,000 ; Homewood , pleasure seekers, Louis James, nationally known "boy aviator," avia-tor," was cut to pieces by the propeller pro-peller of another plane. His body fell to the ground, almost at the feet of his fiancee, U1m Ruth Trlssman. aer- s fit ( Squarely Into the Propeller. ?nteen years old. James, who was but eighteen years old, was a protege of Mis Ruth Law. The occasion was the second day of an aerial celebration under the auspices aus-pices of the American Legion post of Homewood. A great throng had gath- ered. A dozen pltwes were whirring through the air, nose dives, tail spins, barrel rolls, Immelman turns, and all ; the other hair-raisers of the aerial art held the spectators. Then came the fentnre of the day.-James was to perform per-form the stunt made famous by Lieut. Omer C. Locklear that of climbing from one "ship" to another In midair. Twice before that day he had tried t and failed. James climbed to the top wing of one plane, and, lying flat upon Its surface sur-face grasped two struts and gave the signal to go ahead. The two ships took the air and slowly climbed to a height of 800 feet. Twice the pilot In the upper plane brought the dangling ladder to within a few Inches of James' outstretched hands before he was able to grasp It. He was seen a second later bunging free. And then The planes seemed to sheer together for a moment James and the ladder were thrown squarely Into the propeller propel-ler of the lower ship. James' body was p to cramp!. A awmrut later, mangled and bleeding, he dropped into the crowd far below. Women screamed and fainted. Miss Trlssman sank to the ground unconscious. |