Harry R. Rogers

50 Years Ago - Oct. 17, 1935

Harry Rogers, the first sheriff of Niobrara County, was killed, and his brother, former Mayor Foster R. Rogers of Lusk, was seriously injured in an automobile accident at about 8 a.m. last Sunday, a few miles north of Dallas, Texas, while on their way back to Lusk from a trip to Old Mexico.

The Lusk Herald

Harry Rogers Killed, Foster Badly Hurt; Niobrara County Sheriff Loses Life in Auto Crash; Funeral of Harry Rogers in Lusk at 2:30 P.M. Saturday; Foster Rogers in Serious Condition in Dallas Hospital, But is Expected to Recover

Harry Rogers, former Sheriff of Niobrara county, was killed, and his brother, former Mayor Foster R. Rogers of Lusk, was seriously injured in an automobile accident at about 8:00 o'clock last Sunday morning, October 13, a few miles north of Dallas, Texas, while on their way back to Lusk from a trip to Old Mexico.

Foster Rogers is still in a hospital at Dallas, Texas, and although his condition is still serious, he is improving, and has a fair chance for recovery.

Both men suffered fractures of the skull, besides numerous other injuries. Harry Rogers was not instantly killed, as first reported. He was alive when picked up, and the surgeons performed an operation to relieve a skull pressure, but he died a short time afterward.

Besides having a serious fracture of the skull, Foster Rogers suffered a broken shoulder and a broken cheek bone. His condition from the skull fracture has been such that the surgeons have made no attempt to set the broken shoulder or the fractured cheek bone.

The body of Harry Rogers arrived in Lusk Thursday morning, and the funeral will be held from the congregational Church in Lusk, Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock.

CAR TURNED OVER AFTER PASSING TRUCK

The accident occurred on a straight highway, paved with brick, about ten miles north of Dallas, Texas. Harry Rogers was driving an Oldsmobile sedan which he recently purchased from the Boyd Chevrolet Co. of Lusk. It had been raining and the pavement was wet. It is understood they were traveling fast, probably 70 miles an hour. The driver attempted to pass a truck which was moving at the usual speed in front of them. The truck driver failed to move over and allow the Rogers car to pass him on the left side, so there being more room on the right side, he passed the truck on the right and apparently in doing so the right wheels of his car went off the pavement onto the slippery grass sod at the edge of the road. The driver probably jammed on his four-wheel hydraulic brakes, causing him to lose control of the car, which turned over at least three times, jumping the right-of-way fence which separated the highway from a railroad. Both men were thrown out of the car and when found were lying unconscious quite a distance from the car. When they were discovered they were both believed to be dead, and an ambulance was called from an undertaking parlor in Dallas. Both at the time were alive, however, and they were taken to a hospital in Dallas, where Harry Rogers died shortly after an operation.

According to Dade Boyd, who inspected the scene of the accident, the locked wheels of the car dug into the grassy sod for quite a distance before the car speeded and started rolling. There were no steep banks and the road was perfectly straight where the accident occurred. Had the driver not applied his brakes, the chances are that the car could have been driven down into the borrow pit and upon the road again without trouble.

ROGERS FAMILY GO DALLAS SUNDAY

After hearing of the accident, Dade Boyd and members of the Foster Rogers family started for Dallas. They left Lusk at 11:00 o'clock Sunday morning, drove all night, and arrived in Dallas at 4:30 Monday afternoon. The party was composed of Mr. Boyd, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Martin, Francis Rogers and Mrs. Lyle Miles. Bud Rogers joined the party at Cheyenne. Bud and Martha will stay with their father for some time yet, but Mr. and Mrs. Earl Martin and Francis came back to Lusk Thursday evening.

Dade Boyd accompanied the body of Harry Rogers back to Lusk, arriving here Thursday morning.

Foster Rogers will probably be confined to the hospital for about 30 days. As soon as his condition is satisfactory, a bone specialist will be called in to set the broken shoulder blade and the cheek bones.

The car was a total wreck and probably cannot be salvaged.

HARRY ROGERS WAS FIRST SHERIFF OF COUNTY

Harry Rogers, who was the first sheriff of Niobrara county, had been engaged in various promotional enterprises for many years and had spent little time in Lusk. When the county of Niobrara was organized in 1918 he was elected its first sheriff. He is survived by his widow, who is the mother of Dade and Bush Boyd of Lusk.

He was 65 years old. His surviving brothers are Fred, Foster, Walter B. and Roy Rogers. One sister also survives, Mrs. Mable Shipley, who is on her way to Lusk from California to attend the funeral.

The funeral services here will be in charge of the Peet Mortuary but many minor details will not be arranged until the arrival of all relatives.

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