(From The Sterling Daily Gazette, September 3, 1915)

Dr. and Mrs. I. B. Carolus were run into by an auto Thursday [09/02/1915] forenoon about 10:45 o’clock and their car was badly wrecked. It is a wonder that the doctor and his wife escaped fatal injury, as it was they are all right with the exception of a badly bruised and scratched knee of Mrs. Carolus. The doctor and Mrs. Carolus had been to Wheatland, Iowa, for a visit with Dr. and Mrs. Gress, formerly of this city. They were returning and were on the Sands road as the Lincoln highway is unfit for travel, owing to the work being done on it. They had reached the corner about two miles north of Sands and were in the act of turning the sharp corner when they were met by a big touring car containing five men. The doctor and his wife were in his well-known white runabout. He and his wife allege that they were on their own side of the road and in so doing had the right to the corner. Just as they were turning the corner the other auto struck them. The impact of the two machines was hard on the lighter car for it was badly wrecked. Thought to be at least two hundred dollars damage to it. The light car was crowded and pushed up to the hedge fence growing there and the dirt bank. The car was smashed, but the occupants were not thrown out. How they escaped is a miracle.

The doctor and his wife said this morning that the car of the other party contained five men. They were forced to stop after the collision, and got out of their car to see what injury had been done to the car. They did a whole lot of swearing because the Carolus auto did not get out of their way. They saw that their machine was not badly hurt, jumped in without saying a word at all and started off. After going fifty feet or so, the car was stopped as it did not appear right to them. While they were looking at their car the doctor took the number of the car. Had they not stopped they might have never found out the car owner.

The touring car with its load of five men then hastened onward. Dr. Carolus went to a neighbor’s house and phoned to a Sterling garage man to come after the wreck. They also phoned for his brother, Dr. W. B. Carolus to come and get them, and for the son, Lloyd, to bring along his camera. They came and pictures were taken of the remains of the beautiful white auto.

Then then went to Morrison and by accident found the auto had been left at a garage for the slight fixing it needed. The doctor found by the state auto book the owner of the car by the number, he being William Lingel of Mt. Morris. The sheriff, Harry Berry was found and he rendered valuable assistance and had the circuit clerk, Chas. McCall, come to the office from the fair ground and a praecipe [sic] was gotten out and the sheriff found his man and served a writ on him. The case will likely be tried at the next term of circuit court. It so happened that at the time of the collision a couple were in the way of the touring car and they saw the two machines when they went together. They say the Mt. Morris car was going at the rate of thirty-five miles an hour, and they so remarked it as they saw it coming and were forced to get out of the way of it. They will swear to these facts on the stand. The doctor and his wife give much in the way of praise to the sheriff for his kindness and promptness.

(From The Sterling Daily Standard, September 3, 1915)

Dr. I. B. Carolus of this city got quick action on Wm. Lingel of Mt. Morris, who failed to obey the law of the road and as a result permitted his car to run into Dr. Carolus’ car on Thursday [09/02/1915] while Dr. and Mrs. Carolus were homeward bound from Wheatland, Ia. Within a few hours after the accident Dr. Carolus got service on Mr. Lingel for damage suit in the Whiteside count circuit court. Dr. and Mrs. Carolus were homeward bound, traveling at their usual easy gait of speed, and as they were turning at a corner near Sands Station, the Lingel car, going at a great rate of speed, collided with the little white roadster. Dr. Carolus was on his side of the road. The collision was too much for the little car, and of course smashed it, but the big car kept on going for a block or two, when engine trouble made it necessary to stop, whereupon the doctor got the number of the car. Telephone calls to Sterling resulted in Dr. W. B. Carolus getting to the scene, and his son Lloyd took pictures, meanwhile the Sterling garage took the car to town, and the two Caroluses hurried to Morrison, where Sheriff Berry took charge of the whole affair. Sheriff Berry showed how he could get service quickly. Attorney Van Sant was found, and usual papers were taken out in circuit court. Sheriff Berry got Mr. Lingel before the day ended. Dr. and Mrs. Carolus showed plainly that it was a long road that did not have a turn.

(From The Sterling Daily Gazette, October 20, 1915, page 1, column 4)

Dr. I. B. Carolus of Sterling lost his case with Mr. Lingel of Lanark before the Circuit court Tuesday [10/19/1915] afternoon. All of the evidence was in by the middle of the afternoon and the lawyers finished their arguments early and the case went to the jury at 5:30 o’clock. After the reading of the instructions and a short talk on the case, a vote was taken by the jury and every one voted to find the issues for the defendant, only one vote was taken. The verdict was sealed and the jury given its freedom until this morning and upon opening of the court the verdict was read. This was one of the best known suits in the court for the term. Dr. and Mrs. I. B. Carolus were on their way home from Iowa in their little white car on the week of the Morrison fair. On this side of Morrison they had a collision with a big touring car containing four or five passengers owned by Mr. Lingel of Lanark. Each car owner claims the other was to blame. Dr. Carolus brought suit against Mr. Lingel for damages sustained to his car. He claimed that his car was about still when hit by the other. Mr. Lingel had four men with him at the time and each swore differently from the doctor. It was one of the hardest fought cases tried in the county for some time. The doctor had for his attorney N. G. Van Sant of this city. Mr. Lingel employed State’s Attorney J. J. Ludens of Sterling and his brother, H. J. Ludens from Morrison. The car of the doctor has been repaired and it is now as good as ever, althought it was badly out of commission at the time of the accident. The case has been watched with a great deal of interest by the people not only in Sterling but by all of the people of the county as well.

Contributed by Larry Reynolds - Sterling Daily Standard 15 Jun 1911