Ben Preston and His Death Car Roadster

From The Whittier Daily News, Thursday, July 9, 1936: 

WICHITA, Kans.—Ben Preston, mechanic, probably owns the world’s most gruesome automobile. 

His car has been assembled from parts of 25 automobiles in which 37 persons were killed. 

One fender was taken from a care used by Eddie Adams, notorious Kansas bandit, just before he was killed by Wichita police several years ago. Another fender is from a car used by the late Charles (Pretty Boy) Floyd. 

Preston began a year ago to collect various parts from wrecked machines. He was assisted in assembling the machine by Ray Wilt and E. D. Frazee. It is a roadster and capable of traveling 70 miles per hour. 

Although Preston said he does not intend to drive the car at that speed, he does not stand in fear of its gruesome reminders. He said that he assembled the machine as a hoppy, but it will stand out as a warning to other motorists. 

(E.D. Frazee, not a close relation to the Palomar Club Frazees.)

From The Nome Nugget Monday, November 21, 1938: 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov.—Ben Preston, an old Texas Ranger, doesn’t like the way automobiles are built. So, piece by piece, he put one together to suit himself. 

The result is a car that will go 100 miles an hour—and whose parts were involved in the deaths of 48 people. 

In 1935, Preston acquired the motor and chassis of a machine that had been crushed by a load of falling pipe. That started him on his hobby of collecting parts from cars in which people were killed. 

All over the country, people began to hear about Preston and sent him automobile parts. 

To qualify now for a place in the Preston ensemble, an automobile part has to have at least three, preferable more deaths connected with it. If he adds new parts, they must replace ones that came from multiple-death cars. 

A Texas officer recently sent Preston a tap (sic) from the car in which the southwestern desperado, Clyde Barrow and his Bonnie Parker were shot to death, but Preston hasn’t yet found a place for it. 

The left fender was the only part that remained intact after a train-car race near Valley Center, Kansas. Five people in a sedan were killed. 

It’s hood came from a car in which a jealous wife discovered her husband with another woman. She shot them and then tore up the car with a hammer. 

A government car involved in the Kansas City Union Station “massacre,” supplied the steering wheel.

So it goes—death rode along on almost every part. 

The mongrel car almost added two more to the death list. Preston drove it into a ditch near Guthrie at 70 miles per hour. He came out with a fractured arm, collar bone and shoulder and five ribs broken. A hitch-hiker was tossed through a fence, but lived. 

Preston says he is “attached” to the death car—keeps and drives it as “sort of a good luck token.” 

Like most good stories, this one consists of facts, rumors, and myth. Ben Preston was born Ben Preston Burks on July 3, 1878 in Alexander, Texas, a small village 90 miles southwest of Fort Worth. His dreams were big, however. At 18 he married Lizzie Abilene Thompson and soon after she bore him a son, Emmett. Shortly, thereafter, though, Ben can be found residing at the Cass County Convict Camp on the Texas/Arkansas/Louisiana Border. 

In 1910, on the census, he claims to own a sawmill and his wife and 12-year-old son are listed as farm laborers on his father’s farm, but then I find a newspaper ad for Ben Preston, the Strong Man of El Paso and learn from his obituary, that this was about the time Ben abandoned his family, and took his middle name as his new surname. Could this be our man? 

In March, 1915, there is an article in the Wichita Eagle which says that he was moved from Kansas City to Wichita by the Cattle Raisers Association of Texas to be a brand inspector. It’s a job he seems to do well, as he catches rustlers many times who have attempted running or fouling cattle brands in order to ship the steers out of Kansas to the Eastern market. In 1916 Lizzie contracts tuberculosis. In November 1917, he makes the news because he claims to have lost a wad of money while riding the trolley, he has no idea what the amount was, possibly $50 or $60. He promises to reward whomever returns it with a portion of his treasure. 

In January 1919, Ben was arrested for pulling a gun on Clayton Andrews after Andrews struck him with an iron bar, but he was strong enough to maintain his composure and not shoot Andrews. Then R. Gasaway, trolley conductor and supposed friend took the gun, which Ben thought reasonable since he wasn’t going to kill Andrews simply because he refused to give him a refund. But, when Gasaway then turned the gun on him, Ben knew he had to fight both armed men. 

In February 1919, he nabbed one Clarence Legear, an accused bandit, before he, himself, had been arraigned for the prior felonious assault. With numerous witnesses and advocates coming forward, he most likely was given a very lenient sentence. In an October 19, 1919 interview in the Wichita Eagle Ben claims that he was raised on his father’s cattle ranch on the Rio Grande, and that he herded cattle from Arizona all the way to Montana. He also relates that in 1910 he was involved in a big shoot out with Mexican bandits in an unnamed Mexican village,  and that he shot and killed so many bandits there is no telling how many of his pals’ lives he probably saved.  In the 1920 Census, Ben is a boarder, living alone, in Wichita, but the interview says that every night he comes home to “Mrs. Ben”.

In 1926, Lizzie dies at age 48, and Emmett moves into the home of his Uncle John.

In 1930, Ben bills himself as a salesman of oil leases.  Although it sounds like just a lot more showmanship on his part, there is an article in 1922 in which he and five other investors, had struck oil, so it is possibly true. He is unable to be found in the 1940 Census as either Preston or Burks, and even though he claims to have moved to Oklahoma City in 1938, the next mentions of him in all newspaper stories say that he is Ben Preston, of Wichita.

In 1942, he is listed as a pall barer for a district attorney in Oklahoma City, and in 1945 he is sued by that attorney’s biographer for backing out of the agreement to pay him to write and to fund publication of that book.

He died on July 6th, 1961, just days after his 83rd birthday, and was buried next to Lizzie back in Clairette (near Alexander), Texas, under the name Ben P. Burks.

In 1979, his heir, Emmett dies three weeks short of his 83rd birthday, the last of the Erath County Burks. He had never married.  So where the Death Car is today, may never be known.

A Guide to Vintage Clothes

Written by David Frazee notes from Nichole Sesti

One of the easiest ways to identify the age of vintage clothing is by examining the garment's tags and labels. Many clothing manufacturers include a label with the garment's brand, size, and washing instructions.

Older garments may have labels that include outdated brand names or logos. Vintage Fashion Guild has an extensive archive of clothing labels that you can use to research and date clothing from these.

Before computer inventories were available, manufacturers used lot tags/ numbers to identify a batch of garments that were made from the same fabric or design. Lot tags were used up until 1979.

Union tags were used by manufacturers to showcase their workers were unionized under the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). There are variations of this tag which can help identify what era the garment was produced. From 1900-1936: were labeled with “ILGWU AFL” between 1936-1940: they were labeled with “ILGWU CIO.”

There were also government tags including from the New York Joint Board Sanitary Control which began in labeling in 1910, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1909. Or the National Recovery Act of NRA label included by many businesses after 1933.

Paper tags are often found in more modern vintage clothing and have the materials, wash instructions, size, and other information.

Speaking of material, the Woolmark logo was introduced in 1964 to showcase the garment’s natural fibers versus the growing use of synthetic fibers. Pre-1939: Wool garments had no label of any kind. After 1964: First Woolmark logo indicated 100% wool content.

If your piece of clothing has garment care instructions, then your garment is dated at 1971 or later. In 1971, the Federal Trade Commission required all clothing manufacturers to include a garment care label.

Check for labels that read “one size fits all” In the 80s, it was a trend to create “one size fits all” costumes. If you find such a tag on a garment, it can indicate that despite what the garment may look like, it was made in the 1980s or later.

Read the label for details such as half sizes. In the 1940s, half sizes existed in clothing when women who were on the shorter size created demand for them. This continued until the 1980s, when half sizes were discontinued and a new sizing system emerged.

If you come across a label that says "Made in the USA," there's a good chance the garment is from the 70s or earlier, as many manufacturers have since moved their production overseas.

Another way to determine a garment's age is by examining its construction and materials. Vintage clothing was often made with high-quality materials like silk, wool, and cotton, and was constructed with great attention to detail. Look for features like French seams, hand-stitched hems, and unique buttons or closures. These details can help you differentiate between a vintage piece and a modern replica.

Iconic “Talon” type zippers were introduced in the 1920s – the original and authentic blue jean zipper. Plastic zippers became available in 1963. Also note the zipper’s location. In the 30s and 40s zippers were most often placed on the side, afterwards on the back.

The finishing on the interior seams can help identify the age of a handmade item. A ‘pinked seam’ will most likely be on a garment from the 50’s. The pinked seam looks like teeth, using the pinking shears as a way to reduce fraying.

In addition to examining the garment itself, it can also be helpful to do some research on the brand or designer. Certain designers and brands are known for their iconic styles and silhouettes, making it easier to identify their vintage pieces.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help! Vintage shops and online marketplaces often have knowledgeable staff or sellers who can help you identify a piece's age, designer, and other important details. And if you're really stumped, there are plenty of online forums and communities dedicated to vintage clothing, where you can ask for advice.