The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic: Sept. 25, 1924
HE WAS SHOT DEAD: Freddie Hoskins, the 17 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Hoskins of Dallas City and employed as mail carrier between the Dallas City post office and the railroad stations there was instantly killed last Sunday by the accidental discharge of a shot gun in the hands of his chum, Willie Crossley.
The tragedy occurred on the Mary Wibble farm in Durham Township where the Hoskins family consisting of the father and mother, the son who was killed, three daughters and a son-in-law reside. The Crossley lad had gone for a day's outing, picnic and nutting trip. After the picnic dinner all of the party except the two lads started out to gather nuts. The boys amused themselves for a while shooting at targets after which the Hoskins youth climbed into one of the autos in which the trip to the farm had been made. Young Crossley was standing with one foot on the running board of the car, having trouble in extracting a shell, which he thought had been fired from the breech of the gun he had been using. The shell proved to be a loaded one and was exploded when Crossley's finger slipped on the hammer which had been pulled back. The charge of the shot struck young Hoskins in the neck, tore through the jugular vein and neck arteries and lodged in and near the back bone. Crossley at once ran for help and the members of the party were soon at the scene of the shooting. It was soon evident to all that the victim of the accident was beyond mortal aid and that death had been practical instantaneous.
The members of the party returned to Dallas City where the body of young Hoskins was placed in charge of an undertaker and the county coroner notified. The finding of the coroner's jury which was empanelled later in the day was that Hoskins " death had resulted from a shot gun wound, said gun being accidentally discharged while in the hands of William Crossley, aged 14, and that there was no blame attached. The facts as given above are gleaned from the Dallas City Review.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. Chas. Dixon and daughter, Darlene of Carman and Mrs. Clyde Anderson of Stronghurst left for Truman, Minn. to care for Mrs. Clarence Moreland who had been hurt in an auto accident. Gus Thorell has sold his farm of 80 acres just north of the Old Bedford church to Jesse Walker at $250 an acres. There will be a public dance given at Tucker's pavilion at Olena on Friday evening, Sept. 26th Music will be by Bennie Murch's orchestra of Burlington, Ia. (Who knew that Olena was such a social Mecca!) Mr. and Mrs. Frank Painter are spending a few weeks in Montana near the town of Regina at the home of their daughter, Mrs. May Felton. Abe Magee is having quite a serious time with his hand as blood poison developed and he has had to have the hand lanced two or three times. At present the hand is showing signs of improvement.
The entire stock of the F. A. Warren Clothing Co., formerly the Keef Clothing Co., LaHarpe's oldest business institution, is being closed out at public auction. $28,000 of bonds of school district No. 71, Dallas City, were sold last Saturday by the school board to a Davenport, Ia., bond firm at a premium of $985.00. The bonds draw 5 % interest semi-annually. Proceeds of the bonds are to used in the erection of a new school building. Hartquists Brothers shipped out five car loads of cattle of their own feeding for the Chicago market. The wind last Sunday afternoon blew a great many apples off the trees which will be quite a loss to those having large orchards. Mrs. Mary Kern, the obliging telephone operator, leaves for a four week vacation where she will visit friends and relatives in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. L. A. Norman, former cashier of the Smithshire State Bank, has accepted the position of cashier of the First National Bank of Biggsville; he has had experience in the baking business sin Monmouth and St. Louis.
Often heard is the remark that someone has been handed a "lemon." L. A. Wilson was handed a real honest-to-good lemon weighing one pound, picked fresh from the tree by Mr. and Mrs. Will Ogden on their recent trip to California and brought home with them and presented to their friend. The old adage, "the proof of the pudding is the eating thereof" may be applied to the pie made from the lemon; it was fine! Mr. and Mrs. Ferdie Lovitt and son of Montana are visiting the gentleman's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lovitt of Terre Haute who plan to return out West with them.
Mrs. Amanda Johnson of Roseville recently completed her 59th trip between her home and the Pacific coast. As a result of these trips, 56 over the Santa Fe route, she is said to have become as familiar with the country along the way as the trainmen. Mrs. Johnson is 86 years of age, but is said to be remarkable alert both mentally and physically, and successfully manages several farms near Roseville. She has spent the winter months in California ever since the year 1885 when she first made the trip with her husband. Mr. J. W. Stine recently sold his residence in the west part of town to Mr. Fred Johnson for $5,000. The Lybarger Bros., Jo Beckett, Will Reedy, Arthur Roach and Maurice Lee of the south country have been shelling and delivering their last year's corn crop to the local elevator. Mrs. Ella Bowen accompanied Mr. and Mrs. G. Bowen of Terre Haute to Burlington where the elder Mrs. Bowen was operated on by Dr. Dixon for the removal of polypus in the nose; she is doing nicely since the operation. The contract for the new grade school building to be erected at Biggsville was let to Robert Fusch of Monmouth. It will be two stories and constructed of hollow tile with brick facing. All the latest approved facilities will be included in the interior which is hoped to be completed and ready for occupancy by the first of next year. R. T. McDill, who is vacation from his duties as guard at the Joliet penitentiary says that he had the pleasure of assigning the two notorious criminals, Leopold and Loeb, their cells in the "solitary" the first evening of their stay at the institution; he did not take the trouble to ask whether they wished a room with or without a bath. (These two wealthy young men attending the University of Chicago were convicted of killing 14 year old Bobby Frank in Chicago-a sensational murder trial.)