FIVE KILLED IN AUTO ACCIDENT

TRAIN STRIKES CAR NEAR CROSSVILLE WITH TERRIBLE RESULTS

ONE MAN AND FOUR LADIES DIE IN ACCIDENT

FUNERALS HELD SUNDAY AFTERNOON

A death toll of five persons was the result of a terrible accident which occurred just east of Crossville about two o'clock last Saturday afternoon when the westbound passenger train on the Tennessee Central railroad struck the car in which the party was driving. The dead are: Jack Hitshew, aged 54, of Monterey, Mrs. Rosa Cox of Pomona Road, Mrs. William Hedgecoth, Mrs. Phillip Vanhoy, Miss Mabel Dayton. Mr Hitshew was driving the car and it was stated by Mill Hughes that as they neared the crossing the smoke from the train could be seen and that Mr. Hitshew slowed down as though he intended to stop but immediately opened up the engine again with the train to the crossing. The other occupants of the car remonstrated with him and begged that he wait until the train had passed. Notwithstanding this he made a run for the crossing and the train and the car met at the point. The car was carried some distance on the cowcatcher and the occupants, some of whom were horribly mangled, were strewn alongside the railroad track. Five of the occupants were killed outright, and Misses Mabel Dayton and Ethel Hughes were seriously injured. Miss Mabel Dayton was a school, and on Friday afternoon signed up a contract for teaching the school at Pleasant Hill, between Crossville and Crab Orchard. Miss Dayton decided to go to Pleasant Hill Saturday and arrange for a boarding place and Mr. Hitshew agreed to take her in his car. The other occupants of the car were picked up along the way and were simply going for the ride. All were in a way related and the party was a jolly one when it left Crossville, only to hurled into eternity a few minutes after making the start. Mr. Hitshew was in Rockwood last week, having come to the city on Thursday to attend the funeral of his sister, Mrs. Mellie Gowman, who was buried on that day. Some years ago he left Cumberland county and went to Arizona where he conducted a large ranch. He never married. His Arizona venture proved a financial success and two or three years ago he sold out and returned to the Cumberland plateau. He owned a large store at Monterey, but it is said that he spent very little time there, being away most of the time in his car, which he enjoyed driving. His body was brought to Rockwood
Sunday morning and prepared for burial at the Lamb & Coulter funeral home. The burial occurred Sunday afternoon in Odd Fellows cemetery and the interment was beside the grave of his sister who only died two days previous. Rev. Leland Cook conducted the funeral. The other victims of the accident were buried Sunday afternoon in the Crossville neighborhood.

The Rockwood Times, Rockwood, TN, Thursday, 9 Aug 1917, Vol. XXXVII, No. 32.