Days Gone By In Staunton

Thursday, July 5, 1923 -- LIVE WIRE KILLS LIVINGSTON MAN -- Jacob Hribar killed by Charge of 3300 Volts Thursday Morning -- Jacob Hribar of Livingston on Thursday morning at about 8:30 o'clock was electrocuted while attempting to patch up a broken electric wire near his home.

According to information we were able to secure, Hribar was up in a tree, attempting to mend a broken electric wire when he received the shock which caused his death. It is said that a charge of 3300 volts passed through his body and this, together with the fall from the tree, instantly killed him.

Coroner Mercer of Edwardsville was notified and on Thursday afternoon conducted an inquest at which a verdict of accidental death in keeping with the above facts was returned.

Hribar was married, but the couple had no children and the widow survives him as nearest relative.

Funeral services were conducted Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. Floyd W. Johnston of the Staunton Baptist church officiating. Interment was at the Spangle cemetery. Mr. Hribar's age at the time of his tragic death was 31 years, 1 month and 28 days. He was a member of the Livingston miners' local and this organization, as well as the Livingston Miners' Band, was in attendance at the funeral.

FIGURES FROM SCHOOL CENSUS -- Official Tabulation Shows Increase of 104 in School Children -- The annual school census, which this year was taken by Albert Ficker, has just been completed and the official figures were submitted to the Board of Education at their meeting Monday evening for approval.

The report shows the following interesting figures:

Total of all ages: Males 3311, Females 3146, Total 6457

Under 21 and above 16: Males 339, Females 264, Total 603

Under 16 and above 6: Males 801, Females 780, Total 1581

Under 6 years of age: Males 428, Females 370, Total 798

Attending Parochial Schools: Males 177, Females 136, Total 313

Illiterates: Males 3, Females 2, Total 5

A comparison of the above report with the one of last year indicates that there has been an increase of 104 children of school ages while in the district as a whole a decrease of 45 is recorded. The decrease in the district as a whole is no doubt due to the fact that at the time the census was taken quite a number of the young men who ordinarily make this community their home, were away, working at other places, due to the slack work at the local mines.

BONUS CHECKS TO BE OUT SOON -- According to word from Springfield the bonus checks to ex-service men will be out in the very near future. A large force of clerks from the state treasurer's and state auditor's offices are at work on them and a considerable portion of the warrants have been gotten ready for the mails. Some of the men will probably receive their checks this week and all of them will be out in a short time. That's good news for the boys, especially those of their number who happen to be out of a job or working only part time.

STAUNTON MEN FIGURE IN ACCIDENT -- A party of Staunton men early Monday morning had an automobile accident a short distance south of Edwardsville, of which Monday's Edwardsville Intelligencer gives the following account:

Fred Jediska was badly injured about the head and face early this morning when an automobile in which he was riding with friends was badly damaged on a sharp curve at the home of J.L. Dean on the St. Louis road. His companions were luckier and escaped with slight injuries. They were riding in an automobile of H.C. Hasse of Staunton. The car was being driven westward.

H.C. Hasse of Staunton was driving the automobile at the time of the accidents according to police reports. Two companions, Leonard Schubert and Rudolph Bertagnolli were slightly hurt. William Burgoa, fifth in the automobile escaped without injuries.

Prints along the side of the road indicate the car left the pavement as it was taking the curve. The driver was either crowded to the right by two approaching automobiles or blinded by the bright lights on the other cars.

F.C. Ford of Davenport, Ia., a tourist who was camping nearby was the first to reach the scene. He said that he saw the approaching automobiles and believed the lights blinded the driver of the wrecked automobile. Neither of the passing automobiles stopped.

After leaving the road the automobile struck the end of a culvert, tearing off one of the rear wheels. The automobile did not turn over but was carried some distance away. An old hen which was sitting on a nest of eggs in the fence was killed. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Herrin and Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Harwood were the first to pass after the accident and stopped. The three injured men were brought to the office of Dr. E. Wahl where their injuries were dressed.

MAN KILLED AT HENDERSON -- Two masked men early Monday morning entered a side door of a soft drink establishment conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Vertico at Henderson, near Gillespie, and shot and killed Mr. Vertico. His wife was standing nearby, counting the day's receipts, and several bullets also struck her. No effort was made to steal the money. The men were masked and officers are now searching for them. Mrs. Vertico was taken to the Litchfield hospital for treatment. It is thought she will recover. The couple have three small children, who were asleep in an adjoining room at the time. No motive for the crime is known. Vertico works on the night shift at the Henderson mine and had just returned home a few minutes before he was shot to death.