Beckham County, OK - Deaths: William Taylor, 1916
Friday, 30 January 2009
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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TAYLOR, WILLIAM
(2 Nov 1916, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Will Taylor, son of Mrs. Dave Taylor was killed in an auto accident which
occurred Sunday night about six miles south of Sayre on the Delhi road.  A
party of four, consisting of Will Taylor, John Russell, Miss Hazel Pope
and her cousin Miss Hulda Albright, who is here on a visit, were in the
car at the time of the accident, and all received more or less serious
injuries.  Miss Pope received a severe cut on the limb just above the
knee, Miss Albright had four bones in her right hand broken and John
Russell sustained a broken shoulder blade, a severe injury to his back and
several bruises about the head and body.
The party was driving south with Miss Pope guiding the steering wheel.  No
one seems to know just how the accident occurred but it is supposed that
Miss Pope lost control of the car to such an extend that it left the hard
clay road and dropped into the deep sand along the roadway.  After the car
left the roadway, it turned in the opposite direction and had turned
completely over.  Taylor received a deep cut through the breast and never
regained consciousness, death coming before he could be brought into the
city.  After the accident Miss Pope, as soon as she regained
consciousness, started in search of help and was met by J. F. McGrath of
Delhi, who immediately phoned to Sayre for doctors and cars.  About this
time Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt Snell arrived at the place of the accident and
the body of Taylor was conveyed in Mr. Snell's car to Sayre and taken to
the undertaking rooms of John R. Lane.  The other injured members of the
party were brought in by Mr. McGrath.
The funeral of Will Taylor was held from the Methodist church Monday
afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, services at the church being conducted by Rev.
T. J. Taylor, and the remains were laid at rest at the Doxey-Sayre
cemetery.  The business houses of the city were closed from 2:00 until
3:00 o'clock.
(2 Nov 1916, Thursday, Southwest News, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Will Taylor, a well known young man of Sayre, was killed Sunday afternoon
about five miles south of Sayre when the automobile in which he with three
other young people were riding, turned turtle.  In the car with Taylor
were John Russell, Miss Hazel Pope and a young lady whose name could not
be learned, it being stated she was a cousin of Miss Pope's and was
visiting there from her home in Texas.
Russell was badly bruised, suffering a broken collar bone and a badly
bruised back.  Miss Pope received an ugly cut on one of the lower limbs,
and the young lady who is visiting her had one of her hands badly crushed
and broken.
(Nov 1916, Elk City News Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Sunday evening two young couples of Sayre - Messrs. John Russell and
Willie Taylor, and Misses Hazel Pope and Hulda Albright, were driving
along the Delhi road about five miles south of Sayre, in an auto, with
Miss Pope as driver, when in an unguarded moment something went wrong, and
the car turned completely over, killing Willie Taylor almost instantly,
and injuring the others.  Mr. Russell had an arm and shoulder blade
broken, and received quite a bruise on his back.  Miss Pope had one knee
severely cut.  Miss Albright had four fingers broken and both young ladies
were badly bruised.  For awhile, it was thought Mr. Russell was seriously
hurt, but we are glad to hear he is getting along alright. He is a son of
Henry Russell, a pioneer of Sayre.  Willie Taylor was the son of Mrs. Dave
Taylor, a widow and was her sole support.  He was a most affectionate son,
and had many warm friends and the large Methodist church there, was
crowded on Monday afternoon when his funeral was conducted by Rev. Taylor,
the pastor.  He spoke in tender terms of the young man, who was of such a
happy nature, always looking on the bright side.  He was nearly twenty
years of age.  As Rev. Taylor said, it seemed so hard to have one so young
taken away in the bloom of life with expectations ahead and hopes of a
bright future, and while enjoying the best of health.
The church was beautifully decorated with flowers, and the members of the
Royal Neighbors, of which Mrs. Taylor is a member, attended the funeral in
a body.  Willie was formerly a member of the M.W.A. having a $2000
insurance, but he had lapsed two months in his payments.
The greatest sympathy was expressed for all, and a gloom was cast over
Sayre.  Miss Pope is suffering great mental anguish, over the thought that
she was driving when the accident happened.  When regaining consciousness
after the accident she ran for a mile to get help, and did not know her
knee was injured until she had gone nearly the entire distance.  It seemed
marvelous that all of the occupants were not killed.
Mrs. Alice Blackburn of the News Democrat went over to attend the funeral,
having been close neighbors and friends of the Taylor and Pope families
while living in Sayre.

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