Pittsburg County, OK - Obituaries
Information abstracted from area newspapers
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Submitted by: Maxine Reggio 
    e-mail:  reggio@flash.net
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Pittsburg Co.MCALESTER NEWS CAPITAL SUNDAY SEPT 5, 1926 page 1 col 1 
& page 2 col 1 

TWO PERSONS KILLED SAVANNA ACCIDENT; 
OTHER MAY DIE BODIED CRUSHED AS TRUCKS PASS CLOSE TOGETHER
Sideswipe Caused by Blinding Auto Lights Catches Three Members of Party On
Way To Church. 
TRUCK DRIVER IS BEING HELD HERE 
Boy in Hospital Where His Condition Is Serious; Internal Injuries May Claim
His Life, Too  Dragged from their seats as a moving van sideswiped the
truck on which a party of ten persons was riding, Dorothy Beatrice Skinner,
age 10, and James Tomlinson, Jr. was probably fatally injured in an
accident which occurred in Savanna Friday evening. The older Tomlinson was
killed instantly as the moving van raked alongside, crushing his legs and
throwing his head in violent contact with the flooring. 
CONDITION SERIOUS 
His grandson was flipped off onto the pavement by the force of the blow.
Both his legs were crushed between the hips and knees, and serious internal
injuries were received. He was rushed to the Albert Pike hospital here in a
Humphries company ambulance, where he was pronounced  to be in critical
condition. A blood transfusion was given to him in the hope of saving his
life Saturday afternoon. Dorothy Skinner was raked from her seat and
dragged a distance of 200 feet down the highway from the scene of the
accident. Both of her lower limbs were crushed and bad injuries inflicted
to her left side. First aid was given her at Savanna, after which she was
brought to a hospital in McAlester, where she died a few hours later.  
PARTY ON WAY TO CHURCH 
Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Skinner, two sons, and his daughter, Dorothy, Dorothy
together with the Tomlinsons, two other persons had started to attend a
church meeting which is going on now. James Tomlinson and his wife and his
grandson whom he has raised, formerly lived in North McAlester but moved to
near Stuart, two weeks ago. Eight of the party were riding on the back of
the truck, with Mr. Skinner and his son who was driving in front.  Just
outside of the south edge of Savanna he was met by H. Wolfenberger, driver
of the moving van. Mr. Wolfenberger resides in Ottawa County a few miles
from the Missouri line, and was moving a family of people from Tiff,
Missouri to Durant.  
AUTO BLINDED DRIVER 
A few seconds prior to the meeting of the trucks, an automobile, coming at
a rapid pace, swerved between the two, partially blinding the driver of the
moving van, who said he could not tell, just where the road was. The two
trucks did not actually collide, but passed within a few inches of each
other, and the occupants of the north-bound vehicle who were sitting with
their feet hanging over the side, took the force of the shock. Young
Skinner was driving with two wheels off the pavement at the time. However,
each truck has an oversize body, and there is only two feet clearance
between them should  (turn to No. 5, page  2) they both have stayed on the
pavement. Mr. Wolfenberger stated that he felt a slight jar but was not
aware that he had touched the other truck. His companion, however, who was
riding behind, told him that he believed he had hurt someone on the other
truck, and they stopped a few hundred yards down the road. Not seeing any
lights they went on. 
TRUCK DRIVER ARRESTED
 S.O. Lowry, of Savanna, who runs a barber shop on Grand Avenue in
McAlester, Bill Thomas and Bush Ryan, on finding that Wolfenberger did not
stop, on authority from Justice of the Peace McAndrews went in pursuit,
overtaking him two miles south of Savanna, and bringing him back to that
town. Wolfenberger was temporarily placed under arrest until an
investigation could be made.  Funeral services for Dorothy Skinner were
held Saturday afternoon at the Pentecostal Church in Savanna and burial
took place in the cemetery there. Funeral services for Mr. Tomlinson are
being held up pending the arrival of relatives. He is survived by his wife
and two brothers John Tomlinson and Robert Tomlinson, of Oilton.  An
attempt is being made to locate the mother of James Tomlinson, Jr., who is
now a Mrs. Busby, and who was living at Tuskohoma when last heard from.
James has two other brothers who are living with his mother. Charges of
manslaughter, which allege negligence on the part of Wolfenberger, were
filed in justice court Saturday afternoon after an investigation conducted
by W.E. Gotcher, county attorney.  They lived at Savanna when Dorthia was
killed when she fell from a pickup truck.