The Teague Chronicle - Dec. 20, 1918 edition

JOE BELL KILLED IN AUTOMOBILE CRASH

CAR FALLS FROM BRIDGE ON WAY HOME TUESDAY EVENING

Joe Bell, a farmer about 50 years of age who resides at Donie was injured when
his automobile ran off a bridge on the Teague-Mills road Tues. afternoon and
died after being taken to his home in Donie at 7:45 o'clock Tues. evening.

Mr. & Mrs. Bell and their little child had come to Teague to do some shopping
and were returning home. Their car developed trouble shortly after they left
Teague. At a bridge a few miles out of town the car refused to go. Walter
Tacker of Freestone stopped his car and began to repair Mr. Bells car. He had
stopped his car a little piece behind the car he was working on and asked Mr.
Bell to drive it up while he did the repairing. A young man named Whatley was
along and remarked to Mr. Bell could drive a car and would drive the car down
to the other one.

When he started the car he lost control of it and it ran off the bridge
breaking one of the banisters. The men jumped and the car fell across Mr. Bells
chest. Mrs. Bell suggested that he be taken to a nearby house, but upon his
suggestion he was taken to his home at Donie and physicians summoned. He died
at 7:45 and Dr. Davidson pronounced the cause paralysis.

The body was embalmed by J.C. Hippel Wed. morning and interment was in Post Oak
cemetery yesterday. Mr. Bell leaves a wife and a large family of children most
of whom are grown and married.