Butch Asks: Do We Live in More Dangerous Times?

   Many people believe that we live in extraordinarily dangerous times compared to past generations. Thousands of motor vehicle accidents, shootings, violent assaults, etc. occur each year in our country. But hold on. Let’s take a look back in time. Aniel Booher was born east of Darlington in 1867, two years after the Civil War ended. He became the owner of a hardware store here in town for sixty years, from 1890 to 1950. Starting as child, he kept a book in which he recorded the deaths in the community. The majority of entries just list the date of passing of each individual; however, he made notes on several of the deaths. Here are a few…

Jan. 8, 1882…Andy Buck…”Train stopped at Sugar Creek to take on water, and it ran past the tank and stopped on the bridge. Mr. Buck walked out and stepped off, falling some 20 feet. He died the next day.”

Nov. 4, 1882…Taylor Dunbar…”He was murdered by Buck Stout. Buck was hung at Rockville.”

Dec. 23, 1885…Jack Stevens…”He only had three fingers on one hand, and was known as Three-Fingered Jack. He was a brakeman and fell off the train and was cut in two.”

Feb. 12, 1887…William Rice…”Was killed by a passenger train about one mile south of Bowers Station. He was drunk and got down on the track. The engineer thought it was a hog, and when he saw it was a man, it was too late to stop.”

Feb. 21, 1899…Arnold Eads…”His mother gave him a spanking because he would not help set out onions, and he went to the barn and hung himself.”

June 17, 1899…Bert Colmon…”Was drunk and got in a woods, and when they found him, the hogs were dragging his skeleton through the woods.”

June 12, 1900…Ted Flaningam…”He was trying to bum a ride and fell under the train. Ground to pieces at the Main Street crossing.”

July 6, 1901…William Coonrod…”He was shooting up stumps with dynamite.”

Aug. 10, 1905…Panel Beckman…”He was murdered by John James in a woods east of Hazel Creek.”

Sept. 6, 1905…Godfrey Guntle…”Shot his wife, then shot himself.”

June 19, 1911…James Daugherty…”Was said to be suicide by a .38 revolver, but many people thought foul play by his brothers.”

Aug. 7, 1918…Charley Hunt…”Fell out of a pear tree.”

Apr. 4, 1919…Hewey Edwards…”Got his clothes caught in a line shaft at a coal mine and whirled to his death.”

Jan. 19, 1921…Gale Linn…”Fell in a buzz saw.”

June 12, 1926…William Hutchings…”Was drunk and drove off a bridge and smothered to death in the mud.”

Aug. 26, 1930…Ernest Guinn…”Killed when a log rolled over him.”

July 29, 1933…Mary Fletcher…”She was accidentally shot by Albert Davenport at Ray Anderson’s hardware store.”

Dec. 4, 1933…Ben Honecker…”Fell dead in a field husking corn for Claud Mullen.”

Nov. 8, 1934…John Hayes…”Burned up in a barn.”

Jan. 4, 1935…Henry Lutes…”Froze to death.”

June 4, 1936…Paul Williams…”Hanged himself accidentally while playing with a rope. He had been to the circus the day before and was trying what he had seen.”

Feb. 19, 1939…Bert Hiatt…”Died of rabbit fever.”

Sept. 1, 1939…Ray Grimes…”Fell from a load of hay.”

Oct. 31, 1949…Raymond Krout…”He was on a tractor pulling a log when a limb fell from a tree and crushed his skull.”

   There were many other entries, including seven additional people who were struck by trains and four drownings. One poor fellow drowned while he was being baptized! Were people happier and more contented with life back then? Perhaps not, as Mr. Booher recorded 28 deaths by suicide. I don’t know about you, but compared to earlier times, I feel pretty safe in today’s world.

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.