The Monday After: 100 years ago, death led Repository's front page

Either death was more prevalent a century ago or dying was displayed more prominently on the front pages of newspapers.

Reports of six deaths – four men and two animals – were placed Nov. 6, 1923, on Page 1 of The Sunday Repository.

The sudden passings could easily draw attention of readers before they turned pages to more mundane news.

"EXPLOSION KILLS ONE BOY, ANOTHER MAY DIE," said a boldfaced and banner headline atop a story detailing how two Louisville children had found an abandoned gas tank and tragically were caught in the blast when it exploded.

"CANTONIAN DIES OF RARE DISEASE."

"ACCIDENT VICTIM DIES OF INJURIES."

"WOMAN SHOOTS AND KILLS HER HUSBAND."

Two additional stories reported on how "Chicken Houses Are Made Safe By Wolf's Death" in Tiffin, and that Canton hunters in Canada "Bag One Of The Biggest Moose In New Brunswick."

Several other fatalities were reported in days before and after this darkly factual front page.

Mrs. Eugene French of Massillon was killed when her car turned over, and Emmet Rutter of Massillon was fatally injured when his car slid then rolled on wet pavement.

Two Ohio teachers – Olive Irvin of Richmond and Helen Bernard of Fremont – attending a convention were killed by a fast-moving train while they were walking on tracks near Steubenville.

John L. Creg of Magnolia was killed when a rock fell and crushed him in a coal mine, and Zeke Peter of Canton died at Aultman Hospital after he "stepped in front of a train of charging cars in the open hearth department of the United Alloy Steel corporation," an accident that cut off both of the 29-year-old man's legs.

Funeral services were announced for Ervin Shreffler, who died of burns suffered while he tried to extinguish flames in his automobile.

And William Trolly of Uhrichsville died of an undisclosed cause while making plans to reunite with his family. Trolly, a clay miner and immigrant from England, "has been counting the minutes and saving each penny possible to bring his wife to America."

Those untimely and sometimes gruesome deaths, though spread out over a number of days, one or two on each edition's front page, were numerous enough to make the newspaper's content attract the eyes of readers.

But, the front page of the Repository's edition of Nov. 6, 1923, was so clustered with tragedy it seemed even more sensational. The abundance of articles about death made it appear the newspaper was celebrating the end of life like it had a Halloween hangover, or, if for only a single day, it was subscribing to the usually faulty premise that newspapers only publish bad news.

Tragedy caused by gas tank

Simple curiosity killed 6-year-old Paul Edward Mintzer 100 years ago, and severely injured his friend Niles Ward.

"The explosion of a discarded gasoline tank, while two boys were playing with it near a bonfire, was fatal to one Louisville boy Saturday ... another in a critical condition at Mercy Hospital from burns has a chance to recover."

Ward was burned on his head, chest and arms, while Mintzer, enveloped by flames, suffered burns on all parts of his body.

"The two boys were playing among the factory ruins on their Saturday holiday when they discovered the tank which had been taken from an old tractor and thrown away," the Repository reported. "They had built a bonfire and it is supposed the end of a lighted stick was held in the tank in which gasoline remained."

According to news in that same issue of the Repository, William Mick, 59, of Canton was struck by the Manhattan Limited at the Market Avenue S crossing of the Pennsylvania Railroad, by which he was employed, about a month before his death was reported in the newspaper.

"At the time of the accident, it is said, Mick was standing on the east bound track waiting for a west bound freight train to pass when the limited approached," said the Repository. "A number of other persons standing on the track stepped out of the pathway of the approaching train."

In Hamilton, Ohio, another of the front-page stories said, Bertha Kramer, 44, believed to have been under a doctor's care for more than a year, "shot and killed her husband, Scott Kramer, 48, on their farm near Jericho, Butler County."

The woman then attempted suicide.

"The wound was only slight, but Mrs. Kramer is said to (then) have attempted suicide by drowning, in which she failed," the newspaper reported. "Later it is said she told her 13-year-old daughter that she had just killed her father ... Mrs. Kramer, it is alleged, has been filled with the fear that someone was trying to take her farm away from her."

An additional death took the life of a man well known to people in Canton at the time.

"A. Ebert Fournace, 48, prominent in both Canton and state organizations of the Sons of Veterans, died in his home, 803 Third St. SW, Saturday evening at 5 o'clock," the news account said. "Death followed four months' illness from septic endocarditis, which is a rare disease, it being a poisoning of the muscles around the heart."

Animals were victims, too

One animal you might say deserved his fate and other creatures who arguably were innocent also were reported as victims in the Repository.

"Chicken Houses Are Made Safe By Wolf's Death," one headline said above an Associated Press article from a Tiffin.

Where many men failed, one young man succeeded in protecting the flocks.

"Seneca County chicken houses were left open tonight for the first time in weeks. Farmers believe their flocks are secure since the killing today of a gray wolf north of Tiffin," the article reported. "The wolf was shot by Melvin Kimmel, 16, son of a Liberty Township farmer. Kimmel tracked the animal down in a lone hunt after groups of several hundred farmers failed."

Another animal – a huge moose – met his demise in a hunt in Canada.

"Moose!" a guide on the hunt had shouted.

Soon, Canton hunters Ed Williams of the Citizens Building and Loan Co. and Paul Wagner of Harvey Loehr Lumber Co., hunting in the "wilderness of New Brunswick forests," were raising the head of a giant of a moose, "which had a 64-inch spread and 29 points on its antlers, a moose which guides declared probably would be the largest killed this season."

The moment that climaxed the trophy hunt, the moment when four moose – seeing one moose a day is usually considered plentiful, the guides said – crossed in front of the hunting party.

"Let 'em have it!" a second guide said.

"That was the command to shoot which all experienced hunters wait for the guide to give," explained the article.

And one of the four moose – two males and two females – dropped. The bull was the prize for a hunting party that also included Cantonians O.W. Renkert of Metropolitan Paving Brick Co., George Charls of United Alloy Steel Corp., Dr. R.E. Pfouts M.D., and William C. Laiblin of Congress Lake.

"Laiblin, Charls and Renkert were able to get specimens with excellent heads which is the real reason for hunting moose," the article noted. "Renkert, however, must be accorded first place for he not only scored a moose but also a bear."

Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: The Monday After: 100 years ago, death led Repository's front page