William Jasper Helms Obituary, Craighead County, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Ken Black - Great Grand Father Date: December 8, 2005 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** William Jasper Helms Friday, February 15, 1924 Jonesboro Evening Sun Front page of News Paper head lines reads. ------------------------------------- AGED MAN SUICIDES, BECKONING FRISCO TRAIN TO DEAL DEATH. ------------------------------------- W.J. Helms of Walnut Ridge, Waves to Engineer to come ON; Tragedy was near Bono. Standing in the middle of the Frisco railroad track, one mile east of Bono refusing to get off the track when several times in succession, and waving his hand to the approaching train as if to beckon to it to come on and be the instrument of death. W.J.Helms of Walnut Ridge, a man who has seen the hand of Father Time write history of human affairs for three score and ten years, met his untimely end this morning at 5:05 O'clock. Engineer Tom King saw the man by the glare of the headlight when about a length of the space between two telephone poles from him, he vigorously blew the whistle and threw on the brakes. Helms refused to budge from his position in the center of the track,seemed perfectly resigned to suicide, and the engine running about 30 miles per hour, struck him full force. The blow lifted him off of the track, landing on the ground several feet away. Death was not instantaneous. The man was rendered unconscious, suffered a broken arm,crushed side, broken leg and a badly cut face. The train crew picked him up, placed him in the baggage car and resumed the run to this city. Death came before the train proceeded far and upon arrival here. Undertaker J.A.Gregg took charge of the remains. Helms had no identification card and his identity was a mystery for a time. In his pocket was a blank check book on the Lawrence County Bank of Walnut Ridge with stubs on which some names were poorly written. Undertaker Gregg called the bank and found that the check book and writing was that of one of the bank's customers, W. J. Helms. The dead man also had a ticket from a store made out to Jasper Helms and this completed the identification. Helms has a son, residing in Walnut Ridge and two daughters living at Roe, Ark, that have been notified. What will be the deposition of the remains awaits instructions from the children. --------------------------------------------- Follow up story from the Jonesboro Daily Tribune. Feb 16th, 1924. --------------------------------------------- The body of W. J. Helms, the man who was killed on the Frisco railroad yesterday morning is still at the undertaking establishment of Gregg & Son, owing to the fact that the son who was expected to arrive here yesterday afternoon failed to come. A telephone message this morning stated that he would be here this afternoon and take charge of the body. He did not say what disposition he would make of the body, regarding the burial but it is expected that the body will be shipped to Walnut Ridge, the home of the deceased. ----------------------------------------------- Personal Note: My Great Grandfather's body was buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery. His death certificate signed by his son, Ed Helms of Walnut Ridge says, cause of death. Killed by 101 slow train. William Jasper Helms was 76 years old. Born Sept, 1848 TN.