Aged Retired Blacksmith, Struck by Dr. M. B. CLOPTON's Car.

Mile North of Troy

Mr. STARKEY had been to Troy that morning and had ridden out with J. H. SCHNEIDER, a neighbor. He got out of Mr. SCHNEIDER's wagon on a side road and started walking north on the slab of Hwy 61 toward the home of his son. He started out on the east side of the road and when he got down the road a short distance, started across to the west side. When he was about the center of the road, the CLOPTON car came over the hill back of him. The driver, Edw. JOHNSON, colored, saw Mr. STARKEY and applied the brakes and sounded the horn. According to the evidence of both Dr. CLOPTON and JOHNSON, Mr. STARKEY stopped and turned, facing them. They, supposing he would stand where, he was, attempted to pass him on the left side of the road. As they neared him, he made two quick steps toward the left, or west, side of the road and directly in the path of the car.

Mr. STARKEY was struck by the right side of the radiator of the car and carried several feet until the car was stopped. He was dead when Dr. CLOPTON got out of his car and made examination. The radiator of the car was slightly damaged.

Coroner E. A. HICKS was notified and went out immediately to view the body and held an inquest. The jury selected was composed of: O. S. MAHNKEN, C. P. TIFFANY, Tullie JONES, Roy HAMMACK, Will CREECH, and Ira FIELDER. After hearing the evidence of Mr. MILLER, William STARKEY, Melvin STARKEY, Dr. M. B. CLOPTON, and Edw. JOHNSON, they viewed the body and examined the scene of the accident.

The verdict rendered is, as follows: "We, the coroner's jury, find that F. M. STARKEY came to his death by being struck by the automobile of Dr. M. B. CLOPTON, of St. Louis, on Highway No. 61, near SCHNEIDER's filling station about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 13, 1931. From the evidence in the case, the jury finds that it was an accidental death and, furthermore, we find that the occupants of the car did all that was possible to avoid the accident."