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Wife Watches Husband Fall to His Death

Wife Watches Husband Fall to His Death
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Wife Watches Husband Fall to His Death

“Plunging 100 feet into the Ohio River, when he stumbled and fell while walking across the C&O railroad bridge at Sciotoville, Dewey Wilson, 32, of Sedgwick, west of Ironton, drowned at 4:40 PM Monday. City firemen dragged the river all night but failed to recover the body.”

“Wilson’s wife, Mrs. Bessie Wilson and a companion, DS Newland1 and his niece, Thelda Henson, of Ironton were eye-witnesses to the tragedy. The trio was forced to stand helpless on the structure and watch the victim disappear into the stream. Mrs. Wilson collapsed and was carried off the bridge by Newland.”

“Wilson and companions were enroute home from Kentucky where they visited his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Dickerson2 who resided near the Kentucky end of the bridge. Wilson and Newland were close railroad pals and Newland drove the party here Monday afternoon. They stopped the machine at Sciotoville and walked across the bridge.”

“Returning back across the bridge, Newland said Wilson was walking the ties near the edge. Newland says Wilson stumbled on the edge of a tie and plunged head first into the stream. The accident occurred near the fourth pier from the Ohio side.”

Fire Chief Robert R. Leedom and Assistant RL Shumate directed work of the fire department rescue squad. Off-duty firemen were summoned to search for the body. Wind and waved hampered the work of the searchers. Wilson is the second victim to fall off the bridge this year. A C&O painter was drowned when he fell this last summer.”

“Wilson was employed as a switchman in the C&O yards at Russell, Kentucky. Newland is a C&O engineer.”

“Wilson is survived by his wife, Bessie Wilson, two children, Glen Edward and Dewey Wilson Jr3., his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wilson who reside south of Ashland, and three brothers, Woodrow, Russell and Floyd Wilson of south of Ashland.”4

  1. Dwight Stevens Newland
  2. The surname in this article is misspelled and should have read for Mr. and Mrs. Dickison, who are Henry Dickison and Arminta Jane Tackett Dickison. Arminta was the sister of Wilson’s mother.
  3. This name was incorrectly reported as no Dewey Wilson Jr. appears on the 1930 Federal Census, however, Raymond Lester Wilson does
  4. Wife watches husband fall to his death. (1930, December 9). Portsmouth Times, p. 1.
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