Mr. Howard H. Vickers

The funeral services of Mr. Howard Vickers, who was killed in the wreck in Atlanta Tuesday, June 4th, were held at his home, two miles from Flovilla, at 1 o'clock Thursday. The services were conducted by Rev. W. O. Sharp, a Baptist minister, assisted by Rev. Henry D. Pace, the Methodist preacher at Flovilla. The body was laid to rest at the Sandy Creek, Primitive Baptist burial ground.

(The Jackson Argus - June 7, 1901)

Submitted by V. S. Harrison

A Bad Wreck
The Up Morning Train to Atlanta Had an Accident Tuesday
As the up-morning passenger train was going into Atlanta Tuesday morning, about 11 o'clock, a switch engine dashed into the side of the train and completely demolished two passenger coaches, turning them over, killing three people and injuring many others. Some say the engine was wild, while others declare that it was run by a yard conductor. The "wild" theory seems to be the most probable of the two. The dead and wounded are:
Dead.
Mrs. A. A. Lemon, McDonough, Ga.
Irma Lemon, her daughter, aged 8.
H. H. Vicker, Flovilla, GA.
Injured
A. F. Bunn, McDonough, Ga.
J. A. Fouche, McDonough, GA.
Mrs. Julia Kersey, Atlanta.
N. H. Vickers, Flovilla, Ga.
W. T. Tidwell, McDonough, Ga.
D. A. George, Knot, GA.
Wm. Richardson, Stockbridge, GA.
Miss Rosa Lee, Stockbridge, GA.
Miss Alma Massenger, Washington, D. C.
Mrs. J. E. Ridley, Huntsville, Ala.
E. G. Eggleston, Atlanta.
G. V. Harvey, Atlanta.
The Atlanta Constitution thus tells the story of the wreck:
"While the combination passenger train, composed of cars from Macon and Fort Valley, was running into Atlanta Tuesday morning over the Southern road, another engine dashed into it from the side track leading from the old East Tennessee shops to the main line.
"Three killed outright and many injured some seriously, others but slightly is the result of the accident. The first-class coach of the passenger train was overturned and completely wrecked. The handsome Pullman sleeper, next to it, had one end crushed in, while the car ahead of the first-class coach was also damaged.
"Those killed in the wreck were Mrs. A. A. Lemon, of McDonough, and her little daughter, Irma, and H. H. Vickers, of Flovilla.
Who they were.
"Mrs. Lemon was the wife of Alexander A. Lemon, a prominent business man of McDonough. Mr. Lemon is interested in the McDonough Mercantile Company, is the owner of the Brown house at that place and has a large farm near McDonough. His daughter who was killed was about 8 years old.
"Mrs. Lemon also had one of her children, a baby less than a year old in her arms at the time the collision took place. The baby was not injured. Her two other children, a boy and a girl, were also on the train with her, but they escaped injury.
"Mr. Vickers was a prosperous young farmer of Flovilla. He was on his way to Atlanta to have his eyes examined by a specialist, and was accompanied by his brother, N. H. Vickers, who escaped with a few injuries. Mr. Vickers was the son of Jacob Vickers of Atlanta, and had been married about two years. He leave a wife and child.
One Man Arrested.
"Mystery seems to cloud the direct cause of the accident. G. B. Dunton, a yard conductor for the road, was arrested, pending investigation by the police authorities. Employees of the road say he was upon the engine, and C. O. Wallace, a switchman, is expected to give damaging testimony against Dunton.
"Dunton declares he was not on the engine when it ran into the passenger train, and does not know who was. He says he did board the engine and rang the bell to get hostlers to get the engine off the switch that he might move his own engine onto the main line to return to the North avenue yards.
"He says that after ringing the bell he stepped off the engine, walked down the tracks, and was looking at the passenger train when the collision took place. He was wounded over the left eye, while his face was badly burned and scalded."

(The Jackson Argus - June 7, 1901)

Submitted by V. S. Harrison